Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Review: Rewards and Perks on Delta Flights

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Airline-affiliated credit cards often make it easier to earn rewards and enjoy perks with their brand, which can make your travels more enjoyable.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express is one credit card you may consider if you prefer to fly Delta. Here's what to keep in mind when deciding if it's the right card for you.

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Overview of the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

If you're a frequent flyer who prefers booking your flights with Delta, you can reap a lot of rewards by using the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express.

Not only can you earn miles on Delta purchases, but you'll also access some perks that will make your time spent flying Delta more enjoyable. From priority boarding to a free checked bag on Delta flights, using a Delta SkyMiles Gold can lead to easier travel days.

You'll also receive 20% back (as a statement credit) on in-flight food and drink purchases with Delta.

LEARN MORE: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express

Redeeming Rewards

One of the main downsides of the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is your redemption options — or lack thereof. Unfortunately, when it comes time to redeem your hard-earned rewards, you are quite limited.

You can only redeem miles through direct Delta bookings. There is no option to transfer miles to another airline or to convert them into cash, statement credits, or gift cards. 

On the bright side — you can save a bit of money when redeeming miles with Delta. For every 5,000 miles you redeem when booking Delta flights through Delta.com, you can save $50. 

Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Benefits

Earning points or miles with a credit card when you make purchases is all well and good, but you only earn those rewards by spending money.

It’s equally important to pay attention to what perks and benefits you gain from a credit card without having to spend money. 

With the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express, you'll get:

• Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
• First checked bag free on Delta flights
• A $100 Delta Flight Credit for future travel after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
• No foreign transaction fees
• Baggage insurance coverage*
• Rental car loss and damage insurance*
• 24/7 Global Assist Hotline*

Those are some pretty nice perks that could make the annual fee worth it — if you frequently fly with Delta.

Who Should Get the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card?

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express only makes sense if you are a frequent Delta passenger.

If this is your preferred airline and they have a lot of routes out of your local airports, it may be a no-brainer to choose a credit card that rewards you for flying with them. If you want to earn some miles for flying Delta and tap into some convenient perks like priority boarding, it may be the right card for you. 

This card is also an excellent fit for anyone who loves to dine at restaurants, order takeout, or use food delivery services. You can earn just as many miles for those purchases as you can on Delta flight bookings and in-flight purchases.

Who Shouldn’t Get the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card?

You should not choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card if you don’t fly Delta often or if you can simply find a better deal on another travel credit card. Remember — after the first year, you'll need to pay an annual fee to keep this credit card active. So you need to earn enough rewards and perks to cancel that fee out.

Other travel credit cards may charge a similar annual fee but give you more flexibility with which airlines you earn and redeem rewards with. 

You can only redeem your rewards with this card on Delta flight bookings, so loyalty is the name of the game here. Even if you are a Delta fan, you may find it hard to book all of your air travel with just this airline.

You may also be able to find much more exciting travel perks (you know we love a good airport lounge) with another travel credit card. Do some digging before making a final decision. 

Alternatives to the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

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You have more than one Delta-affiliated credit card to choose from if you are specifically looking for a travel credit card that makes the most of your Delta bookings.

For example, with the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, you earn a similar amount of rewards as the Delta SkyMiles Gold, but without having to pay an annual fee.

The biggest difference is you won’t earn boosted rewards on grocery purchases. You also won’t get priority boarding or a free checked bag, but if those perks aren’t important to you, it may be worth it to skip out on the annual fee that comes with the Delta SkyMiles Gold.

LEARN MORE: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

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Another option when it comes to Delta credit cards is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.

This credit card comes with the steepest annual fee of all the Delta SkyMiles cards we reviewed here, but it also brings you the most perks and a higher rewards earning rate.

Whether or not paying the increased annual fee for this credit card is worth it depends entirely on how often you fly Delta, as well as if you plan to take advantage of other cardholder benefits.

For example, you will receive either a statement credit every four years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.**

LEARN MORE: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express

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You don’t have to choose a credit card affiliated with Delta to be able to earn rewards when flying Delta.

For example, with The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can earn up to $200 in statement credit that you can apply to incidental fees charged to the card like seat selection fees and baggage fees. Even better, you can use this credit with other airlines in different calendar years. 

You'll also gain access to up to $840 worth of credits each year to apply to flights, hotels, Uber, and entertainment purchases.

The Platinum Card comes with some very valuable perks — but at a price. You need to make sure the annual fee is worth it.

LEARN MORE: The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Bottom Line

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express is designed for loyal Delta customers — so if this is your preferred airline, you'll get quite a bit out of it, including priority boarding, a free checked bag, and Delta-focused redemption options.

Alternatively, if you love Delta but prefer not to pay an annual fee (or are willing to pay a higher fee for more perks), you may want to consider one of Delta's other credit card options.

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* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

** Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.

Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.