The American Express Delta Gold card earns 2x SkyMiles on Delta, restaurants, and at U.S. supermarkets. Plus, cardmembers get a free checked bag, priority boarding, 20% in-flight savings, and purchase protection.
Delta Gold Card Information
Application Link: American Express Delta SkyMiles Gold.
Current Sign Up Bonus: 50,000 SkyMiles.
Recommended Bonus: At least 60,000 SkyMiles.
Annual Fee: $99, but waived the first year.
Earning Rewards:
- 2x SkyMiles on Delta Airlines.
- 2x SkyMiles at restaurants.
- 2x SkyMiles at U.S. supermarkets.
- 1x SkyMiles everywhere else.
Delta Gold Card Benefits
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card offers some nice benefits on Delta and other travel and purchase protections.
Free Checked Bag
Gold cardmembers get a free first checked bag on Delta flights, which saves you $30 each way.
The free checked bag benefit is also extended to up to eight travel companions on the same reservation, which would save a family of four $240 in fees on a round-trip flight.
Priority Boarding
You can enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights, which is Group 5 in the boarding process.
This allows you to board before most of the main cabin customers and secure a overhead bin for your carry-on bag.
This benefit also applies to up to eight travel companions on the same reservation.
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases
Cardmembers earn a 20% statement credit when they use their Delta SkyMiles Gold card to purchase food, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets.
However, the savings does not apply to Wi-Fi purchases.
Potential $100 Delta Flight Credit
You can earn a $100 Delta Flight credit when you spend $10,000 or more in a calendar year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
You can use your SkyMiles card anywhere in the world without having to pay foreign transaction fees, which are typically 3%.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance
This secondary coverage pays for any damage to the rental car not covered by your insurance.
If you don’t have collision insurance, this coverage is primary coverage.
Baggage Insurance
Your carry-on and checked luggage are covered if they are lost, damaged, or stolen when you purchase the entire fare on this card.
Coverage is up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage.
This benefit also covers the contents inside your bag, but electronics and cameras are limited to $250 in coverage.
Amex Offers
This card, like all American Express cards, have access to Amex Offers, which are discounts at hundreds of merchants.
Most discounts are in the form of spend $X and get $Y back, but sometimes you can earn extra SkyMiles instead of cash back.
Purchase Protection
This coverage covers the replacement costs of items bought with the card that were stolen or accidentally damaged within the first 90 days up to $1,000 per item.
Extended Warranty
This benefit extends an original manufacturer’s warranty by one year on warranties of 5 years or less.
ShopRunner
American Express cards enjoy free two day shipping and free returns at 100+ online retailers with ShopRunner.
The Verdict
The Delta Gold American Express card is worth it the first year due to the waived annual fee.
After that, the Delta Gold card is only valuable if you plan on flying Delta at least 3 times per year.