The
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a good credit card for frequent Delta flyers, especially the first year. The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex has a great initial bonus offer, plus a
$0 intro membership fee the first year, and it gets you the first checked bag on every worldwide Delta flight – 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
You can now earn up to 90,000 bonus miles:
70,000 miles for spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 6 months, plus an additional 20,000 miles after spending another $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months from the date the account is opened (offer ends 07/15/2026).
$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 cost-concious 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. Delta SkyMiles may also be
worth a bit more than average, according to WalletHub's research, which makes this earning rate slightly better than it might initially appear.
It’s still not elite, compared to what you can get from some other airline cards, or the best rewards cards in general. But it’s very good.
First checked bag free
You get your first checked bag free each time you fly with Delta wordwide when you pay with your Delta Gold Card. You can also get a second checked bag free on domestic Delta flights. This benefit could end up saving you a lot of money on baggage fees over time.
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 statement credit each year.
So, you do have to jump through some hoops, but it can pay off if it’s easy for you.
Secondary benefits
This card’s benefits list includes 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 five 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.
Unimpressive rewards outside the bonus categories
The minimum rewards rate of 1 mile per $1 spent is nothing special. It’s pretty standard, in fact. As a result, this card is best when paired with a card offering at least 2% cash back on all purchases, for expenses outside Delta Gold’s bonus categories.
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 travel 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.
