Why the Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold Is My Favorite Card

I've had a lot of travel cards in my wallet, but the one I keep reaching for is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. It isn't the flashiest card out there. It just saves real money on almost every trip, especially when you travel as a couple.

Here's why it's my favorite, and how it fits into a wedding-and-honeymoon points plan.

1. Free checked bags for both of us

This is the benefit that sold me. With the Delta Gold card, you get your first checked bag free on Delta flights, and so do up to eight companions on the same reservation. For a couple, that means two bags checked free every time we fly together.

Delta charges about $35 for a first checked bag each way. For two people on a round trip, that's roughly $140 saved on a single trip. Take two or three trips a year and the card pays for itself several times over. For a honeymoon, when you're packing outfits, shoes and maybe a dress for dinner, that's money that goes to the trip instead of the airline.

2. 15% off award flights

When you book Delta award flights with your miles, card members get 15% off the miles price (Delta calls it TakeOff 15). A flight that costs 40,000 miles drops to 34,000. You save 6,000 miles on one ticket, and for two tickets you're well on your way to a free domestic flight.

Because Delta's award prices move around, this discount stacks nicely with Delta's flash sales. Your miles just go further.

3. Earn miles on everyday spending

• Extra miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and US supermarkets, which is a lot of the wedding-planning grocery runs and tasting dinners.

• 1 mile per dollar on everything else, so your vendor deposits keep earning.

• No foreign transaction fees, which matters on a honeymoon abroad.

• Savings on in-flight food and drinks.

4. A low cost to keep it

The annual fee is low compared with premium travel cards, and the free bags alone usually cover it with one trip as a couple. Check the IDoLetsGo card listing for the current fee and terms, since Amex updates them from time to time.

5. Perfect for a wedding budget

Wedding spending is the easiest way to earn a big welcome bonus: the venue deposit, the caterer, the photographer. Put the money you were already spending on the Delta Gold card, earn the bonus, and turn it into honeymoon flights at 15% off with free bags. Want to double it? See our Player 1 & Player 2 guide for how couples can each earn a bonus.

About the referral code

A lot of people ask me for a Delta Gold referral code or referral link. Here's the honest answer: Amex changes the referral offer and the link all the time. A code that showed a big bonus last month might show a smaller one today, or stop working completely.

So instead of posting a link here that could go out of date, I keep the current offer on the IDoLetsGo listing. That's the page I update when the offer changes, so it's always the best place to start.

👉 See the current Delta SkyMiles Gold offer on IDoLetsGo

The bottom line

Free bags for both of us, 15% off award flights, and miles on the money we're already spending. That's why the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex is my favorite card. If you're not sure it's the right fit for your trip, take the 60-second Find My Card quiz and we'll match you with the cards that work for your plans.

Benefits and offers change. Check the card listing and Amex's terms before you apply.