Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex card review: Benefits, miles earning and more

If you regularly travel on Delta, you may want the rewards, perks, and benefits of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. The card doesn’t offer the highest rewards rate among travel cards, but its benefits are tailored to those who want to earn Delta SkyMiles on every purchase and enjoy savings when traveling with Delta. If you find Delta convenient or just prefer it to other airlines, this card might be right for you.

Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex card details

Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)

Welcome bonus: 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Receive 50% back in the form of statement credits on purchases made directly with Delta in the first three months, up to $300 back. This offer is only available until August 15, 2019.

Miles earning: 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else

Foreign transaction fee: None

Welcome bonus

While a rewards credit card will earn you bonus points, miles, or cash back on all your spending, the quickest way to get rewards is to earn a credit card welcome bonus.

New cardholders of the Gold Delta Amex get 30,000 bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases in the first three months after opening a new account. For purchases at Delta in the first three months, you’ll get 50% back as a statement credit up to $300. The Points Guy values Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents each, so 30,000 bonus miles is worth about $360 in travel.

Note that this offer is available for a limited time — only until August 15, 2019 — and the cash-back aspect isn’t always available, so now good be the right time to sign up, book a Delta flight, and get some money back.

Miles earning on the Gold Delta Amex

After the welcome bonus, the next place to look with any rewards credit card is how it rewards your spending — what you get back every time you swipe, tap, dip, or pay online.

For purchases at Delta, this card gives you 2 miles per dollar. It offers 1 mile per dollar everywhere else. These rewards are great for loyal Delta travelers, but definitely not at the top for travel rewards cards with annual fees in the $100 range.

Gold Delta Amex benefits

When you look at the other benefits you get when traveling with Delta, more value emerges.

Perks when you fly Delta

Cardholders get their first checked bag free, worth $30 each way. If you take two round-trip flights per year, this benefit alone pays for the card’s $95 annual fee.

You also get 20% back for any in-flight food, beverage, or headphone purchases. Cardholders get a discounted $29 per person entry rate to Delta Sky Club lounges (you can bring two guests). This benefit can be nice, but if you have the Platinum Card® from American Express don’t forget that you get free Delta Sky Club access when you fly Delta.

Other travel benefits

In addition to benefits with Delta, the Gold Delta Amex card offers a handful of general travel benefits.

These include rental car loss and damage insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and a Global Assist hotline if you need emergency medical, legal, or financial services while away from home.

The rental car coverage is worth around $10 to $20 per day. If you rent a car for a week or so per year, you’ve covered the entire annual fee again.

Purchase benefits and other perks

The benefits don’t stop at travel. When you make a purchase with the card online or at the register, some additional benefits kick in. These include an automatic extended warranty, return protection, and new purchase protection. While we usually expect purchases to go right, having the added warranty, return, and purchase protections can be worth thousands of dollars if something goes sour.

The card also includes a free ShopRunner membership, which gives you free two-day shipping at over 100 online stores. You can also get access to ticket presales and member-only events. (I used an Amex presale to snag tickets to the Rolling Stones!)

Is the Gold Delta Amex worth the annual fee?

When looking at the rewards alone, it takes a lot of purchases to make up the $95 annual fee charged by the card. But when you add in benefits like a free checked bag, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and ShopRunner, it’s easy to see how you can get a lot more in savings than the $95 per year the Gold Delta Amex charges.

When you add in the limited-time bonuses, which can be worth up to $660 in your first year based on TPG’s valuations and potential statement credits, this card is a winner for Delta frequent flyers. Even if it isn’t your primary card for daily purchases, it could be a good supplement that makes its way out when you’re ready to take off with Delta. In either case, it’s definitely worth considering for your spending and purchase needs.

Click here to learn more about the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express from our partner The Points Guy.