The usual airline credit card upgrade comes with a predictable trade-off, where issuers add new perks while quietly raising annual fees in the same announcement.
Delta Air Lines and American Express just broke that pattern with a package of benefit improvements across the full SkyMiles co-branded credit card portfolio.
The changes include a free second checked bag on domestic flights, expanded rideshare credits, and broader companion certificate options, all effective immediately.
Annual fees across the full card lineup remain unchanged, a detail that sets this upgrade apart from the typical airline credit card refresh playbook.
For millions of existing SkyMiles cardholders, the new benefits change the financial equation heading into the summer travel season.
A free second checked bag arrives after Delta raised domestic luggage fees
Starting immediately, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve SkyMiles cardholders will receive a complimentary second checked bag on all domestic Delta-operated flights, Delta announced.
Both consumer and business versions of those three card tiers qualify for the upgrade, though the no-annual-fee Blue card does not receive the new benefit.
Over 30 years, Delta’s partnership with American Express has grown into one of the industry’s strongest because it’s grounded in what customers value
The benefit carries extra significance because Delta raised domestic checked bag fees for tickets booked on or after April 8 this year, CBS News reported.
First bag fees went from $35 to $45, while second bag fees rose from $45 to $55, Delta’s first domestic baggage increase in two years.
A cardholder checking two bags on a domestic round trip could now avoid up to $200 in luggage fees by holding an eligible SkyMiles card.
Roughly 63% of travelers spend more time deciding what to pack than planning their actual trips, the airline added.
The first bag waiver still extends to up to eight companions on the cardholder’s reservation, regardless of whether those travelers hold their own SkyMiles cards.
The new second bag perk, however, covers only companions who also carry an eligible Delta SkyMiles credit card, the airline confirmed in its announcement.
Gold cardholders gain a new $120 annual rideshare credit
Gold and Gold Business SkyMiles cardholders are gaining access to a rideshare credit previously available only on the more expensive Platinum and Reserve card tiers.
The two companies announced that after card renewal, those Gold-tier cardholders will receive up to $120 per year in rideshare credits through eligible U.S. providers such as Uber and Lyft.
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The credit is distributed as $10 in monthly statement credits on qualifying rideshare purchases, and cardholders must enroll through their American Express account to activate it.
New applicants must wait until their second year of card membership, after their first annual renewal, for the rideshare credit to become available.
That expansion narrows the gap between the $150 Gold annual fee and the $350 Platinum fee, giving travelers more incentive to hold the lower-cost card.
Companion certificates now cover Delta Vacations flight bookings
Platinum and Reserve cardholders also gained more flexibility with their annual companion certificates under the refreshed benefits package from Delta and American Express.
Those certificates can now be applied toward the eligible flight portion of a Delta Vacations package, expanding their usefulness beyond standard standalone ticket bookings.
Platinum cardholders receive a companion certificate covering a domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip in Delta Main cabin each year after their card renewal.
Reserve cardholders get a broader certificate that covers Delta First, Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Delta Main cabins on those same routes after annual renewal.
Government taxes and fees ranging from $22 to $250 still apply to companion certificate redemptions, and Delta Basic fares remain entirely excluded from the benefit.
Co-branded credit cards carry growing financial weight for Delta
The benefit upgrades arrive amid intense competition among airlines to attract and retain co-branded credit card holders across the United States travel market.
Delta’s partnership with American Express generated roughly $8.2 billion in revenue for the airline in 2024, Reuters reported.
That revenue stream helps explain why Delta can absorb the cost of waiving additional bag fees for millions of cardholders while still adding new perks.
United Airlines’ Chase co-branded cards already offer two complimentary checked bags on some tiers, a competitive position Thrifty Traveler noted as a reference point for Delta’s update.
Rising fuel costs drove airlines to raise bag fees across the domestic market this year, Drew Powers, founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek.
Delta positioned the new SkyMiles card benefits as an offset to those increased costs, with annual fees across the lineup remaining unchanged.
Key welcome bonuses for new SkyMiles applicants through July 15
New applicants approved by July 15 can earn elevated welcome bonuses through these limited-time promotional offers from the SkyMiles card lineup:
- Gold card: 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within the first six months, plus 20,000 additional bonus miles after $2,000 more in purchases.
- Platinum card: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first six months, plus 20,000 additional bonus miles after $2,000 more in purchases.
- Reserve card: 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 within the first six months, plus 25,000 additional bonus miles after $3,000 more in purchases.
Source: SkyMiles co-branded card benefits
To mark the milestone, all SkyMiles cards received refreshed designs, including a new Slate Grey option for the Reserve and Reserve Business card tiers.
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