AMEX Delta Gold Credit Card: Up to 80,000 Miles Welcome Offer, First Year Annual Fee Waived

The Delta Gold card is now offering up to 80,000 miles as a welcome bonus, but you have to complete the application to see how many bonus miles you are targeted for at the final step. If you choose not to accept the offer, it will not affect your credit score, so it’s worth trying. Also, since the annual fee is waived for the first year, you can keep it for a year and see how it goes, then downgrade or cancel with very little cost.

• Application link

If you’re trying to decide which Delta card is the best fit, see our comparison article:

• [It’s here!] Limited-time welcome offers on six AMEX Delta co-branded cards — which one should you choose?

This is a very strong offer, and I’ve added it to our rankings:

• Best US credit card welcome offers (personal cards) [Updated monthly]

AMEX Gold Delta SkyMile Credit Card Overview

Highlights

• New $100 hotel statement credit: You must use this card on delta.com/stays, Delta’s own travel portal, to qualify
• New $200 Delta Credit: This is a big-spending bonus that requires $10,000 in purchases on this card within a calendar year. It used to be a $100 benefit
• [New] Take 15 benefit: When you use this card to book award tickets on flights operated by Delta, you get a 15% off discount. Benefit details
• Big-spending bonus: Spend 10,000 each year and get an extra $100 Delta flight credit that can be used toward airfare
• Delta flight benefits: On Delta flights, you get priority boarding, one free checked bag, 20% off in-flight purchases, and discounted lounge access
• Authorized user bonus: Add an authorized user to this card through a specific link (authorized user guide), and if the authorized user spends $500 within three months, you can earn an extra 2500 miles. Link for 2500 miles for adding an authorized user (after logging in and verifying, you can see this offer)

AMEX card benefits

• AMEX offer: Spend 20 at Amazon, get 20 back; get $5 off $15 at Walmart; spend 75 on your phone bill, get 10 back. Generous AMEX often gives cardholders valuable offers that let you earn cash back while spending. Read the following articles carefully, and earning $100 a year from one card is no problem: AMEX OFFER explained, Recent best AMEX Offers roundup, 2013-2016 AMEX Offer summary
• Free ShopRunner membership: Enjoy free 2-day shipping at many online stores. See details here: official link
• Extended warranty: Items purchased in full with an AMEX card get the manufacturer’s warranty automatically extended by one year
• Free credit score: AMEX provides your Experian credit score monthly. See Which free credit score is best?

Cons

• This card earns only 1x Delta miles on everyday spending, which is too slow, and you still have to pay a $95 annual fee. If you really want to earn Delta miles, the no-annual-fee AMEX EveryDay Card (1.2x-2.4x) or the annual-fee EveryDay Preferred Card (1.5x-4.5x) would be better

About Delta SkyMiles:

• Value: Delta miles are worth about 1.4 cents each. The main reason is that award pricing changes frequently, so redemptions are not as stable as airline miles like AA or UA
• Redemptions: As few as 35,000 miles for a one-way between China and the US, 5,500 miles for a one-way within the US, 7,500 miles for a one-way within China, and 80,000 miles for business class between the US and Australia. A great short-haul sweet spot within the US, especially for those living on the US West Coast or in the Northeast.
• More: For tips on earning and redeeming miles, see: Delta SkyMiles Intro 1; Intro 2; Intro 3

My Take

I still haven’t applied for this card because I already have a large balance of Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to Delta miles at a 1:1 ratio. Also, Delta’s award pricing is not especially stable, and the mileage required can swing up and down a lot, which can be frustrating. Fuel surcharges are also relatively high. That said, if you know how to use Delta miles well, they can be very rewarding. For example, Delta miles can be used to book SkyTeam partner awards, and redeeming for China Eastern flights for parents traveling between China and the US can work very well. After all, it’s an airline from your home country, so communication is easier. Delta’s flash deals for domestic US redemptions can also be much better than what AA or UA offers. Another point is that Delta’s international flights generally offer noticeably better meals, service, and business class quality than AA and UA. So if you need Delta miles, or you fly Delta often and want free checked bags and priority boarding, this credit card is worth considering.

If you’re not sure which Delta card to apply for, see:

• In-depth analysis of changes to six AMEX Delta co-branded credit cards (higher welcome bonuses, higher annual fees, added credits, better value, MQD earnings)

Application

Important: Delta cards now have same-family application restrictions. If you have applied for the higher-annual-fee Platinum or Reserve versions, then applying for this card will no longer qualify you for a welcome bonus.

• Introduction to AMEX same-family credit card restrictions [2023.9 update: Delta and Platinum series cards got additional restrictions!]

This card is a Delta co-branded credit card. During the application, you need to enter your Delta account number (if you don’t have one, one will be assigned automatically), but I still recommend registering for a Delta membership first on the official website.

• AMEX official application status check link
• For the same AMEX credit card, the public welcome bonus is generally available only once (once-per-lifetime restriction)
• You can call the reconsideration line (800-528-4800, 877-399-3083, 866-314-0237) to speed up credit card approval or request a review of a denied application.
• AMEX limits you to 4 credit cards and 10 charge cards total.
• You can apply for a total of two AMEX credit cards every 90 days, excluding charge cards.
• After you submit your application, a pop-up may appear telling you that you are not eligible for the welcome bonus. In that case, it is usually best not to continue with the application (detailed analysis)
• More about applying for AMEX credit cards

Application link