Gold Delta American Express Card Review: Solid Perks & 40K Miles

Link: Apply now for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

American Express and Delta have had a close relationship for many years, and as part of that, they issue seven co-branded Delta Amex cards, including the Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards (with the exception of the Blue product, all the others have both a personal and business version). In this post I wanted to take a look at one of those cards.

Gold Delta Amex Card Basics For July 2024

In this post, I wanted to look at the popular Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card. This card has a reasonable annual fee and is ideal for someone looking for basic benefits that come in handy when flying Delta. If you’re a Medallion elite flyer on Delta, another card might be a better option (more on that below).

Delta Gold Amex Welcome Offer Of 40,000 SkyMiles

The Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex has a welcome offer of 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months. I value SkyMiles at 1.1 cents each, so that bonus is worth ~$440 to me. That’s an OK bonus with a reasonable spending requirement.

Card Eligibility

The welcome offer on the 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 Platinum Amex or Delta Reserve Amex. However, you are eligible for this card if you’ve had any version of the business Delta Amex cards before.

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

Annual Fee

The Gold Delta 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. You can add additional users to the card at no extra cost.

Earning Miles With Gold Delta Amex Card

The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card offers:

• 2x SkyMiles for purchases directly with Delta, including flights, Delta Sky Club memberships, seat upgrades, and more
• 2x SkyMiles at restaurants globally
• 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.

$200 Delta Flight Credit With Spending

Perhaps one of the biggest incentives to actually spend money on the Gold Delta 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.

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 Gold Delta Amex, so you can use the card abroad without paying those high fees.

Gold Delta Amex Card Benefits & Perks

The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card has an excellent welcome bonus, though this isn’t a card I would use for everyday spending, as there are much better cards out there. The real reason you’ll want to keep this card long-term is because of the perks and benefits that it offers, which are great for the casual Delta flyer. Let’s take a closer look at those.

$100 Delta Stays Credit

Just for having the Gold Delta SkyMiles card you receive a $100 Delta Stays Credit annually. The way this works, you receive $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.

First Checked Bag Free

Just for having the Gold Delta SkyMiles card you get a first checked bag free. With the ever-increasing cost of a checked bag with Delta, this can really add up.

• This benefit is limited to the primary cardmember and up to 8 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.

Depending on how many bags you’re checking, a single trip could pay for the card 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 8 companions traveling on the same reservation.

20% Delta Inflight Savings

If you have the Gold Delta Amex then you can save 20% in the form of a statement credit for eligible pre-purchased meals, and in-flight purchases of food / alcoholic beverages, on Delta flights. Allow 8-12 weeks for the statement credit to post.

Pay With Miles

Delta has a Pay With Miles feature, where if you have a Delta co-branded credit card you can redeem miles for one 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 elite miles for taking those flights.

15% Savings On SkyMiles Award Flights

With the 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. 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.

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 getting 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.

ShopRunner Membership

For having the Delta Gold Amex you get a ShopRunner membership, which gets you free two-day shipping on eligible items at a network of 100+ online stores. You just have to enroll in your complimentary membership and can then start taking advantage of it.

Is The Gold Delta SkyMiles American Express Worth It?

The Gold Delta 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:

• This card has a nice welcome bonus
• This card can be worth holding onto for the first checked bag free, 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 is the best card to get, and the benefits can more than offset the annual fee.

Looking For A Business Credit Card?

If this 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.

What About Delta’s No Annual Fee Card?

The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (review) has no annual fee (Rates & Fees), and offers the following benefits:

• The card earns 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide
• The card offers 20% back on inflight purchases
• The card has no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
• The 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.

Quick Showdown: Delta Gold Amex Vs. Delta Platinum Amex

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles

Apply Now Terms Apply. | See Rates & Fees

• • Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
  • Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
  • Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
  • $100 Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
  • Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • With Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today.
  • Terms Apply.

The Gold Delta Amex is a good option for the occasional Delta flyer looking for basic perks.

Learn More about the Delta Gold Amex

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles

Apply Now Terms Apply. | See Rates & Fees

• • Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Resy Credit: When you use your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $10 each month in statement credits.
  • $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
  • Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
  • Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $350 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.

The Delta Platinum Amex is a great option for the more frequent Delta flyer.

Learn More about the Delta Platinum Amex

Consider Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

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 (review) offers 4x points at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year), 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.

Bottom Line

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

For the more frequent Delta flyer, consider the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, which has a larger bonus and additional perks, but also has a higher annual fee.

If you want to learn more about the Gold Delta Amex Card or want to apply, 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), and Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees).