Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Credit Card Review
Credit card rewards programs provide benefits and opportunities for cardholders to earn a little extra when they use their card.
If you are diligent in using your card and getting the most value for your money, you’ll find that these rewards can be worth hundreds of dollars in perks and benefits.
The gives frequent flyers a chance to earn miles when you fly with Delta airlines that can be redeemed for future award flights.
Like other co-branded credit cards, this card is designed to make flying with the airline more comfortable and, overall, a more valuable experience.
You not only have the opportunity to earn miles for free flights and upgrades, but you get free checked bags.
Depending on how often you fly with Delta, these benefits, and extra perks can be worth hundreds of dollars per year.
If you’re considering this card, here’s everything you need to make your decision.
See Rates & Fees. Terms apply.
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Pros & Cons
Main Card Benefits of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
Earn 2x miles on Delta Air Lines purchases
You get 2 miles for each dollar you spend on purchases made from Delta and 1 mile for each dollar you spend on all other eligible purchases. You can earn an unlimited number of miles, which do not expire.
Redeem for award flights
You can redeem your miles for award flights with Delta Air Lines starting at 12,500 miles for one-way tickets and 25,000 miles for roundtrip flights.
You can also redeem your miles for flight upgrades, and for flights with partner airlines such as Aeromexico and Virgin Atlantic, which can come in handy if you need ever switch airlines.
Travel benefits
This card includes a number of flight benefits such as your first checked bag free, which can save you as much as $50 on a round-trip Delta flight.
Other travel benefits include priority boarding so you can board the plane sooner.
No foreign transaction fee
If you frequently travel abroad, it’s important that you use a credit card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee (see Rates & Fees; terms apply) to get the most value out of any rewards or benefits.
This fee can be as much as 3% with other travel credit cards, but there is no foreign transaction fee at all with this card.
If you plan to make foreign purchases with the card, you can save a significant amount of money using the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express for those purchases.
The Best Feature of the Credit Card: A Long List of Travel Benefits and Rewards
The best feature of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express is actually a combination of features that come together into a travel rewards credit card that provides valuable rewards and flight benefits that can be worth hundreds for frequent flyers.
Plus, you can take advantage of perks that make your time waiting to board or flying, more comfortable.
If you frequently fly with Delta Air Lines, you’ll find that the rewards program, along with the flight perks, more than cover the ongoing annual fee.
Outside of the travel rewards you get with this card, it tends to have an attractive welcome bonus that can be earned when the requirements are met -- typically, enough to redeem for a couple of one-way flights or a roundtrip ticket, which can be worth hundreds of dollars just for using your card.
Other Reasons to Choose the Credit Card
This card also includes other benefits such as the following:
Roadside Assistance Hotline
If you are traveling and need roadside assistance, you can call the American Express Roadside Assistance Hotline. This is helpful if you have a flat tire, need your battery jumped, or even if you need your vehicle towed.
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
You can waive the car insurance that the rental agency offers because, as a cardholder, you get car rental loss and damage insurance, which protects you if your vehicle is damaged or stolen.
Enrollment is required.
Global Assist Hotline
When you are more than 100 miles from home, you have 24/7 access to Global Assist Hotline, which provides access to medical, legal, financial, or other emergency assistance services.
Enrollment is required.
Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
When you use your card for purchases, you also get extended warranty, which extends the manufacturer warranty for up to an extra year. You also get purchase protection which covers your purchases in the event they are broken or stolen for up to 90 days after the purchase.
Enrollment is required.
Calculating the Costs: Other Fees and the Interest Rate
There is also an introductory annual fee of $0, then $150 (see Rates & Fees; terms apply). You should make sure you’ll use the card enough to earn the rewards necessary to help compensate for this fee.
Other costs and fees to consider with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express include the following (see Rates & Fees; terms apply):
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5%, whichever is greater |
| Late payment fee | up to $40 |
| Returned payment fee | up to $40 |
| Foreign transaction fee | $0 |
Final Verdict: Is the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express Worth the Annual Fee?
Although you basically get a year to try out the card before you have to worry about the annual fee, you want to make sure you earn enough rewards and are able to get your money’s worth out of the extra benefits.
If you frequently fly with Delta Air Lines, you’ll find it easy, with the flight perks and bonuses, to cover the annual fee.
Plus, it’s important to note that because there is no foreign transaction fee, you can save quite a bit of money if you travel outside of the United States.
And, if you meet the spending requirements to earn the welcome bonus, it could make up for your annual fee for a few more years.
This isn’t the ideal airline rewards credit card, however, if you only travel with Delta Airlines once in a while, or for the occasional vacation trip.
It’s important that you consider how much you will actually use the extra benefits, in order to get the most value out of the card.
And, if you don’t use the card for frequent Delta Air Lines purchases, you’re only going to earn one mile for each dollar you spend, which you can get with nearly any rewards card available.
In short, the is best for those who frequently fly with Delta Air Lines, especially if you travel abroad or need a card for foreign transactions.
If you are diligent in taking advantage of the extra flight benefits and bonuses that the card offers, you’ll find that it’s easy to cover the ongoing annual fee.
Still, if you aren’t certain, you do have the extra benefit of taking the card for a spin the first year to find out just how much it’s worth to you.
See the rates & fees for the mentioned American Express cards: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees; terms apply).
