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The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card does come with some benefits, but they are mostly targeted to the infrequent traveler, and even so, it tends to be a rather niche subset of them. It’s a good card for those who want to save themselves money in checked bag fees and those who can hit the minimum spend required to receive the Delta Flight credit every year.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
See Rates and Fees
Intro Bonus
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 3/27/24
| Annual fee | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 |
| Regular APR | 20.99%–29.99% variable |
For whom is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card worth It?
There’s a Delta card for every type of traveler, but sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is the right card for you. This card in particular offers very niche benefits that will only be valuable and useful for a rather specific set of cardholders. Let’s see if it is a good match for you.
Flyers, especially those that travel with others, who check luggage
For passengers who don’t want to drag their luggage through busy airports and prefer checking their bags, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card has the potential to save them some non insignificant money. Each checked bag when flying domestic economy class with Delta costs $30 each way, so at a minimum, cardholders can save up to $60 on round trips.
However, the free first checked bag benefit you get through this card extends to up to eight other passengers on your reservation, so a family of four can save as much as $240 if they go on one vacation together and each of them checks one bag. That is more than enough to make up for the annual fee past the first year.
Businesses with considerable spend amounts in bonus categories
Business owners who spend significant sums of money in this card’s bonus categories, like purchases made directly with Delta, dining at restaurants, U.S. providers of advertisement in select media or U.S. shipping providers, can benefit from increased Delta SkyMiles earnings when they run all of these purchases through their cards. Your 2X miles per dollar spent 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, and you will earn only 1X after you have exceeded that cap.
Travelers who can benefit from the Delta Stays and flight credits
One great way to make use of your credit cards, especially those with significant annual fees, is making sure you can take advantage of most of the benefits they carry. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card comes with a $200 Delta Flight credit for use toward future travel, but only after you spend at least $10,000 in purchases every year.
Additionally, the card offers an up to $150 Delta Stays credit for eligible prepaid hotels or vacation rentals with Delta Stays when booking through Delta.com.
Cardholders who are able to use these two credits in full can receive up to $350 in benefits in exchange for a relatively mild annual fee of $150, which is waived for the first year you have the card.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page
For whom is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card not worth it?
As with any airline credit card, the earnings are rather inflexible. If you are looking for rewards that allow you a myriad of options for redemption, this card’s not for you. Alternatively, if you’re busy running a business and not worrying about whether you remembered to hit a minimum spend or used this specific card to book your hotel stays, the credits might be harder to use.
Business owners who are airline agnostic
Those who do not want to make it a point to fly with Delta Air Lines, either because they are happy to go with whatever airline gets them to their destination the cheapest or because they don’t care for loyalty perks will not get a lot of value from this card. While it might help them save some money on the occasional checked bag fee when flying Delta, the card will provide virtually zero value when flying other carriers.
Flyers who travel light
For those who have no use in the first checked bag free benefit because they can’t be bothered waiting at the check in counter to drop their bags off, the card offers little value. Earning with this card is relatively lukewarm, and the 20% in-flight purchases discount isn’t good enough to write home about. All other perks are truly lackluster.
Travelers who have no use for credits offered
For those small businesses who cannot commit to spending the minimum required spend of $10,000 within a year to obtain their $200 Delta Flights credit, or those who don’t foresee themselves using the $150 Delta Stays credit, or those who can’t find their preferred accommodation on the Delta.com website, the card will look less and less valuable to them, especially if they’re not able to find value in any of the other benefits.
Avid Delta flyers with status
Road warriors who hold status with the airline will see very little value in this card, if any, as the card’s main benefit is in the checked baggage fee waiver, and even those Delta medallion members in the lowest tier, Silver Medallion, are offered a free first checked bag.
Businesses who want to be rewarded for their spend
While the card will help you earn SkyMiles with your purchases, the earning rates are not particularly too generous when compared to other cards in the market. For example, the Capital One Venture X Business earns a straight 2X on your every purchase regardless of category and is totally uncapped, and while the annual fee is more than double, the welcome bonus is more than significantly higher, and you can use your hard earned miles to transfer to multiple programs for the ultimate flexibility in your redemptions.
How to Maximize Rewards with the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
First time cardholders applying for this card will earn an 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 3/27/24. That will certainly get your SkyMiles account balance jump started to a healthy number.
The next thing in the to-do list for those wishing to maximize their rewards is to leverage the card for all purchases, particularly those in the bonus categories. That way, every dollar spent directly with Delta, dining at restaurants, at shipping providers & advertising purchases in select media will earn twice as much as all other purchases.
The takeaway
If you’re one of the many Delta flyers who do not fly enough to earn status but can benefit from this card’s first checked bag fee waivers and a few other perks, then you will most likely get value from this card. However, if that description sounds nothing like you, this card probably does not deserve a slot in your wallet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I earn status by spending on the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card ?
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card does not automatically grant you status nor will it help you earn status with Delta Air Lines, as this is an entry level card with perks for those who do not fly with Delta enough to earn status. If you’re interested in Delta cards that can help you work your way up into Medallion levels, try the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business Card.
Do I get lounge access with the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card ?
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card does not come with a lounge access benefit to either the Delta Sky Club, Centurion or Priority Pass network. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is the only Delta co-branded credit card that includes lounge access as a benefit.
To view rates and fees of the ‘Card Name’, see this page
Can I transfer my Delta SkyMiles to other airlines?
Delta SkyMiles cannot be transferred to other airlines, however you can use your SkyMiles to book flights on Delta’s more than a dozen SkyTeam partners to virtually fly anywhere in the world.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
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