Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Review 2024

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If you're a Delta traveler seeking a rewards business card that offers free checked bags and priority boarding on every flight, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is a great choice.

This card comes with a welcome bonus of 55,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership, and offers the first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation. If you travel with a large family or a posse of employees, this card could recoup the cost of its annual fee in saved luggage fees in a single trip each year.

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Overview

If you fly Delta with any regularity, you may be interested in one of the best Delta credit cards . The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card offers generous perks that can offset its $0 intro for the first year, then $150 annual fee for the right traveler. Even if you rarely use the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card for purchases, its ongoing benefits can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

This card deserves a mention on our list of best airline credit cards for free checked bags (a value of at least $70 per round-trip flight); a 15% discount on Delta award flights; up to $100 credit on prepaid hotels and vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays; up to $200 Delta credit after meeting a spending threshold; priority boarding on every flight; and inflight discounts.

Here's everything you need to know about the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card.

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Rewards

Welcome Bonus Offer

The Delta Gold Business card currently offers a welcome bonus of 55,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. That's worth 60500 in travel, on average, based on Business Insider's latest points and miles valuations .

How to Earn Miles With the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card

This card isn't a fabulous choice for most everyday spending. However, it does have a couple of helpful bonus categories. Here's what you'll get:

• 2 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants
• 2 miles per dollar on purchases at U.S. Shipping providers and at U.S. providers for advertising in select media (on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year)
• 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases

Delta miles don't expire, so you don't need to rush to redeem your rewards right away.

How to Use Miles From the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Gold Card

You can redeem Delta miles for much more than just travel. But we recommend that you don't; the value you'll receive from your rewards is almost always worth the most when used for flights.

Business Insider's valuation of Delta miles (again, 1.1 cents each) is based on the average value you'll get when booking award seats. You can redeem Delta miles for flights on Delta and its SkyTeam alliance and non-alliance partners (Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, etc.). In other words, you can get to just about anywhere in the world with Delta miles.

Delta prices its award seats based on demand, season, cash price, and perhaps many other factors. To see how many miles a flight costs, you'll have to search for the exact date and time on Delta's website.

You'll occasionally find excellent sale prices, both domestic and international. If you're willing to let the deals guide your vacations, you can easily get many times the value Insider places on Delta miles. Coach flights as low as 2,000 miles one-way for domestic routes and 9,000 miles one-way for international routes crop up here and there.

Another redemption option this card unlocks is the ability to use Delta Pay With Miles to effectively offset the cash price of a ticket with miles. You'll get a value of 1 cent per mile, and you must redeem in increments of 5,000 (or $50). For example, if a flight costs $610, you could book the trip with 60,000 miles and $10.

Other ways to redeem your miles (again, often at an unreasonable redemption value) include:

• Seat selection and upgrades
• Delta Sky Club lounge memberships
• Certain Delta fees (like ticket changes and award ticket redeposit fees)
• Gift cards
• Magazines
• Tour vouchers
• Charity donations
• Delta Vacations packages
• Premium drinks in Delta Sky Club lounges
• Delta SkyMiles Experiences

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Benefits and Features

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card comes with benefits that are helpful for much more than just business travelers.

Free First Checked Bag

You and up to eight companions on your reservation receive a free first checked bag on Delta flights . Delta regularly charges $35 each way for the first checked bag, so this benefit can offset the card's annual fee even if you and a travel buddy fly Delta once per year.

And if you travel as a family or with your colleagues, you can get a huge value — four people with a checked bag each on a round-trip itinerary would normally incur fees of $280 for their luggage.

Priority Boarding

Cardholders and up to eight companions on the same reservation receive Delta Zone 5 priority boarding — even when flying Basic Economy — which means you'll have more time to get settled into your seat and find room in the overhead bins for your carry-on bag.

The Zone 5 group boards after passengers flying in premium cabins and most elite members, but before other economy class travelers or those flying in basic economy.

TakeOff 15 Discount

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card offers a new perk called TakeOff 15 . When your card is connected to your SkyMiles account, you can receive a 15% discount on award tickets booked on Delta-operated flights as long as you book through Delta.com or the Fly Delta app.

This perk could save cardholders a lot of miles if they redeem for Delta award flights frequently. Keep in mind that partner award flights aren't eligible, and only primary cardholders (not authorized users) can get the discount.

Up to $150 Delta Stays Credit (New in 2024)

You can earn up to $150 per year as a statement credit after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.

$200 Delta Flight Credit

If you spend $10,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year on your Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, you'll receive a $200 Delta flight credit. This credit is valid toward Delta flight purchases or the flight portion of a Delta Vacations package, but you can't use it for ancillary fees like checked bags or change fees.

