Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card review

The post has been updated with the current card information.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card overview

The Gold American Express Card from Delta SkyMiles provides valuable benefits at an affordable price point for casual Delta flyers. The benefits of a first checked bag free and priority boarding for you and up to eight travel companions on your reservation when flying Delta can easily justify opening and keeping this card. The card has a rating of.

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is still a Delta credit card.

It has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year and then a $299 annual fee after that. The card's welcome bonus is higher than usual, at 70,000 miles, after spending $2,000 in the first three months.

You only have a limited time to add the card to your wallet and earn SkyMiles for your summer trip before the offer ends.

The official application link is for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.

Everything you need to know about the card is here.

Who is this card for?

The main question you need to ask yourself is: Will I get more value from the card than the cost of its annual fee?

If you want to maximize perks such as first checked bag free and inflight purchase discounts, you'll want to make sure that you add up to at least 99 or more in value each year. It shouldn't be hard to only fly the airline a few times a year.

Delta charges $30 for the first checked bag on domestic flights if you don't have elite status with the airline. Your work is done if you take two round-trips a year. As many as eight companions on your reservation are eligible for the checked bag benefit. This perk works well if you travel solo, travel as a couple or travel with your family.

If you always travel with a carry-on, you may still benefit from the Delta Gold Amex's priority boarding perk so you can get some overhead space for your bag. That holds true when traveling on a basic economy ticket.

If you travel alone or with a partner, you won't get much from the Delta Gold Amex. If you want Delta Sky Club access or need a slight elite status boost, you should focus on one of the higher-end Delta cards.

What credit score do you need to get a Delta SkyMiles card?

Welcome bonus: As much as $1,100 in value

If you spend $2,000 on your new Delta Gold Amex card in the first three months, you'll get 70,000 bonus miles. The welcome bonus for Delta SkyMiles is pegged at 1.57 cents each, making it worth roughly $1,100.

If you have a previous version of this card, you won't be eligible for the offer if you already have this card. The number of American Express cards you have opened and closed may be considered when determining your welcome offer eligibility.

If you aren't eligible for the welcome offer, Amex will notify you and give you the option to withdraw your application. Don't ignore any messages that appear after you submit your application.

There is a tip to prevent your Amex welcome bonus from being taken back.

Main benefits and perks

First checked bag free and priority boarding are offered by the Delta Gold Amex.

When you check in with Delta for flights that are both Delta-marketed and Delta-operated, you'll get a first checked bag free.

Main Cabin 1 is the seventh out of 10 boarding groups, behind premium flyers and most elite-status tiers, but it is still ahead of the pack at the back of the plane.

You and up to eight other passengers on the same reservation can take advantage of baggage fee waivers and priority boarding places.

Delta ties these benefits to your Delta SkyMiles account rather than your card. You don't have to pay for your Delta flights with your Delta Gold Amex to get these perks. You can use one of the top cards for airfare purchases, which may allow you to earn more rewards on your flights or secure more comprehensive credit card travel protections for your trip.

Delta Gold Amex cardholders get the following benefits:

• 20% back in the form of a statement credit when you use your card to buy eligible pre-purchased meals and inflight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights.
• $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 or more on your card in a calendar year.
• Secondary collision damage waiver* when you pay for rental cars with your card (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.).
• Baggage insurance plan* when you book flights entirely with your card (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company).
• Extended warranty protection* and purchase protection* for purchases made with your card (Underwritten by AMEX

  Assurance Company).

• Complimentary ShopRunner membership.
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

Eligibility and benefit level can vary by card. There are terms and conditions. For more information, please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. It is required to enroll for certain benefits.

The best credit cards for Delta flyers.

How to earn miles

You can earn Delta SkyMiles on purchases you make with the Delta Gold Amex.

• 2 miles per dollar on purchases made with Delta.
• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets.
• 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.

You will get an effective return of over 3% on eligible Delta, restaurant and supermarket purchases, and you will get slightly over 1.5% in value on other purchases, based on the valuation of Delta miles at 1.57 cents each. That is not bad, but not great.

You could use another Amex card. The Platinum Card from American Express, the Gold Card from American Express, and the Green Card from American Express are all better options for booking Delta flights in terms of earning rewards.

• Amex Platinum: Earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
• Amex Gold: Earns 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amex Travel.
• Amex Green: Earns 3 points per dollar on travel, including airfare.

The Points Guy collected the information for the Amex Green Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed by the card issuer.

