- 9 reviews
- 10,207 reads
Excellent rewards. One of the few cards worth the annual fee!
The Delta Skymiles Gold card from American Express has proven to be an excellent rewards card for me. In fact, I recommended that my parents get one and they've been happy with it as well. The card does have a $95 annual fee; HOWEVER, this is one card where the benefits can easily outweigh the annual fee or at least cause it to all come out a wash.
Pros: Cardmembers receive their first checked bag FREE (a savings of ~$50 R.T.) and this benefit is good for up to 9 people if you pay for everyone on one reservation and they are traveling with the primary card holder. Rewards are 1 mile per dollar on everyday purchases and 2 miles per dollar on purchases made directly from Delta. Another perk that can easily make the annual fee well worth it is the annual $99 Companion Ticket. Each year you renew your membership, you will receive a companion pass that allows a companion to travel with you on any reservation booked within the lower 48 states for just $99 round trip. Another positive element is that this card is issued by the (currently) worlds largest airline with over 350 destinations around the world.
Cons: $95 annual fee is definitely higher than some airline affinity cards, but the benefits offered by Delta seem to make this card's fee end up "canceling" itself out.
On a side note: many people often complain that American Express isn't accepted everywhere. In my personal experience, I have run across only 2-3 places in the past year that haven't taken my Amex card - Menards, Dollar General, and my chiropractor's office. As far as I'm aware, more and more places are starting to accept Amex as a method of payment, and as I mentioned, it hasn't been a problem for me at all.