Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card From American Express

Delta has has got three level of affinity cards for consumers (the gold, platinum and reserve version). And they also have business versions of these three cards. In this review, we will be looking at the gold business version. The features are nearly identical with the consumer version. But there are a couple of extra perks that come from holding an Amex business card and the ability to having employee cards may make this card a worthwhile proposition even if you already have the consumer version.

Let's go through it's key features now.

Bonus Miles - Before we go on about the features, let's touch base on the bonus miles first (since many of you might be more interested in this). Right now, if you spend $500 within the first three months, you will get 30,000 bonus miles. This is actually quite a good deal because though there may be higher bonuses offered by other cards, the spending requirements are usually high. This one is only $500 which is very easily achieved.

You Can Earn Double Miles - Like most other FF cards, you can earn double miles when you use the card to purchase Delta airline tickets. Regular purchases earn you a single mile per dollar. You can earn unlimited points and Delta miles do not expire.

First Free Baggage For Up to 8 Companions - One of the truly great perks about Delta cards is that as a card holder, you get your first baggage checked in for free. Not only that, but up to 8 companions traveling with you also get that perk. For large families going on a vacation, that adds up to a lot of savings. For example, if you do not have an elite membership, the fee for first baggage is $25 per trip ($50 on a roundtrip). So the savings amount to $50 per trip and if you have family members, that savings will add up to hundreds of dollars. This perk alone will cover the annual fee of $95.

20% In-Flight Savings - Another perk of this card is that you can use it for in-flight services like movies, snacks and get 20% savings.

Priority Boarding - As a card holder, you will also get priority boarding privileges. That means that you will board before most of the general public and hence have first access to overhead cabins. But you will not be the first to board though. The priority boarding schedules is as follows. First to board will be those who need special assistance. This is followed by first and business class passengers. SkyPriority members will then board. These include elite members (diamond, platinum and gold, but not silver), SkyTeam Elite Plus and Alaska MVP Gold members. Next will Priority Zone 1, which includes Silver Elite members and Amex cardholders (like this one). This will be followed by the rest of the economy passengers. Like the first baggage free feature, you companions (up to 8) also board with you.

How Does It Compare With The Platinum and Reserve Version - While the basic features are the same across all three versions of the card, there are some important differences which you should note. They key difference is that with the Platinum and Reserve versions, you will earn more bonus miles and MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Miles) the more you spend on your card. This is how the Platinum version works. When you spend $25,000 a year on the card, you get 10k bonus miles and 10k MQMs. If you spend another $25,000 (ie total of $50,000), you will get an additional 10k bonus miles and 10k MQMs. For the Reserve version, when you spend $30,000, you will receive 15k bonus miles and 15k MQMs. Spend another $30,000 (ie total of $60,000 in a calendar year) and you will get another 15k bonus miles and 15k MQMs. Because you only need to get 25k MQMs to get silver elite membership, the Reserve Card allows you to achieve that just from card spending alone!

Which One? Gold, Platinum or Reserve - Due to the fact that the Platinum and Reserve cards reward higher spending with additional MQMs, it is clear that this Gold version is more suited to those who fly Delta with their families for vacation or for business but not enough to even come close to getting an elite status. This card will also suite folks who are not high spenders (ie in the $50k to $60k range).

What is card offers is the ability to get perks that are normally reserve for business class travelers or elite members. First free checked bags and Zone 1 priority boarding for up to 8 companions will be very useful when you fly economy class on Delta without being an elite member. The savings will add up if you travel with your family a couple of times a year.

If you fly Delta occasionally and are not a high spender, this card will certainly make your flight experience a little more pleasant.