Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Full Review

Benefits explained

• Credit to the annual statement that justifies the annual card fee after the first year: If you spend at least $ 10,000 on the card, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business from American Express gives you a Delta eCredit of $ 100 each year, in addition to the points you earn on those purchases, for a purpose that the Most businesses should be able to achieve this fairly easily, since it averages about $ 830 per month in spending.
• Easy to win bonus offer: At $ 666 over three months, the spending required to earn this card’s 70,000-mile bonus offer is also relatively easy to achieve. Offers with competing cards often require spending up to $ 5,000.

Disadvantages Explained

• Lack of luxury perks: Like most of its competitors, the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card offers extras such as priority boarding and free checked baggage. Still, it lacks the luxury perks found on other Delta SkyMiles, albeit more expensive. These benefits include, for example, an annual companion certificate and access to the Amex and Delta airport lounges. If such items are a priority for you, you may consider paying extra to get Platinum or Delta Reserve cards.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express is best suited for small businesses and their employees who travel with Delta and its partners, but not often enough that a more expensive Delta card makes financial sense. It’s best if your business regularly spends a lot on catering or domestic shipping and advertising, as those purchases also earn the same 2 miles per dollar as Delta transactions.

You don’t have to spend a lot in these 2 mile per dollar rewards categories to recoup the $ 99 annual fee from this card. Charging just over $ 3,200 a year on a combination of Delta flights, shipping and advertising would do the trick, says estimates from The Balance credit card point assessment data Delta SkyMiles are worth 1.44 cents each.

This card can also be an attractive acquisition for occasional Delta riders who check in a bag every time they travel within the country. With their first free checked baggage on these flights, cardholders would save $ 60 on a round-trip flight, and up to eight companions on their reservation would also be eligible for this benefit.

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Bonus Offer

Limited Time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and a $ 50 statement credit after spending $ 2,000 on purchases with your new card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 10/11/2021. We calculate the value of the offer at $ 1,080 when used to purchase flights through Delta. Bonus miles are credited to your account as a credit on your statement between 8 and 12 weeks after reaching the minimum spend threshold.

You also earn a $ 100 Delta Flight Credit if you spend $ 10,000 on the card in the first calendar year of ownership.

Reward Details

Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases, including Delta flights, Sky Club membership or passes, in-flight purchases, seat upgrades and Delta vacation packages. The card also earns 2 miles per dollar on shipping, advertising, and dining in the United States.

All other purchases on the card earn 1 mile on the dollar. Delta SkyMiles do not expire.

Details on how to use rewards

To redeem miles, you must be a member of the Delta SkyMiles rewards program. Miles can be redeemed through the Delta website, over the phone, or at a Delta kiosk.

You can use your mileage balance for flights, seat upgrades, Delta vacation packages, Sky Club membership, gift cards and experiences. You can also send SkyMiles to friends and family or donate them to charity.

Points transfer

It is not possible to directly transfer points from Delta to other loyalty programs. However, you can transfer points from other loyalty programs to Delta and convert them to SkyMiles. Points can be converted with car rental and hotel partners. Before converting points to the Delta Airline Loyalty Program, be aware that conversions can be costly and incur additional fees.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

To get the most out of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Card, use it for all your Delta purchases, US shipping charges, US advertising spend, and restaurant charges. You will earn 2 miles per dollar on these categories, and spending a total of $ 3,214 per year will justify the annual fee. It also makes sense to use the card to take advantage of the limited time offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and a $ 50 credit on your statement after spending $ 2,000 on purchases on your new card within 3 first months. Offer ends 10/11/2021.

Finally, get additional cards for employees who make purchases on behalf of the company to further increase the miles accumulated on the account. Of course, depending on your company policy, these employees may have the right to keep the rewards earned on their trips for their personal use. If so, or in order to allow your employees to gain a benefit, you can enroll your business in Delta’s Corporate SkyBonus program, provided that at least five employees have cards and spend together. at least $ 5,000 per year on Delta flights. The program, which is free, allows both the employee and their employer to earn miles on Delta flights.

Average case

Suppose you use this card to book four round-trip Delta domestic flights per year to attend business conferences, spending the national average cost of around $ 360 per round-trip flight. Plus, you use this card for a combination of shipping, advertising, and restaurant purchases that add up to $ 1,000 per month.

Spending like that would net you 26,880 miles with this card, rewards we estimate to be worth $ 568, more than five times the annual fee charged after the first year, when redeemed for Delta flights. Suppose that for each flight, you save a suitcase full of company documentation to distribute at the conference. Waiving the card fee for these bags would add an additional $ 240 to the financial benefit of its use.

Ambitious case

In addition to the scenario above, where you earned 26,880 miles with this card, suppose you have four employees who also represent the company at conferences. You then take advantage of the free additional employee cards that come with that account, giving one to each employee, and you also sign up for the SkyPlus program which allows both employees and their employer to earn rewards.

The four additional employees with cards then use them to purchase a combined $ 3,000 per month for shipping, advertising and restaurants. The four employees also take a round-trip domestic flight once per quarter, spending $ 360 for each round-trip domestic flight. In total, including the primary cardholder, the five employees and the company itself would earn over 110,400 miles in the calendar year worth $ 1,700.

Exceptional Benefits of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Card

• Priority boarding in the main cabin
• Baggage insurance plan
• The first checked baggage is free
• 20% in-flight savings on food, drinks and headphones
• Free employee cards

Standard benefits

• Rental Car Collision Insurance (secondary to your own policy)
• 24/7 global support hotline
• Access to exclusive events reserved for cardholders
• Expense management solutions
• Dispute resolution for fraudulent or incorrect charges

Cardholder experience

American Express ranked # 1 for customer satisfaction in JD Power 2020 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Survey, with a score of 838 out of 1,000.

Cardholders can access and manage their accounts online, through the American Express app, or over the phone. Customer service is available by phone 24/7. Personal cardholders can call 1-800-528-4800 for assistance.

Security functions

Like all Amex credit cards, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card offers a range of standard security measures. Amex will monitor your account for fraudulent activity and send alerts if irregular activity is detected.

Amex also uses its SafeKey feature, which is an authentication service. You may be asked to provide a dynamic one-time-use (OTC) code to verify your identity when shopping online.

Our verdict

The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card from American Express is the cheapest credit card of the Delta brand. It offers a business that has occasional travelers on the airline the chance to both earn decent rewards and enjoy a few basic extras on their travels.

A respectable unique offer that combines bonus points and statement credit, along with fee waiver, makes the first year with the card particularly attractive. In subsequent years, you’ll get a $ 100 credit that covers annual fees, provided your business spends at least $ 10,000 with the card.

If, however, you and / or your employees travel frequently with Delta, you may want to consider the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card. The annual fee is $ 250 higher, but it offers valuable additional perks, such as an annual round-trip companion certificate in the main cabin upon renewal.

Alternatively, if your business is not loyal to Delta, consider an unbranded business card. One of them may offer higher rewards and more flexibility when it comes to redemption. For example, the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card offers 3 points per dollar on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone service, and advertising on social media sites. It also offers a bonus offer of 100,000 bonus points.

To view the rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card, please visit the following link: Prices and fees