Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
- Best for: Travelers who fly Delta a few times a year and check a bag
- What Sets It Apart: Free first checked bag for up to nine travelers on your reservation; free second bag for primary cardholders on domestic flights
- Cost: $0 annual fee the first year, then $150; 19.74% to 28.74% variable interest rate; no fees on purchases abroad
- Features: 2X miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants, and at U.S. supermarkets; Zone 5 priority boarding; at least 15% off award flights on Delta; up to $100 a year back on prepaid Delta Stays bookings; up to $120 a year in rideshare credits from year two; $200 flight credit after $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Pros: Two domestic round trips with a bag save $180, more than the $150 fee; bag and boarding perks cover companions on your reservation; no fee the first year
- Cons: No lounge access, companion ticket, or Medallion status help; second free bag is domestic and cardholder-only; no free bags on codeshare flights another airline operates
Get the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card if you fly Delta a few times a year and check a bag, since the free checked bag alone makes its $150 annual fee worth paying. If you rarely fly Delta or never check a bag, skip it unless you’d use its hotel and rideshare credits anyway.
Delta charges $45 each way for a first checked bag on domestic flights, so two round trips a year with a bag save you $180, more than the $150 annual fee. The free bag also covers up to eight companions on your reservation, so a family of four with one bag each saves $360 per domestic round trip.
Key Features
- $0 annual fee the first year and $150 after, no fees on purchases abroad, and a 19.74% to 28.74% variable interest rate on balances you carry
- Free first checked bag on Delta flights when your SkyMiles number is on the reservation, plus a free second bag for each primary cardholder on domestic flights
- 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, at restaurants, and at U.S. supermarkets, and 1 mile elsewhere, with 5,000 miles worth $50 off a Delta fare
- Up to $100 a year back on prepaid Delta Stays hotel bookings and, from year two, up to $120 a year for U.S. rideshares, more than the $150 fee when you max out both
Pros
- Zone 5 priority boarding for up to nine travelers on your reservation
- At least 15% off the miles price of Delta-operated award flights booked on delta.com or the Fly Delta app
- Welcome offer of up to 80,000 bonus miles plus a $250 statement credit after $3,000 in purchases in six months, ending Nov. 4, 2026
Cons
- No lounge access, companion ticket, or help toward Delta’s Medallion elite status
- Free second bag covers only primary cardholders, and only on domestic flights
- No free bags on codeshare flights operated by another airline
- $200 Delta flight credit takes $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year
Get the Gold if you’ll check a bag on two or more Delta round trips a year or max out both credits, and the no-fee Blue if you fly Delta but won’t do either. The $350 Platinum adds a yearly companion ticket, and the Gold Business card offers the same bag perks for company travel.
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