Delta SkyMiles Gold Card Review: Solid Perks For Occasional Delta Flyers

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the mid-range personal credit card in the American Express and Delta co-brand card portfolio, which includes seven cards, covering a variety of annual fee levels, across both personal and business products.

This post is my in-depth review of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex Card. The card has a reasonable annual fee and is ideal for someone looking for basic benefits that come in handy when flying Delta. However, if you’re a Medallion elite flyer on Delta, another card might be a better option (more on that below).

More from OMAAT Delta Platinum Amex Card Review: Big Benefits & Strong Welcome Offer Read more

Link: Learn more about the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Delta Gold Card summary & key details for November 2026

Before I get into my Delta Gold SkyMiles American Express Card review, here’s a quick look at the card’s main selling points and fees:

• Delta Gold Card annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. (Rates & Fees)
• Delta Gold Card welcome offer: You may be eligible for as high as 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• Delta Gold Card miles earning rates: Earn 2X miles on Delta Purchases, 2X miles at restaurants, 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets, 1X miles on all other eligible purchases.
• Delta Gold Card benefits with Delta: A first and second checked bag free (the first on Delta flights worldwide, the second only on domestic Delta flights), Zone 5 priority boarding, Pay With Miles
• Delta Gold Card discounts: TakeOff 15 discount of 15% anytime you book award travel on Delta flights through SkyMiles, 20% back on inflight purchases in the form of a statement credit
• Delta Gold Card credits: $200 Delta flight credit toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year, up to $100 in Delta Stays credit per year after using your card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays, and, after your first card renewal, earn up to $10 in statement credits each month (up to $120 each year) when you use the card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers (Enrollment required)
• Delta Gold Card travel and purchase protection: Coverage for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage, car rental loss and damage insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection
• Delta Gold Card foreign transaction fees: None (Rates & Fees)
• Best for: Occasional Delta flyers who want basic benefits with the airline in exchange for a moderate annual fee

Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of the Delta Gold SkyMiles Credit Card:

Delta Gold Card bonus, eligibility, & fees

To start, let’s take a look at the Delta Gold Amex welcome bonus and ongoing fees, since these are some of the most important features to consider when opening a new card.

Delta Gold Amex welcome offer

The Delta Gold SkyMiles Amex is currently offering new cardholders the following bonus: You may be eligible for as high as 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Based on my latest miles & points valuations, SkyMiles are worth 1.1 cents each. That means to me, the welcome bonus is worth up to $880.

This is a solid welcome bonus, though the card recently offered a higher one that included a statement credit along with bonus miles. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether they’d rather wait for a better offer, or apply with this offer so they can take advantage of the perks ASAP.

Delta Gold Amex eligibility

The welcome offer on the Delta Gold Amex card is “once in a lifetime,” so it’s not available to you if you currently have the card, or if you’ve had the card in the past.

You’re also not eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you have or have had the personal versions of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (learn more) or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (learn more). However, you are eligible for this card if you’ve had any version of the business Delta Amex cards before.

One thing worth emphasizing is that if you’re going to apply for multiple personal Delta Amex cards, you’ll want to pick up the Delta Gold Amex first. That’s because if you do, you’d potentially still be eligible for the Delta Platinum Amex and Delta Reserve Amex. Meanwhile if you apply for one of those cards first, you’d no longer be eligible for the “lesser” card.

When it comes to credit scores, there’s not a consistent score you need to get approved for the Delta Gold Amex. I’d hope to have a score in the “good” to “excellent” range, ideally 700+ points. However, people with lower scores have been approved, and people with higher scores have been denied, as it’s only one of many factors that determines card eligibility.

You can read more about Amex’s general application restrictions here.

Delta Gold Amex annual fee & authorized user fee

The Delta Gold SkyMiles American Express Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. (Rates & Fees). This is a great opportunity to try the card before you have to “buy” it. The card also has a reasonable annual fee on an ongoing basis, so it’s easy to recoup that fee by taking advantage of the card perks.

