Great for casual Delta flyers

the It charges a higher annual fee than other mid-tier airline cards, but the perks alone can make it worth your while. If you fly with Delta at least once or twice a year, this card should be on your radar.

Here are some of the most notable features of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card:

• Delta Air Lines Annual Credit: For every calendar year you spend $10,000, you’ll receive a $200 Delta airline credit valid for future travel. The credit is valid for one year from the date it is obtained.

• Delta stay credit: Each year you’ll earn up to $100 in statement credits when you use your card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays.

• Free first checked bag: You and up to eight other people in your booking can get your first bag free on Delta-operated flights.

• Trip features: When you fly with Delta, you’ll enjoy priority boarding and 20% back on in-flight food and beverage purchases when you use your card.

• Baggage insurance: If your luggage is stolen, damaged or lost while traveling on a common carrier, you and others on your itinerary may be eligible for up to $1,250 in coverage for your belongings, up to $10,000 per trip. You’ll need to use your card to pay for the full fare to be eligible.

Eligibility level and benefits vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Guaranteed by AMEX Insurance Company.

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As a new cardholder, you’ll earn 50,000 bonus miles when you spend $2,000 in the first six months. This is an easy spending limit compared to other travel credit cards, especially since American Express gives you six months instead of the standard three.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card’s welcome bonus is also compatible with many other mid-tier airline credit cards.

Earning miles with the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is very easy. The card offers double miles on some spending categories, including eligible food and grocery purchases.

However, the base rewards rate is only 1 mile per dollar. Although this is the standard for airline credit cards, you can get a higher rate with some general travel credit cards.

The best way to redeem Delta SkyMiles is for award flights. Through Delta and its partners, you can travel to more than 1,000 destinations around the world.

In fact, you’ll get a 15% discount every time you use your miles to book a Delta flight, and these savings can add up over time. Just keep in mind that the 15% savings only applies to flights booked with miles through Delta.com or the Delta app — it doesn’t apply to partner-operated flights or taxes and fees.

You can also use your miles to get a seat upgrade, purchase premium drinks at Delta Sky Club, or cover certain fees.

Non-flight SkyMiles redemption options include:

• Book a hotel or vacation rental with Delta Stays

• Book a vacation package through Delta Vacations

• Bid on exclusive events through SkyMiles Experiences

• Donate your miles to a charitable cause

• Sign up for a magazine subscription

Keep in mind that these options may not offer as much value as using your miles for award flights.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card has higher annual fees than some similar credit cards from other airlines. However, if you spend at least $10,000 a year on your card and fly with Delta once or twice a year, the card may be worth your while.

However, this may not be a good fit if you don’t generally fly with Delta or prefer a general travel card with higher rewards rates and greater redemption flexibility.

• Valuable perks: The card offers benefits worth more than the annual fee. Even if you only fly Delta once or twice, the card can basically pay for itself.

• Exemption from annual fees for the first year: Although the card’s annual fee is a little higher compared to other airline cards, you’ll get a full year’s worth of value before you have to start paying for it.

• Global reach: Delta partners with many airlines to provide flights to more than 1,000 destinations around the world. Whether you typically fly within the United States or want to spend some time abroad, Delta is a great airline for both.

• Low welcome offer: The card’s standard welcome offer is low compared to similar airline cards, so your best bet is to wait until American Express offers a higher bonus with a limited-time offer.

• Charges annual fees: The card’s annual fees after the first year require you to put in a little extra work to make up for them compared to credit cards with lower or no annual fees.

• Limited flexibility in redemption: Although you can redeem your SkyMiles for more than just flights, you probably won’t get the same amount of value on hotels and vacation packages. If you’re looking for more flexibility, a general travel rewards program may be a better option.

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The American Express card is widely accepted within the United States, although it is not quite on par with Visa and Mastercard. In particular, some small businesses may not accept it.

Although the card does not charge foreign transaction fees, American Express acceptance is spotty abroad, so you may want to bring a Visa or MasterCard credit card as a backup for international spending.

American Express offers a few different options for paying your credit card bill:

• connected: Log in to your account online or the American Express mobile app.

• phone: Call 800-472-9297 to pay by phone.

• mail: Send your payment to American Express, PO Box 96001, Los Angeles, CA 90096-8000.

If you’re not sure if the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is right for you, or if you simply want to consider other options before applying, here are our top picks.

Why we like it: The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card could be worth considering if you fly frequently and prefer Delta over other airlines. The card offers a higher welcome bonus, as well as higher rewards rates on Delta and hotel purchases.

In addition to the 15% discount on award rides, the card also offers an annual companion certificate every year after renewal, up to $120 in annual credits for Resy restaurants and up to $120 in annual credits for purchases with select rideshare providers in US (both up to $10 per month; with registration), discounted application fees for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and many other perks.

However, the annual fee is a hefty $350 (), so it only makes sense if you travel often enough to reclaim that value from the card’s perks.

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Why we like it: Another solid option for Delta frequent flyers is the Platinum Card® from American Express. This premium travel card charges a hefty annual fee of $695 (), but offers over $1,500 in potential annual value.

One of the most notable features is access to the airport lounge, which includes several lounge networks – you’ll also have access to Delta Sky Club every time you fly with Delta (up to 10 visits per year starting February 1, 2025). You’ll also get a long list of perks, including up to $200 in annual statement credits for airline fees with your chosen airline, and up to $200 in annual statement credits for eligible prepaid hotels booked from Through Amex Travel, and more.

Although the card’s rewards program isn’t the strongest, American Express allows you to transfer your points into the Delta SkyMiles program, giving you flexibility with your redemptions.

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Why we like it: It may be worth considering whether you want absolute flexibility regarding your travel rewards. The card offers at least 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, so you can rest assured you’re getting great value for everything you spend.

When you’re ready to redeem, you can use your miles to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal, or you can book travel yourself with any travel merchant and request a statement credit for your purchase up to 90 days later. You can also transfer your miles to Capital One’s 15+ travel transfer partners.

The card also offers some perks, including an application fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, Hertz Five Star status, and no foreign transaction fees. The annual fee for the card is only $95.

This article was edited by Kendall Little

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