travel smarter....travel like a pro!

Delta Skymiles Gold Credit Card ReviewThe Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express is designed for those who travel with Delta Airlines. Cardholders receive one mile for every dollar spent on general purchases, two miles for every dollar spent with Delta Airlines and 30,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on the Card in the first three months from account opening .

In addition to the reward program, the card offers many of the common benefits and services provided by American Express®, such as auto rental insurance, travel accident insurance, year-end financial statements, and various purchase protection related services.

Sign up Bonus, Rewards and Transfer Options

The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express has a sign up bonus of 30,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on the Card in the first three months from account opening . You will also earn 1 mile for each dollar you spend on general purchases and two miles for every dollar you spend with Delta Airline and Vacation purchases.

Aside from the miles, the biggest bonus feature of this card is the first bag check free feature. As a Delta American Express Cardholder, you will get a free checked bag for up to nine people in your reservation. This feature provides a roundtrip savings of $50 per person or $200 for a family of four.

Points earned in the first year with the Gold Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card

Assume you spend $3,000 per month on the Credit Card in the first 12 months, plus add one additional cardholder.

+ 30,000 SkyMiles – Sign up bonus (Spend $1,000 in first 3 months of having the card)

+36,000 SkyMiles – 1:1 ratio of SkyMiles per dollar charged on the card (this would be higher if some of your purchases were for Delta flights, as they are at a 2:1 ratio)

= 66,000 SkyMiles earned in the first year.

Additional Benefits of the Gold Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card

In additional to the ability to earn Delta Skymiles, The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card offers the following benefits:

  • First Bag Free: Get a free checked bag for up to nine people in your reservation – a roundtrip savings of $50 per person.
  • Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: When you use your Card to rent a car, you're automatically covered if the car is damaged or stolen.
  • Extended Warranty: Extend the length of the warranty on your purchased up to one year
  • Purchase Protection: If something is damaged within 90 days of purchase, the card can help you repair it, replace it, or reimburse you for up to the amount charged.
  • Return Protection: If you try to return a purchased item within 90 days of the purchase date and the merchant won’t take it back, American Express may refund the full purchase price, up to $300 per item.
  • Emergency Travel Assistance: You can rely on Global Assist® 24/7 for medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance while traveling more than 100 miles from home.
  • Online Account Management: View recent activity, Schedule Future Payments, Set up Alerts, etc…

Our Take on the Delta Skymiles American Express Card

Is it right for you?

If you are based out of a Delta hub city (Detroit, Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, or Memphis) and do not have elite status with Delta, this card is a must have. The free baggage feature is enough to justify the annual fee… add the frequent flyer mile earning + the sign up bonus and you have a great credit card for anyone who flies on Delta Airlines.

If you are not based near a Delta hub and don’t fly Delta very often, there are probably other cards that provide a larger benefit, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.   However, with no annual fee for the first year ($95 annual fee after 12 months) you can give it a try for 10-11 months then reevaluate before the annual fee comes due.

Apply here… with this secure link to the Application Page for the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express.

Know your Credit Score

Before you apply for any credit card, you should make sure you have an understanding of your credit score and credit history. Most Travel Credit Card Companies require you to have a strong credit score, ideally they will prefer a FICO score of at least 700.

Once you apply for a credit card, the credit card company will perform a credit inquiry. Be aware that credit inquiries will affect your credit score. Each time you apply for a credit card (or any type of loan for that matter), the inquiry will reduce your score anywhere from 2-5 points.

By law, you are allowed to obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the credit bureaus once a year. The free annual copies of your credit report will give you all of the data that provides the foundation for your credit score, but the Credit Reports don't provide the Credit Score itself. You will need both your Credit Report and Credit Score to get the full view of your credit situation.

Here are four links to get your Free Credit Score:

Here is the link to get your Free Credit Report:

Disclaimer:

Finally, please only apply for any travel credit card if you pay your bills in full each month. Carrying a balance on any travel credit card will eliminate the benefit of the travel rewards due to the higher interest rates associated with these cards.