Delta SkyMiles Gold AmEx Review: Pricey for What You Get

A welcome offer, plus a bonus for big spending

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card starts off with a generous welcome offer: 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. Terms Apply.

You’ll also get an extra $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year. Terms apply. If you’re using this card for big travel purchases or everyday spending, that could be a relatively easy bar to clear.

Decent ongoing rewards

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card earns 2 miles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S) and U.S. supermarkets, in addition to the 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases. Terms apply. This gives you a reason to use the card for more than just airfare and free checked bags.

Free checked bags

Instead of just offering a first free checked bag for one or two travelers on your itinerary, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card gives you baggage waivers on the first checked bag for up to nine people on your reservation. That's enough waivers to cover the whole family from "The Brady Bunch," including Alice.

But a caution here: Depending on your travel plans, the math may not be in your favor. Let's say you generally take one round-trip flight with a companion every year, and both of you check one bag apiece. Because Delta Air Lines charges $35 for your first checked bag (each way), you'd owe $140 total. But the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card will cost you more than that in Year Two and beyond.

If you travel solo with the same frequency and number of bags, the math is even worse. You might be better off just paying for the checked bag.

Priority boarding

With this card, you'll also get to board with the Zone 5 boarding group, which gets you early access to that coveted overhead bin space. If you always board with a rolling suitcase or large carry-on, this is a nice perk. But it doesn’t mean you’ll be the first to step on the plane. You’ll still board after a handful of other groups, including first class and Delta Comfort+ travelers and flyers with certain types of elite status.

» MORE: American Express credit cards mobile app review

How it compares with other Delta cards

In the family of Delta cards, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the mass-market option. It offers richer benefits than its $0-annual-fee counterpart, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. But you get fewer benefits than you would with the more premium cards, which are the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. For more analysis about how these cards stack up, read NerdWallet’s comparison of Delta credit cards.

Here’s a quick look at what these cards offer:

2 miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. No foreign transaction fees. Terms apply (see rates and fees).	Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
2 miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta, at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. No foreign transaction fees. First checked bag free. Priority boarding. $200 Delta flight credit (when you spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year). $100 Delta stays credit toward prepaid hotels or vacations through Delta. 15% off when using miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Terms apply (see rates and fees).	Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
3 miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta, and on eligible hotel purchases. 2 miles per dollar at restaurants plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. No foreign transaction fees. First checked bag free. Priority boarding. Companion certificate (main cabin). Fee credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, once every four years. 15% off when using miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. $150 Delta stays credit toward prepaid hotels or vacations through Delta. $120 Resy credit when you enroll, up to $10 each month. $120 rideshare credit when you enroll, up to $10 each month. Terms apply (see rates and fees).	Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases. No foreign transaction fees. First checked bag free. Priority boarding. Companion certificate (first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin). Complimentary Delta Sky Club access for you, plus four one-time guest passes annually. (15 visits annually as of Feb. 1, 2025.) Fee Credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, once every four years. 15% off when using miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. $240 Resy credit when you enroll, up to $20 each month. $200 Delta stays credit toward prepaid hotels or vacations through Delta. $120 rideshare credit when you enroll, up to $20 each month. Terms apply (see rates and fees).	Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

*Effective 2/1/25,Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per yearto the Delta Sky Club. To earn an unlimited number of visits each year, the total eligible purchases on the card must equal $75,000 or more the previous year. To earn unlimited visits in 2025, you’ll need to spend this amount between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24.

Delta SkyMiles Gold AmEx Review: Pricey for What You Get - NerdWallet (2024)

A welcome offer, plus a bonus for big spending

Decent ongoing rewards

Free checked bags

Priority boarding

How it compares with other Delta cards