You can also add authorized users to the Delta Gold Amex at no extra cost.

Delta Gold Amex no foreign transaction fees

If you are going to put spending on the card, the good news is that there are no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees) with the Delta Gold Amex, so you can use the card abroad without paying those high fees.

Delta Gold Card rewards structure

When applying for a credit card, the rewards structure is obviously a major consideration for people. With airline credit cards, the question typically comes down to both the miles offered on spending, as well as the ability to qualify for elite status with spending. Unfortunately the Delta Gold Amex isn’t much to get excited about on that front, but let’s still go over the details.

Delta Gold Amex mileage earning with spending

When it comes to the return on spending, the Delta Gold Card offers:

• 2x SkyMiles for purchases directly with Delta, including flights, Delta Sky Club® memberships, seat upgrades, and more
• 2x SkyMiles at restaurants worldwide
• 2x SkyMiles at U.S. supermarkets
• 1x SkyMiles on all other eligible purchases

While it’s nice that the card has some bonus categories, I don’t find the bonuses to be particularly compelling. There are still better cards out there for airfare purchases, restaurant purchases, and grocery store purchases.

Delta Gold Amex elite status earning with spending

Nowadays it’s common to see airlines offer elite status qualification through credit card spending. Delta SkyMiles elite status is based on the concept of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs), and it’s possible to earn elite status with credit card spending.

The catch is that the Delta Gold Card doesn’t earn any MQDs, so if you want to qualify for status, you’ll have to pick up the Delta Platinum Card or Delta Reserve Card. More on that later.

Redeeming Delta SkyMiles for maximum value

While Delta SkyMiles is far from my favorite mileage currency, it does have a high floor value, so there are good ways to redeem Delta SkyMiles. You can redeem SkyMiles for flights on Delta or on Delta’s SkyTeam partners, like Air France, China Airlines, and Korean Air.

Partner award flights can be an especially good option if you focus on flights that don’t touch the United States, since flights that do are more expensive and get you less value for your miles. I’ve also seen some good award prices for Delta One (business class) awards, specifically for booking roundtrip rather than one way.

As I’ll cover below, having the Delta Gold Amex also gives you access to the TakeOff 15 discount on award tickets, and that can also help you stretch your SkyMiles for travel on Delta.

Delta Gold Card benefits & perks

The real reason you’ll want to keep the Delta Gold Card long term is because of the perks and benefits that it offers, which are great for the casual Delta flyer. Truthfully, this is the value proposition of many airline credit cards — it’s largely about the welcome bonus and the perks, so let’s take a closer look at those details for the Delta Gold Amex.

$200 Delta flight credit with spending

Perhaps one of the biggest incentives to actually spend money on the Delta Gold SkyMiles Credit Card is the ability to earn a flight credit. Specifically, if you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year, you can receive a $200 Delta eCredit to use toward future travel, which will be deposited right in your SkyMiles account. The credit expires one year after it’s issued.

Getting a $200 Delta eCredit in addition to any miles could be a good incentive to spend $10,000 on the card per year. The credit alone is the equivalent of a 2% return on spending, assuming you consider it to be worth face value.

$100 Delta Stays credit

Just for having the Delta Gold Card you receive up to $100 in Delta Stays credit annually. The way this works, you receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year when you use your card to pay for a new Delta Stays prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.

While I’m not usually a fan of using airline portals to book hotel stays and vacation rentals, this could prove worthwhile, as you can use it for a hotel stay costing right around $100, if you wanted to. If used right, the value here is considerable.

Up to two free checked bags

Just for having the Delta Gold SkyMiles Amex, you get a first checked bag free. You can also receive a second checked bag free on eligible domestic Delta flights.

This benefit is limited to the primary card member and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation. You don’t have to pay for your flight with your Delta Amex, though you do need to have your SkyMiles number in the reservation.