20% Back on Inflight Purchases

When you use your card to pay for inflight purchases like drinks, food, or audio headsets on Delta flights, you'll receive 20% back in the form of a statement credit.

Car Rental Insurance

This card offers secondary car rental insurance when you use the card to pay for your rental in full and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver. Coverage is for theft or damage only (not liability) and some rentals, vehicle types, and countries are excluded, so be sure to read the terms.

Purchase Protection

When you pay for an eligible item with your card, you can be covered with purchase protection for loss or damage up to 90 days from the date of purchase, up to a maximum of $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year.

Extended Warranty

Cardholders can also get an extended warranty on eligible items when they use their card to pay — up to one additional year added to eligible US manufacturers' warranties of five years or less.

Baggage Insurance

If you pay for a covered trip with your card, you can be covered for baggage loss or damage, up to $500 per person for checked bags, and $1,250 per person for carry-on luggage. As with similar credit cards with travel insurance , there are exclusions for high-risk items and some states have different limits, so check the terms and conditions for specific details.

Global Assist Hotline

This card also comes with a little-known perk that can be a lifesaver if you have an emergency while you're away from home. Cardholders get access to Amex's Global Assist Hotline, which can help arrange things like passport replacement, medical referrals, and translation services. The service itself is complimentary, but you're responsible for any third-party costs.

Amex Offers

Similar to other American Express cards, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card includes targeted discounts and bonus rewards at participating merchants through Amex Offers **. This can be a great way to save money on everyday purchases you'd probably make anyway.

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Annual Fee and Other Costs

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150. That's on the higher side for entry-level airline credit cards, but you can get enough value to offset that cost if you take full advantage of the card's benefits. The card also waives foreign transaction fees , so it's a good card to use when traveling abroad.

Keep in mind you'll pay interest (currently a 20.99% - 29.99% Variable APR) if you don't pay your card in full every month, so try to avoid carrying a balance on this card.

There are also fees for certain situations to be aware of:

• Cash advance fee
• Late payment fee
• Returned payment fee

Compare the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card won't be a fit for every business owner. These other business credit card alternatives deserve consideration as you do your research.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is the big sibling of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. You'll pay an annual fee of $350 in exchange for premium benefits such as monthly restaurant and rideshare credits; up to $200 credit for prepaid hotels and vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays; and an annual companion certificate valid for round-trip travel within the U.S., Caribbean and Central America.

Delta Platinum Business cardholders also enjoy the same flight benefits of priority boarding, free checked bag, and 20% off inflight purchases that come with the Delta Gold Business card. First-time cardholders can also earn a welcome bonus of 65,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership that can further offset the $350 annual fee during your first year of card membership.

Read our full Delta American Express Platinum Business card review .

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Cardvs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is Delta's top-tier business credit card. This heavyweight comes with a hefty annual fee of $650, but comes with airport lounge access to both Delta Sky Club lounges as well as the American Express Centurion Lounge network on qualifying flights. Cardholders can also earn hundreds of dollars in restaurant, rideshare, and travel credits on qualifying purchases.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership worth 82500 based on Business Insider's latest points and miles valuations.

Read our full Amex Business Delta Reserve card review .

American Express Credit Cards vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

If you don't fly Delta too often but still want to accrue Delta miles, a business credit card that earns Amex Membership Rewards points may be a better fit for you.

Business Insider values Delta miles at 1.1 cents each , on average, which means your average return rate on travel purchases is between 1.1% and 2.2%, on average. Several American Express Membership Rewards cards earn higher returns for spending, so the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card isn't the best option for you if earning Delta miles through business spend is your primary motivation for getting a new business credit card.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express both earn Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to Delta at a 1:1 rate — or used for more lucrative redemptions through Amex Travel or other airline and hotel transfer partners.

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Delta Gold Business card worth it?

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card makes sense for small business owners who often fly with Delta and value priority boarding, free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

How much is the Delta Gold Business Card annual fee?

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150.

Is Delta Gold the same as Amex Gold?

Despite very similar names, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card and the American Express® Business Gold Card are different products. The Delta Amex Gold Business credit card earns Delta SkyMiles and offers different benefits from the Amex Business Gold, which earns Membership Rewards points.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card

Business Insider's experts compared the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card to other business cards from Delta and competing airlines. We looked at several factors, including:

• Simplicity — Is the card's earning and redeeming structure easy to navigate? Are there lots of ways to redeem rewards?
• Earning potential — Are the card's bonus categories useful to small-business owners, especially with respect to travel? Are there spending caps on any bonus categories?
• Annual fee — Is the annual fee reasonable and is it worth it when you consider the card's benefits and rewards?
• Benefits — Does the card offer perks, including day-of-travel/airline benefits, that are useful to a broad range of travelers?

You can find out more about Business Insider's methodology by reading our article on how we rate credit cards .