The
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a good credit card for Delta loyalists, especially the first year. The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex has a great initial bonus offer, plus a
$0 intro annual fee the first year, and it gives you the first free checked bag every time you fly Delta – just to name a few of the perks.
Things aren’t as clear-cut for folks who don’t always fly Delta or for everyone from the second year on. The Gold Delta Amex can still be worth owning in those cases, but you will have to work a little harder for it to pay off.
What I Like About the Delta Gold Card
Great initial bonus
Charging at least
$2,000 to your Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card within
6 months of opening the account earns you
50,000 bonus miles.
$0 intro annual fee the first year
The Delta Gold Card’s introductory annual fee is
$0. This is like a second initial bonus, which presents an opportunity for potential Delta flyers.
Double miles on Delta and dining
The Delta Gold Card gives you 2 miles per $1 spent directly with Delta, at restaurants, and at U.S. supermarkets. All other eligible purchases get 1 mile per $1.
The minimum rewards rate is nothing special. It’s pretty standard. The maximum isn’t elite compared to other airline cards, or rewards cards in general, but it’s good.
First checked bag free
You and up to eight travel companions get your first checked bag free each time you fly Delta. You all just need to be on the same reservation, and you need to pay with your Delta Gold Card. This benefit could end up saving you a lot of money if you usually travel with a group.
Priority boarding and in-flight savings
The Delta Gold Card gets you priority Zone 5 boarding, allowing you to get to your seat early and make sure you have space for your carry-on. Cardholders also get 20% back as a statement credit on eligible Delta purchases. These are common benefits among airline credit cards, but they can still be quite helpful.
Annual Delta credits
If you charge $10,000 to this card in a year, you get a $200 Delta flight credit. Plus, if you book a $100+ hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays on delta.com and prepay with this card, you can get a $100 as a statement credit each year.
Secondary benefits
Cardholders enjoy perks like extended warranty coverage, purchase protection, baggage insurance, and rental car insurance. These benefits are a lot less common than they once were.
Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.What I Don’t Like About the Delta Gold Card
$150 fee after the first year
From the second year onward, the Delta Gold Card is about six times more expensive than the
average credit card offer, thanks to its
$150 annual fee. The card’s ongoing rewards and benefits can help offset that cost, but you will need to fly with Delta fairly regularly to really rack up savings.
Good credit or better recommended
You need at least
good credit to be eligible for the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. So you should
check your credit score for free on WalletHub before applying.
You may also want to browse the market’s
best airline credit cards. If you are eligible for the Gold Delta SkyMiles Card, you should be able to get most of its top competitors, too.
High interest rate
The fact that the Delta Gold Credit Card is available to people with good or excellent credit helps put its APR into perspective. After all, it could be even higher than
the average among cards for people with fair credit. So using the Gold Delta Amex to carry a balance from month to month would be a mistake. You can avoid interest charges by paying in full every month.
If you’re interested in alternatives, check out our editors’ picks for the
best low interest credit cards, the
best Delta cards, and the
best airline credit cards overall. Lots of good options are available.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
