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Credit Cards

Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express Review

Updated Feb 28, 2022   |   6 mins read
Reviewed by Christy Rakoczy  
Updated Feb 28, 2022

Some offers mentioned on this page may be outdated. To confirm offers and credit card details, check the issuer’s website.

Card Summary

Pros

  • Relatively low spending requirement to earn 60,000-mile signup bonus
  • $95 annual fee waived the first year
  • One free checked bag on all Delta flights
  • Double miles on Delta purchases
  • Discounts on Delta Sky Club visits
  • 20% statement credit for in-flight purchases
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • No free access to Delta Sky Club
  • Fairly low rewards
  • $95 annual fee after the first year
  • Lower signup bonus and fewer perks than some other Delta credit cards   
  • No intro APR offer

Recommended Credit Score

  • Good to excellent credit

Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express Details

The Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card from Amex is a great option if you’re a regular Delta flier or if you shop through Delta’s vacation services — so Atlanta residents living near Delta’s largest hub may be especially interested in this card. In addition to the great signup bonus, cardholders earn bonus travel rewards on Delta purchases and enjoy some fun perks while traveling, including discounts on in-flight services and checking your first bag free.

Although you can redeem your Gold Delta SkyMiles membership rewards with more than 30 partner airlines, the card doesn’t provide great rewards for general spending. So unless you’re a loyal Delta customer, you may be better off with other rewards credit cards that offer you a little more flexibility.

In this review:

Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Benefits

The Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card offers a generous signup bonus, purchase protections, and other great cardmember features for frequent Delta fliers, including an introductory annual fee of $0 ($95 per year after that).

Signup Bonus

The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card offers two signup bonuses, both of which need to be earned within the first three months of account opening.

The first bonus is a $50 statement credit you can earn simply for making a Delta purchase with your new card. The bigger bonus, though, is the 60,000 miles you earn for making at least $2,000 in purchases on your card. The value of Delta SkyMiles varies depending on what flights you book.

Rewards

When you shop with Delta using your Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card, you earn two miles per dollar spent. For all other purchases, you earn one mile per dollar spent. There’s no limit to the number of miles you can earn each year, either when shopping with Delta or using your card for everyday spending.

Miles can be redeemed for travel with both Delta and more than 30 airline partners. Cardholders can simply log into Delta.com, search for a flight marked Pay with Miles eligible, and choose to pay with miles alone or with a combination of miles and money. There is no fee to using Pay with Miles, you can use your miles to book tickets for others, and there’s no cap on the number of miles you can use to pay.

Travel Perks

The Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card comes with lots of travel perks for Delta customers. These include:

  • One free checked bag. This will save you up to $60 in baggage fees on a round-trip flight.
  • Discounted lounge access. Pay just $29 per person per visit for you and up to two guests to access the Delta Sky Club lounge.
  • Discounts on in-flight purchases. Receive a 20% statement credit for eligible in-flight purchases of food, beverages, or an audio headset.
  • Rental car coverage. Use your card to reserve and pay for a rental and receive loss and damage insurance for free (must decline collision damage waiver at rental car counter).

Shopping Perks

Using your Gold Delta SkyMiles card to pay for purchases comes with some additional perks and protections, including warranty and return protection, entertainment access, and a complimentary ShopRunner membership. For starters, cardholders get up to two extra years added to the original manufacturer’s warranty (of five years or less) on eligible purchases.

You’ll also enjoy return protection, which comes in handy if you try to return an eligible item within 90 days from the date of purchase and the merchant won’t take it back. Instead, American Express may refund the full purchase price up to $300 per item, not including shipping and handling, with an annual maximum of $1,000.

Mobile Phone Protection

As mobile phone prices have crept up, the risk of breakage rises. The good news is Gold Delta SkyMiles cardmembers get up to 120 days of protection for accidental damage or theft if you purchase your phone with your card.

>> Read More: Credit cards with cell phone protection

You can claim up to $1,000 in losses per occurrence, with a $50,000 maximum per calendar year.

Downsides of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card

Although there are some clear perks to the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, there are also some downsides compared to some other currently available credit card offers.

  • $95 annual fee: For the same fee, you could opt for cards that provide more generous rewards and increased flexibility.
  • No free lounge access: Although you can access Delta Sky Club at a discounted rate, it’s not free.
  • No companion passes: Other airline cards, including the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card, provide a free companion airline ticket each year.

How it Compares to Similar Cards

The Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card has a lower annual fee than the Platinum Delta SkyMiles (also an American Express credit card), but the latter provides additional benefits the Gold card lacks.

Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card vs. Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card

The Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card has a lower annual fee ($95) than the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card $195). However, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles provides a free companion airline ticket each year when you renew your card, making the extra $100 worth it for most frequent Delta fliers.

The Platinum card’s signup bonus is more impressive, too, with 75,000 after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your first three months.

Bottom Line

The Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card is a worthy choice if you’re a regular Delta customer and don’t want to pay the higher annual fee for its Platinum counterpart. But if Delta isn’t your airline of choice, you might want to consider an airline credit card that provides more flexibility in how you earn and redeem rewards.