With the ever-increasing cost of a checked bag with Delta, this can really add up. A first checked bag on domestic flights costs $45, and a second costs $55, so even just checking one bag on two roundtrip flights could effectively cancel out the card’s annual fee.

Delta priority boarding

You receive priority boarding just for having the Delta Gold Amex. This helps maximize your odds of finding space for your carry-on and getting to your seat sooner. To receive this benefit, you must ensure the primary card member’s SkyMiles number is linked to the reservation. This benefit is valid for the primary card member and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation.

20% Delta inflight savings

If you have the Delta Gold Amex then you can save 20% in the form of a statement credit for eligible inflight purchases of food and beverages. The statement credit will post within 8-12 weeks of an eligible purchase.

Pay With Miles benefit

Delta has a Pay With Miles feature, where if you have a Delta co-branded credit card, you can redeem miles for 1.0 cent each toward a Delta flight purchase (in increments of 5,000 miles per $50). That’s not the best deal in the world, though this is a feature that’s exclusively available to those with an eligible card.

Some people find this to be useful since they can redeem their miles toward flights, and then they still earn miles and MQDs on the portion of the fare they pay in cash.

15% savings on Delta award flights

With the Delta TakeOff 15 perk (exclusively for those with select Delta Amex cards), you can save 15% on the cost of a SkyMiles award ticket when traveling exclusively on Delta flights booked through delta.com or the Fly Delta app. Delta SkyMiles award pricing is dynamic, and generally you’ll find that each mile gets you a bit over a cent toward the cost of a ticket.

Saving 15% on these awards is valuable, and means that you’ll generally get somewhere around 1.2-1.3 cents of value per mile (or sometimes even more). In many cases this will end up being a better value than using the Pay With Miles option, so it’s a real perk of the card.

$120 rideshare credit

The Delta Gold SkyMiles Credit Card also comes with a rideshare credit. The way it works is that you get up to $10 back as a statement credits each month when you use the card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers, including Uber and Lyft.

You need to enroll in this benefit in order to get the money back, and it doesn’t kick in until after your first card renewal. So while it’s a useful perk if you already pay for rideshares at least once a month, it doesn’t really make or break the card.

Amex Offers

One of the great features of Amex cards is access to Amex Offers, which offers savings or bonus points on purchases with all kinds of retailers. There’s huge value to be had in having as many Amex cards as possible, so that you can get these offers on multiple cards.

Amex Offers could save you hundreds of dollars per year. You can access these offers by logging into your account and scrolling down to the bottom of your account summary page. Note that enrollment is required to take advantage of individual offers.

Travel and purchase protection

The Delta Gold SkyMiles Credit Card comes with a handful of coverage benefits that can protect you and your belongings both at home and on the road, including:

• Baggage insurance plan — get coverage for both checked and carry-on luggage that is lost, damaged, or stolen
• Car rental loss and damage insurance — secondary coverage if your rental car is damaged or stolen
• Purchase protection — coverage for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date if your new item is stolen or accidentally damaged
• Extended warranty — get up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty for warranties of five years or less

There are some coverage limits and exclusions to be aware of, so you’ll want to review the full details in the card’s benefits guide before assuming you’re insured.

Baggage insurance plan: 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. Car rental loss and damage insurance: 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. Extended warranty and purchase protection: 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.

Is the Delta Gold Card worth it?

The Delta Gold SkyMiles Credit Card isn’t a card I’d be using for my everyday spending, since there are many more rewarding cards for that. However:

• The card has a strong welcome bonus that can be worth more than $800, based on my valuation
• This card can be worth holding onto for the free checked bags, priority boarding, inflight savings, access to Pay With Miles, access to 15% savings on award flights, Amex Offers, and more

In other words, for someone who flies Delta occasionally, I think this card could make sense, and the benefits can more than offset the annual fee.

Meanwhile if you’re a more frequent Delta flyer, there could be value to having one of the more premium credit cards, which allow you to spend your way to elite status, and earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs).

Looking for a business credit card?

