Gold Delta SkyMiles(R) Credit Card from American Express – Review

If you frequently fly on Delta and you want a great frequent flier program, consider the Gold Delta SkyMiles(R) Credit Card from American Express. Note the “credit card” in the name. Unlike American Express charge cards, you don’t have to pay your balance in full with this credit card. However, it’s always a good idea to avoid paying interest on rewards credit cards. You want to keep the card cost to a minimum.

You earn 20,000 bonus when you make your first purchase and 5,000 if you add extra card members to your account. That 25,000 bonus is worth about $250 in airfare.

Fees and Interest

The Gold Delta SkyMiles American Express credit card has a $95 annual fee that’s waived in the first year. APR on purchases is a 14.5%.

Balance transfers have a 12-month introductory rate of 9.99% as long as the transfer is made within the first 30 days you open the card. After that, the transfer rate is 14.5%. The balance transfer fee is $5 or 3% whichever is greater.

Cash advance APR is 25.24% and penalty APR is 27.24%. The cash advance fee is $5 or 3% whichever is greater. All APRs are variable based on the Prime Rate.

How to Earn Miles

This credit card is part of the Delta SkyMiles program and you earn one mile for every dollar of eligible purchases up to $100,000. After the $100,000 threshold, you earn one mile for every two dollars of eligible purchases. Earn double miles on Delta purchases. Balance transfers, cash advances, Express Cash, savings bonds, travelers cheques, and gift cheques do not earn reward miles. Miles are credited to your account as long as your credit card is active and in good standing.

Extra Benefits

You can check your first bag for free on every Delta flight. Make sure you include your SkyMiles number in your reservation; you don’t have to reserve your ticket with your Gold SkyMiles credit card. Up to 9 people travelling with you can also check their first bag for free as long as you make their reservation.

Get a $99 economy class companion certificate each year when your card renews. The companion must fly within the 48 contiguous states. Flights can originate from Alaska or Hawaii, but must fly to a contiguous state to use the companion ticket.

Rent a car with your Gold Skymiles American Express and get car rental loss and damage coverage for no extra cost. Check the terms of the coverage before renting.

Get purchase protection on purchases made with your credit card and an additional year’s warranty on top of the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty of five years or less.

You need to have excellent credit to qualify for the Gold Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card.

Biggest Benefit

• 20,000 signup bonus

Drawbacks

The foreign transaction fee is 2.7%. Several other credit cards do not have a foreign transaction fee. Some of these cards have no annual fee.