Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Review

This credit card comes with an impressive welcome bonus offer with solid ongoing rewards for normal use. The addition of airline benefits make this card a solid choice for anyone who is loyal to the Delta brand for travel.
author Jennifer Doss

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express CardSponsored card
Our Rating:   
Good, Excellent
on American Express's secure website

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months.
  • Use the card while abroad and enjoy the lack of foreign transaction fees.
  • Cardholders save money on checked bags – you'll receive one free checked bag per Delta flight.
  • The annual fee after the first year may not be worth it if you aren't a regular Delta traveler.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

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AMERICAN EXPRESS GOLD DELTA SKYMILES® BONUS MILES

2023 Best Credit Cards for Airlines Rewards

Are you a frequent Delta flyer looking to rack up some extra SkyMiles® and earn rewards flights more quickly? New CardName members can earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months.American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.

A welcome bonus offer is almost always a nice perk, but when said bonus can quickly be turned into a free flight, that’s something that really gets our attention. 

Depending on travel location and dates, Delta offers domestic, round-trip plane tickets for as low as 20,000 SkyMiles®, meaning, if you plan it right, you can snag yourself a couple of reward tickets just with the welcome offer alone.

Top Features

 Rewards
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.
 Bonus Rewards
Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
 Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.

DELTA SKYMILES® GOLD CARD BENEFITS

On an ongoing basis, earn two miles for every $1 spent with Delta, at restaurants worldwide (plus delivery and takeout in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets, and one mile on all other eligible purchases. Plus, if you spend $10,000 on your card in a calendar year, you'll receive a $200 Delta flight credit to use toward future travel. The CardName can certainly help you get where you're going if you're Delta-loyal.

With no foreign transaction fees, your first bag checked for free on Delta flights, and an intro offer on the annual fee for the first year, the CardName puts more money into your pocket, making it a smart choice for frequent travelers. All this for a reasonable AnnualFees (See Rates and Fees).

Other ways the CardName helps cardholders save is by providing its members with one free checked bag on Delta flights and a flight credit once spending $10,000 in a calendar year – two small perks that could add up big for those who travel often. Also, cardholders can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.

Lastly, as travel hiccups are bound to happen, we’ve come to love the protection perks that come along with being a CardName member. With its available insurance plans, when using your card to pay for your travel expenses, the CardName can help to cover the cost of eligible lost, damaged or stolen baggage, as well as help cover any expenses you may incur if your car rental is damaged or stolen.

POTENTIAL DELTA SKYMILES® GOLD CARD DOWNSIDES

Though a good base-level credit card, some of the CardName perks seem a bit sub-par when compared to other American Express Delta Airlines credit cards. The CardName and the CardName, for example, both include bonus opportunities to rack up status miles with the airline, a valuable feature for frequent travelers. If you are truly Delta-loyal, you may find that the perks and features of one of these higher tier cards make them well worth their annual fees.

DELTA SKYMILES® GOLD CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

Current Scores Past Scores
Overall Score 77.2 77.7
Features Satisfaction 7.5 7.7
Customer Service 7.9 8
Website/App Usability 7.6 8
Likelihood of Continuing to Use 8.1 7.6
Recommend to a Friend/Colleague 7.8 7.6

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW DELTA SKYMILES® GOLD COMPARES TO OTHER CARDS

Delta SkyMiles® Gold vs. CardName

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The CardName comes with a more sizeable annual fee of AnnualFees, but this cost could certainly be worth it for the right kind of Delta traveler.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum card is packed full of travel benefits. Cardholders can enjoy: a Companion Certificate on main cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations each year after renewal of your card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of the 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. Additionally, cardholders can receive $100 back for Global Entry or $85 back for TSA PreCheck after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck. On an ongoing basis cardholders earn 3X miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels; 2X miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets; and 1X mile on all other eligible purchases. Furthermore, earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months. (Enrollment required for some benefits)

Considering all the perks that come with the Platinum card, the annual fee hardly seems like much as it can so easily be offset. If you're a frequent Delta traveler, going with the more premium Platinum card could have its advantages. However, if you're only an occasional Delta travel, you may be better suited with the Gold card.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred®

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Though the 60,000 points you receive for spending $4,000 in the first three months with CardName are a nice perk, the spending threshold could be a barrier. Still, even with the spending requirement, 60,000 points is a great bonus and it's worth $750 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

CardName cardholders earn 5X total points on all travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal; 3X points on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout; 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 3X points on select streaming services; 2X points on travel purchases; and 1X point on all other purchases. Better yet, points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, so there's potential to stretch your rewards really far.

Furthermore, CardName points can be redeemed through a number of different airlines, providing its users with more scheduling flexibility than CardName cardholders enjoy. The difference here really comes down to the difference between a more general travel rewards card and a branded option. If you want to keep things flexible the CardName might be a great fit for you, but if your loyalty is with Delta, a SkyMiles® card may be the better fit.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold vs. Capital One Venture

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The CardName is another great option for those looking for more flexible travel options. With this card, cardholders earn unlimited 2X miles on all purchases, no matter the vendor. From buying new luggage to purchasing groceries to booking a hotel room, you'll earn 2X miles on it all. Redemption options are flexible as well. From campsite bookings to Airbnb stays, to cruises to train tickets, this card allows you to cover almost any travel purchase with your rewards. It also offers Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership reimbursement, which is a nice perk for a card with such a manageable annual fee (AnnualFees). Plus, if you're searching for a card with a good welcome bonus, this card is sure to make you perk up: new cardholders can earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

IS DELTA SKYMILES® GOLD CARD WORTH IT?

Thanks to its great welcome offer, no foreign transaction fees and other travel perks such as free checked baggage, the CardName is solid option for frequent travelers loyal to the Delta brand.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.

To see the rates and fees for American Express cards mentioned in this article, please see the following links: CardName (See Rates and Fees); CardName (See Rates and Fees); CardName (See Rates and Fees)

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Compared to Other Travel rewards Cards

Apply online for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Apply online for Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Apply online for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Apply online for Citi Premier<sup>®</sup> Card
Citi Premier® Card
Rewards
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. 
Rewards
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel? immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Rewards
Flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values. 
Rewards
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 
Rewards
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Bonus Rewards
Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.  
Bonus Rewards
N/A  
Bonus Rewards
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening  
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.  
Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. 
Annual Fee
$550 
Annual Fee
$195 
Annual Fee
$95 
Annual Fee
$95 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.