American Express
Delta SkyMiles Gold
What it is
The Delta SkyMiles Gold is an American Express card earning Delta SkyMiles. It's mainly a sign-up-bonus play: earn the bonus, then keep or close. Entry Delta card: first (now second) checked bag free and priority boarding cover the fee for a regular Delta flyer. Mostly a churn-and-downgrade target — thin ongoing value once the AF kicks in. Note the Delta tier-family rule: holding/having held a Platinum or Reserve blocks the Gold welcome bonus.
Offer history
Value is the welcome bonus at your valuations. The Year 1 total also counts recurring benefits and subtracts the annual fee. Spend / mo (the dashed line, right axis) is the monthly pace to clear the minimum spend in time — shown on every view so the spend stays in context.
| Offer | Bonus | Value | Year 1 | Return | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AF $150 · benefits updated · Jun 2026 | |||||
PUBLIC ATH | 90,000$3k · 180d | $990 | $922 | 33% | Jun ’26 |
PUBLIC | 50,000$2k · 180d | $550 | $458 | 28% | Oct ’24 |
PUBLIC | 80,000$3k · 180d | $880 | $788 | 29% | Sep ’24 |
What you get
- Rideshare credit$120per year
$10/mo (up to $120/yr) statement credit on US rideshare (Uber/Lyft/Curb/Alto), enrollment required. ADDED to Gold in June 2026 — but on Gold the benefit only begins 12 months after account opening, so it provides ZERO year-1 value. Util kept very low to reflect the 12-month delay + enrollment friction; consider gating to year 2 if the engine later models benefit start offsets. Verified DoC 2026-06-05.
- Delta Stays credit$100per year
$100/yr statement credit for prepaid hotels/vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays on delta.com. Narrow booking channel → low util. (Personal Gold = $100; business Gold = $150.)
- Free checked bag$70per year
First checked bag free for the cardholder (and companions on the reservation) on Delta flights. ~$35 each way; annual face value modeled for a few round trips, util reflects that not every churner flies Delta.
Dollar figures are the benefit’s face value. What it’s worth to you — after realistic usage and your own point values — is in the receipt below.
The receipt
default values| SUB value | +$990 |
| 90,000 Delta × 1.10¢/pt | |
| Ongoing benefits (yr 1) | +$82 |
Delta Stays credit($100 × 30%) Delta Stays credit $100 × 30% $30 Free checked bag($70 × 40%) Free checked bag $70 × 40% $28 Rideshare credit($10/mo × 20%) Rideshare credit $10/mo × 20% $24 | |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Year 1 | $1,072 |
| Return on $5k MSR | 20% |
Your score sharpens once you sign in — we add eligibility, spend-fit, and 5/24.
Related cards
Delta SkyMiles Gold scores 50 here on default point values. See where it ranks against every card, scored for your points, spend, and eligibility.
Open the ranked table →