Is the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card From American Express Right for Me?

There are several Delta Air Lines credit cards to choose from, all issued by American Express.

A low annual fee, a welcome bonus and budget-friendly perks might make the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card a great choice for travelers. Here’s what you should evaluate when deciding if it's right for you.

» Learn More: Find the best airline credit card for you

Is the annual fee worth it?

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $99. But cardholders get one free checked bag per person for up to nine people on a reservation, which easily offsets it.

Other Delta credit cards have various perks and annual fees. For instance, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has an annual fee of $0.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has an annual fee of $550 and includes the free checked-bag perk above, as well as lounge access and a companion certificate. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Airline credit cards that offer free checked bags

How does the welcome bonus compare to other cards?

Here's a quick overview of a few different bonuses to consider:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $50 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Terms Apply.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

• Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Terms Apply.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

• Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Terms Apply.

NerdWallet values Delta miles at 1.3 cents each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.3 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.

» Learn more: Which Delta Air Lines credit card should you get?

How do I earn points?

As of January 2020, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card earns 2 miles per $1 spent on purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Every time you make a Delta purchase, you'll also earn 2 miles per $1 spent, and you'll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. Terms apply.

The bottom line

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a good entry card with a relatively low annual fee. The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card avoids the fee, but you could have to pay checked-bag fees each time you fly. Meanwhile, the main drawback of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the annual fee of $550. Terms apply.

If you don’t fly frequently enough to pay a steep annual fee and benefit from the perks of other Delta credit cards, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a solid bet for trimming travel fees and earning travel rewards and perks you’ll actually use.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2022, including those best for:

• Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

• Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 

• Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

• Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

• Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card