Card guide · Delta SkyMiles
Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold
Card guide overview
A Delta card with free checked bags and credits that can offset the fee—if you fly Delta enough.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex | Delta SkyMiles | Airline miles | Amex | $0 first year, then $150 |
Closest alternatives
- Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue
- Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Amex Green
At a glance
The card in three decisions.
The Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold is the entry-level Delta card with a $0 introductory first-year fee. It earns 2X miles on Delta purchases, dining and groceries—a decent everyday mix for an airline card. The standout benefits are a first checked bag free (plus a second bag free on domestic flights), Main Cabin 1 priority boarding, and a 15% discount on award bookings (TakeOff 15).
Credits can offset the $150 ongoing fee: up to $120 in monthly rideshare credits and up to $100 in Delta Stays credits. There is also a $200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in annual spend—useful if this is your primary card. The credits have friction—the rideshare credit is $10 monthly and the flight credit requires significant spend—but for regular Delta flyers who check bags, the bag fee savings alone can justify the $150 fee.
Best fit
Delta flyers who can use the credits and want free checked bags
If you can use the rideshare and Delta Stays credits regularly, and you check bags when flying Delta, this card easily pays for itself.
Current timing
Up to 80K is an elevated offer with a low spend requirement
$2,000 in 6 months for up to 80K miles is a strong bonus. The $0 first-year fee makes this a low-risk entry into Delta cards.
Main watchout
Credits have friction—$120 rideshare credits are $10 monthly chunks
Delta Stays requires booking through Delta's portal. The $200 flight credit needs $10K annual spend. If you do not check bags or use rideshare regularly, the credits may not offset the $150 fee.
Current & historical offer
Up to 80K is elevated; 100K has been the tracked maximum.
We compare public points offers with public points offers. Referral, branch and targeted offers are outside this ladder.
Timing assessment
Up to 80K is a strong elevated offer—double the standard 40K.
With $2,000 spend in 6 months and a $0 first-year fee, this is a low-risk entry. Even at a lower awarded amount (e.g. 60K or 70K), it beats the standard 40K by a wide margin.
Why someone may wait
100K has appeared before and could return during a future promotion.
The 100K maximum required the same $2,000 spend. If you can wait and history repeats, you may capture a higher bonus. But 80K with $0 first-year fee is already a good deal.
Card benefits
Free checked bags and credits are the headliners.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among entry-level airline cards—not labels supplied by Amex or Delta.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits that set this card apart from other entry-level airline cards.
First checked bag free + second bag free
First checked bag free on Delta flights for the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation. On domestic Delta flights, a second checked bag is also free. Savings: $35 per bag each way.
- Applies to Delta and Delta Connection flights worldwide.
- Second bag free applies to domestic Delta flights only.
- Up to 8 companions on the same reservation also receive the benefit.
Know the limits: Know the limits: you must pay for the ticket with this card. One round-trip with two checked bags saves $140. If you fly Delta at least twice a year with bags, this benefit alone covers the $150 annual fee.
TakeOff 15 — award booking discount
Take 15% off anytime you book Award Travel with miles on Delta flights through delta.com or the Fly Delta app. This effectively makes your SkyMiles worth 17.6% more on Delta-operated flights.
- Discount applies to Delta-operated flights only—not partner flights.
- Does not apply to taxes and fees on award tickets.
- Must book through delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
Know the limits: Know the limits: SkyMiles already has variable pricing. The 15% discount helps, but the underlying award price may still be high. This benefit is unique among Delta cards at this tier.
Tier 2 · Strong, with strings attached
Benefits that add value but come with conditions.
$120 Rideshare credit
After first card renewal, earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Up to $120 annually.
Enrollment required. $10 credit posts monthly when you use the card on qualifying rideshare purchases. Unused monthly credits do not roll over.
$100 Delta Stays credit
Up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after booking prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
Must book through Delta Stays—a Delta-branded hotel booking platform. Pricing may differ from booking directly with the hotel.
$200 Delta flight credit after $10K spend
After spending $10,000 on the card in a calendar year, receive a $200 Delta flight credit for future travel.
$10K calendar year spend is $833/month. This is a meaningful threshold—only realistic if this is your primary card for everyday spending.
Tier 3 · Expected card basics
Standard airline card and Amex protections.
Main Cabin 1 priority boarding Delta perk
Board in Main Cabin 1 on Delta flights—ahead of Basic Economy and Main Cabin 2/3. Not Sky Priority—does not include dedicated lanes or early overhead access.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No Amex foreign-transaction fee on purchases abroad. Standard among airline cards at this level.
Pay with Miles Delta program
Use miles at 1 cent each toward Delta flights in $50 increments. Not a good value vs. award bookings, but provides flexibility.
Car rental loss and damage insurance Secondary
Secondary coverage for eligible rental cars paid with the card. Terms apply.
Comparison method: Entry-level airline co-branded cards including Delta SkyMiles Blue ($0), United Gateway ($0), American AAdvantage Platinum Select ($99) and Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95); official public pages reviewed in July 2026. A public page's silence is not proof that a competing benefit does not exist.
Earning rates
2X on Delta, dining and groceries—1X everywhere else.
Rates shown are Delta SkyMiles per dollar on eligible purchases. Merchant coding and Amex terms control.
Delta purchases
On purchases made directly with Delta Air Lines.
Restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
At restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
U.S. supermarkets
At U.S. supermarket locations. Does not include warehouse clubs or specialty food stores.
All other eligible purchases
One mile per dollar on purchases not eligible for a higher rate.
Credit interaction: Value context: Delta SkyMiles are estimated at ~1.1–1.3 cents each. The 15% TakeOff discount effectively boosts award redemption value. Earning is modest at 2X/1X—the card's value comes from Delta-specific benefits, not earning rates.
Delta SkyMiles program
One of the largest U.S. carriers with a growing global network.
Delta SkyMiles are airline-specific miles—not transferable from other programs and not convertible to other airlines. They can be redeemed for Delta-operated flights and partner airline awards. SkyMiles do not expire. Delta uses dynamic award pricing with no published award chart.
Key benefit
15%off award bookings
TakeOff 15 makes your miles go further on Delta-operated flights.
This card-specific benefit discounts all Delta-operated award flights by 15% when booked through delta.com or the Fly Delta app. It is applied automatically at checkout and stacks with no blackout dates. At a typical 1.2-cent valuation, this effectively lifts SkyMiles to ~1.4 cents on Delta redemptions. The credit does not apply to partner-operated flights or taxes and fees. Amex Delta family language may affect your ability to earn welcome bonuses across multiple Delta cards.
Delta hubs & focus cities
Where Delta operates the most flights.
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Minneapolis (MSP)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- New York (JFK/LGA)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Boston (BOS)
- Seattle (SEA)
SkyTeam alliance partners
Award bookings available on partner airlines.
- Air France
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Aeromexico
- China Eastern
- ITA Airways
- Garuda Indonesia
Delta Gold at a glance
What this card gets you on every Delta flight.
- First checked bag free
- Second bag free (domestic)
- Main Cabin 1 boarding
- 15% off award bookings
- 2X on Delta purchases
- No Sky Club access
Delta card family
How this card compares to other Delta cards.
- Delta Blue: $0 fee, no free bags
- Delta Gold: $150, bags + credits
- Delta Platinum: $350, companion pass
- Delta Reserve: $650, lounge access
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: July 20, 2026
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