Delta SkyMiles Gold Business
The welcome offer, the bag benefit and what it saves, every credit and its catch, the insurance, and whether the $150 fee pays for itself.
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Business airline cards · American Express
Welcome offer
90,000 miles
Annual fee
$0 the first year, then $150
90,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Limited time; ends November 4, 2026. Applicants who have or have had this card, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Reserve American Express Card, or earlier versions of them may not be eligible.
Employee cards: No fee listed by Amex; up to 99Foreign transaction fees: NoneRewards: Delta SkyMiles
The Atelier Take
A bag-fee card for a business that flies Delta, with 2x on advertising, shipping and restaurants as a modest extra.
Who it suits
Owners and small teams who fly Delta a few times a year and check bags. The $0 first year makes it a low-cost way to try the bag and award benefits.
Who should skip it
Businesses that rarely fly Delta, or that want the most from heavy advertising spend: the 2x stops at $50,000 a year per category, and SkyMiles are worth less than flexible bank points.
Every credit, and the catch
Three credits, each with a condition: a spending threshold, a Delta booking channel, or waiting a year.
Delta flight credit
$200
Only after $10,000 of purchases on the card in a calendar year. Issued as a Delta eCredit for Delta flights, valid for one year.
Delta Stays credit
Up to $150 a year
Prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays on delta.com only.
Rideshare credit
Up to $120 a year
U.S. rides with select providers (currently Uber, Lyft, Curb and Alto), and only from the card’s first anniversary.
What it earns
Rewards: Delta SkyMiles, which can also go toward Delta fares at delta.com with Pay with Miles: 5,000 miles generally take $50 off.
2x
Delta purchases
Bought directly from Delta, including Delta Stays and Delta Vacations
2x
Restaurants worldwide
2x
U.S. shipping
Courier, postal and freight shippers in the U.S.; on up to $50,000 a calendar year, then 1x
2x
U.S. advertising in select media
Online, TV and radio advertising from U.S. media providers; on up to $50,000 a calendar year, then 1x
1x
Everything else
TPG values SkyMiles at 1.2¢ each, below most airline and bank currencies, so 2x is worth about 2.4¢ per dollar. Delta prices awards dynamically, so value varies widely by route and date.
Bags and other Delta benefits
Checked bags
First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation, on Delta flights worldwide. Second bag free on Delta flights within the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), once each way, for the cardholder and any other Delta cardholder on the booking, not for other companions. Employee cardholders traveling without the account holder don’t get either waiver. Without the card Delta charges $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, each way, in the U.S.
Priority boarding
Zone 5 on Delta flights, for the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation.
TakeOff 15
15% off award flights on Delta booked at delta.com or in the Fly Delta app; not on partner flights, taxes or fees.
20% back on in-flight purchases
As a statement credit on food and drinks bought on Delta flights.
Will the $150 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
AdvertisingOnline, TV and radio advertising from U.S. media providers; 2x on the first $50,000 a year
2x
ShippingU.S. courier, postal and freight shippers; 2x on the first $50,000 a year
2x
Internet, cable and phone
1x
Office supplies
1x
Software and cloud services
1x
Delta purchasesBought directly from Delta; card miles only, the miles Delta awards for flying come with any card and are left out
2x
Other flights
1x
Hotels
1x
RestaurantsWorldwide
2x
Gas
1x
Everything else
1x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
The fee is $0 in year one and $150 after. The rideshare credit starts 12 months after opening, so it is counted from year two. Not counted: priority boarding, 15% off award flights (TakeOff 15) and the insurance.
Insurance and protections
Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered. Travel cover is secondary: it pays after any other insurance. Amex’s Guides to Benefits have the full terms and exclusions.
Baggage insurance
Up to $1,250 for carry-on bags and $500 for checked bags, on top of what the carrier pays, when the whole fare is paid with the card. Secondary.
Car rental loss and damage
Up to $50,000 for theft or damage to a rental car, for rentals up to 30 days, when the rental company’s damage waiver is declined. Not available in Australia, Italy or New Zealand, and no liability cover. Secondary.
Purchase protection
Theft or accidental damage within 90 days of purchase: up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Extended warranty
Adds up to one year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less: up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Bag savings alone can cover the fee for one round trip a year
- $0 fee in the first year
- 2x on advertising, shipping and restaurants worldwide
- 15% off Delta award flights
Cons
- SkyMiles are among the lower-valued airline currencies
- The 2x on advertising and shipping stops at $50,000 each a year
- The flight credit needs $10,000 of spending
- Bag waivers need the account holder on the booking
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.