Delta offers several co-brand credit cards through its partnership with American Express, but not every Delta flyer needs a premium card with a big annual fee.
If you’re not chasing top-tier status and you’re not living in the Sky Club, the “sweet spot” is the mid-level card that fixes the annoying parts of economy travel — things like a free checked bag, earlier boarding, and small discounts that add up over a couple of trips. That’s where the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card fits in.
So what benefits does this card provide upon signing up, and does keeping it long-term make sense?
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 per year.
Sign Up Benefits
Currently, you can earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months of card membership.
If you decide to sign up for any Delta credit cards (or any AMEX card, for that matter), we’d appreciate it if you use our link. If you’re approved and get a Card, you can earn rewards — and we may also receive a referral bonus, which helps us keep Your Mileage May Vary HQ going strong.
This card is subject to AMEX’s one sign-up bonus per lifetime rule. To read more about that, check out this article from Doctor of Credit. AMEX has also added this stipulation to its cards:
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.
I’d suggest keeping any American Express card for at least 2 years (or longer if you think the benefits outweigh the annual fee). There’s too much risk with American Express increasingly cracking down on those they feel are abusing the system by canceling a card shortly after the signup bonus is awarded.
To that end, AMEX has added this wording to the Offer Terms:
If we determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with this offer in any way or that you intend to do so, including if you return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount, we may not credit, we may freeze, or we may take away the Bonus Miles from your Card Account. We may also cancel any Card Accounts you have with us.
Fortunately, AMEX has not (so far) applied the “Little Brother” rule to Delta business cards, so you’re generally free to apply for this even if you have the Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Reserve Business cards.
Spending Bonus Categories
The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card earns 2X miles on the following purchases:
- Eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- Eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (up to $50,000 per calendar year)
- Eligible U.S. shipping purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year)
- Dining at restaurants worldwide
The card earns 1X miles per dollar for all other eligible spending.
$200 Delta Flight Credit
If you spend $10,000 on the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card in a calendar year, you’ll receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit.
$150 Delta Stays Credit
You can receive an annual statement credit of up to $150 when you book an eligible prepaid hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays. The direct link is here: carsandstays.delta.com/Hotels
No Foreign Transaction Fees
As you would hope a card you can use on Delta flights worldwide would, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card does not charge any foreign transaction fees.
Priority Boarding
The basic cardmember and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation will be invited to board Delta-operated flights before general boarding. This boarding is with Zone 5.
This advanced boarding sounds great, but in reality, plenty of groups still board before Zone 5 — including Delta One/First, Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and higher-tier Medallion members. Still, if you’re in Main Cabin on a busy flight, getting on earlier can mean less stress and (hopefully) better overhead bin space.
And if you book a basic economy ticket on Delta, having a Delta co-brand card can help keep you from being stuck at the very end of the boarding parade.
Free First Checked Bag
Delta provides a free first checked bag for the basic cardmember and up to eight others traveling on the same reservation (nine total passengers).
Now that your first checked bag on Delta can cost $35 each way, this benefit alone can almost cover the annual fee on a single round trip for two people who both check a bag.
TakeOff 15
This quickly became one of my favorite perks of having a Delta co-brand AMEX card. Delta SkyMiles Gold, Gold Business, Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve, and Reserve Business American Express Card Members save 15% on the mileage portion of Award Travel booked on Delta-operated flights.
There are no blackout dates, but the discount is not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
20% In-Flight Savings
You’ll receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible pre-purchased meals and in-flight purchases of food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages) on Delta-operated flights.
Pay With Miles
This little-known benefit allows you to pay for part (or all) of your ticket with your SkyMiles. In essence, it lets you redeem miles at 1 cent per mile toward Delta cash tickets.
You redeem miles in increments of 5,000 miles for $50 off (10,000 miles for $100, etc.). While it’s not the best possible value for your miles, it can be handy if you find a cheap cash ticket and want to keep money in your pocket. To learn more about this benefit, visit the Delta website.
Use of Miles on Partner Airlines
While you can use your miles to book flights on Delta, you can also use miles to book award travel on SkyTeam and other partner airlines. I booked us on Virgin Atlantic premium economy from New York to London for 55,000 miles each. Pre-departure prosecco? Don’t mind if we do!
Final Thoughts
The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card offers many of the perks we like from a co-branded card, such as priority boarding and a free first checked bag. Add in TakeOff 15 and the Delta Flight Credit, and it can be a very practical “keep it in the drawer” card if you fly Delta a few times a year.
Delta gets grief for its award pricing and the lack of an award chart. I’ve found prices on routes I wanted to book to be fair, and they’re still competitive when flying from Orlando. Don’t forget that Delta can offer lower award prices for inexpensive tickets, like 6,500 miles for a NY-Florida one-way trip.
That said, it’s not a great card to put lots of everyday spend on. If you’re redeeming points for 1 cent each, it’s better to earn 2% cash back with a different card and use that money to pay for your flights.
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