Bonus points are earned on airfare with other top travel rewards cards. The American Express Membership rewards cards are compelling. You can transfer Membership Reward points to Delta at a 3:1 ratio, so they compare more directly to the Delta Gold Amex. You can transfer Membership Reward points to other programs.

Unless you are looking to earn more Delta SkyMiles specifically for an upcoming redemption, you may not want to spend a lot on the Delta Gold Amex.

The Amex Platinum might be the ideal credit card for Delta flyers.

How to redeem miles

Delta SkyMiles can be redeemed for award flights on Delta and its partners. Delta uses a dynamic award pricing system. It's possible to aim for a set amount of miles to book an award.

There are some sweet spots in the Delta SkyMiles program.

One of the best ways to redeem Delta SkyMiles is to book a SkyMiles deal. Delta has mileage flash sales with discounted economy and Delta One award flights.

Delta SkyMiles can be used to fly on Delta partner airlines, including SkyTeam alliance partners like Air France and Korean Air.

Premium drinks in Delta Sky Clubs can be redeemed for SkyMiles. When redeeming for flights, most of these redemptions yield a higher return.

Everything you need to know about maximizing Delta SkyMiles award tickets.

Which cards compete with the Delta Gold Amex?

If you want priority boarding and first checked bag free, the Delta Gold Amex is probably the best option.

If you're more interested in earning Delta SkyMiles, getting lounge access when flying Delta or getting elite status with Delta, other cards may be a better fit.

Depending on your goals, you may be better off with a different Delta credit card or an American Express Membership rewards card.

Delta cards

If you want a Delta card, there are two important reasons to choose a different card.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card with a $250 annual fee is a good choice if you want to get a boost toward Delta's elite status. If you spend $25,000 or more on purchases in a calendar year, you will get a Medallion Dollar Waiver towards tiers up to Platinum Medallion (a Diamond MQD Waiver requires a whopping $250,000 in calendar-year spending). Cardholders can earn up to 50,000 and 20,000 MQMs after spending up to $25,000 on their card.

The Delta Platinum Amex card comes with a main cabin companion ticket benefit each year upon account renewal, along with similar inflight perks to those offered on the Delta Gold Amex.

Check out our review of Delta Platinum Amex.

The Reserve American Express Card is a better choice if you want to get complimentary Delta Sky Club access when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight. It also comes with an annual companion ticket, but the Reserve's version includes select fare classes in Comfort+ and first class. The ability to earn 15,000 bonus MQMs for spending $30,000, $60,000, $90,000 and $120,000 in a calendar year is included in the Delta Reserve Amex.

It charges an annual fee of $550. It may be worth it if you travel frequently with Delta and enjoy Sky Club access.

The Delta Reserve Amex review has more information.

Should you get the Delta Gold or Delta Platinum Amex card?

American Express Membership Rewards cards

You can transfer American Express Membership rewards points to Delta at a 3:1 ratio. If you want to earn Delta miles first, then the Delta Gold Amex has some competition.

Sky Club access, access to a wide variety of lounges, and an unbeatable return on airfare purchases make The Platinum Card from American Express a compelling option for Delta flyers. The Amex Platinum has a significantly higher annual fee.

The review of the Amex Platinum Card can be found here.

The non-Delta branded American Express Gold Card is much closer to the Delta branded one. The Amex Gold Card's annual fee is much higher than the Delta Gold Amex, but some consumers find it easier to get their money back thanks to dining and ride hailing credits. The Amex Gold Card has some valuable bonus categories.

• 4 points per dollar on dining purchases at restaurants.
• 4 points per dollar on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 spent each year, then 1 point per dollar).
• 3 points per dollar on all flights purchased directly from the airline or Amex Travel.

The review of the Amex Gold can be found here.

The American Express Green Card can be used to earn Membership Reward points on travel. In exchange for a $150 annual fee, this card will give you 3 points per dollar on travel and restaurant purchases. The Amex Green offers two up-to-$100 statement credits each year, one for lounge access purchased through LoungeBuddy and the other for a clear membership, that may provide enough value to justify the $150 annual fee on their own.

Which one is right for you?

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card can still be a good choice for its welcome bonus and Delta specific perks. If you pay a first checked bag fee to Delta at least four times each year, you're going to get this card.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card has a 70,000-mile bonus. The offer ends on April 13, 2022.

Click here for Delta Gold Amex rates and fees.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Amex, please click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Amex, please click here.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, please click here.

For rates and fees of the Amex Green Card, please click here.

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