If the Delta Gold Card sounds interesting to you, but you want a business card instead, consider the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card. Learn more about applying for Amex business cards.

Delta Gold Amex vs. Delta Blue Amex comparison

The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (learn more) has a $0 annual fee (Rates & Fees), and offers the following benefits:

• The Delta Blue card earns 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide
• The Delta Blue card offers 20% back on eligible inflight purchases
• The Delta Blue card has no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
• The Delta Blue card gives you access to Delta’s Pay With Miles feature, but doesn’t give you access to the 15% award discount

Beyond that, though, there are limited perks. If you’d get value out of a first checked bag free or priority boarding, then you’re much better off getting one of Delta’s cards with an annual fee. I can’t really see much upside to getting the Delta Blue Card, over the other options in the market.

Delta Gold Amex vs. Delta Platinum Amex comparison

The Delta Platinum Amex (learn more) has a higher annual fee of $350 (Rates & Fees) and offers more perks than the Delta Gold:

• The Delta Platinum Amex earns 3x miles for purchases made directly with Delta and directly with hotels, along with 2x miles at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets (and 1x miles on everything else)
• The Delta Platinum Amex offers a companion certificate on a Delta Main domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flight each year after your card renewal
• The Delta Platinum Amex offers $2,500 MQDs toward Delta elite status each Medallion Qualification Year
• The Delta Platinum Amex earns $1 MQD for each $20 of eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year as a boost toward Delta status
• The Delta Platinum Amex offers the same TakeOff 15 discount as the Delta Gold and a $120 rideshare credit with no first-renewal wait, but also adds a Resy credit of up to $120 annually (divided as up to $10 in statement credits each month at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants). Both the Resy and rideshare credits require enrollment.

If you want to earn MQDs toward elite status and enjoy more Delta benefits, like an annual companion certificate, the Delta Platinum Amex is the better option between these two cards.

Delta Gold Amex vs. Delta Reserve Amex comparison

The Delta Reserve Card (learn more) is the most premium option among personal Delta Amex cards, with the highest annual fee: $650 (Rates & Fees)

It also has the most benefits, so it could be worth it if you frequently fly Delta and want the best perks like lounge access:

• The Delta Reserve Amex earns 3x miles on Delta purchases and 1x miles on other eligible purchases
• The Delta Reserve Amex offers a companion certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main roundtrip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America each year after renewal of your card
• The Delta Reserve Amex offers eligible card members Delta Sky Club® access, with 15 visits each Medallion® Year when flying Delta and the ability to unlock unlimited Delta Sky Club access after spending $75,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year
• The Delta Reserve Amex also offers complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve card

Those aren’t even all the Delta Reserve card benefits. It also lets you earn MQDs on spending and gets you upgrade priority over other Delta SkyMiles members with your same Medallion tier, product, and fare experience purchased. The annual fee is high, but it’s absolutely worth a look if you want as many Delta perks as possible.

Consider earning Amex Membership Rewards points instead

If you are looking to earn Delta SkyMiles through credit card spending then consider using a card earning Amex Membership Rewards points. That’s because these points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio, and you can in many cases earn points at a much faster rate.

For example, the American Express® Gold Card (learn more) offers:

• 4x points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, and then 1x)
• 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, and then 1x), and
• 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or at amextravel.com

Furthermore, earning Amex points gives you more flexibility to redeem in other ways, given all the great uses of Membership Rewards points.

Delta Gold Card FAQs

Bottom line

The Delta Gold SkyMiles Credit Card is a card that can be worth holding onto for the benefits that it offers, like up to $100 in Delta Stays credit, free checked bags, priority boarding, inflight savings, and more.

For the more frequent Delta flyer, consider the Delta Platinum Card, which can offer a larger bonus and additional perks, but also has a higher annual fee. Meanwhile if you’re a true Delta frequent flyer, consider the Delta Reserve Card, which offers some lounge access perks, helps you qualify for status fastest, etc.

If you want to learn more about the Delta Gold Amex Card, follow this link.

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees).