Atlanta, June 7, 2026, 11:03 EDT
Delta Air Lines and American Express added a free second checked bag for holders of Delta’s Gold, Platinum and Reserve SkyMiles cards, giving cardholders a break on baggage fees while annual card fees stay the same. Delta said the new perk covers eligible consumer and business SkyMiles cards on Delta-operated domestic flights.
Bag fees are now a bigger slice of U.S. airfare. Delta bumped up most checked-bag prices in April, charging $45 for a first bag and $55 for a second on domestic and some short international flights. United Airlines and JetBlue also raised their fees during the same stretch.
Delta cardholders now get a new second-bag waiver on a round-trip domestic flight, which can knock $110 off checked-bag fees—before factoring in any miles, perks, or statement credits. That’s the basic benefit: money you don’t pay at the airport or online.
Delta and American Express co-market these credit cards, all linked to the SkyMiles program. According to NerdWallet, the Delta SkyMiles Gold card offers the first checked bag free for the holder and up to eight travelers on the same booking. A new perk for a free second checked bag now applies to the cardholder on Delta domestic flights.
Delta said Gold and Gold Business SkyMiles cards now give up to $120 a year in rideshare statement credits after the card is renewed. These credits go back on the card bill. Platinum and Reserve holders can now apply companion certificates to the flight part of a Delta Vacations package.
New applicants who get approved by July 15 can qualify for higher temporary bonuses. Forbes Advisor said the Delta SkyMiles Gold card is offering up to 90,000 miles, Platinum has a 100,000-mile offer, and Reserve is at 125,000 miles. Business cards show offers between 90,000 and 125,000 miles after meeting spend requirements in the first six months.
Annual fees are unchanged at $150 for Gold, $350 for Platinum, and $650 for Reserve after year one, NerdWallet and Forbes Advisor report. So it’s bigger sign-up bonuses and bag waivers, not fee cuts, that are making the difference.
Delta is pitching the change as part of its American Express partnership. Dwight James, Delta’s senior vice president for customer engagement and loyalty and CEO of Delta Vacations, said the two will keep changing the card experience to make travel easier. Jon Gantman, American Express’s executive vice president for co-brand products and new product development, said the new perks come “without increasing annual fees.” Delta News Hub
Delta cards aren’t the only ones in the mix. Kiplinger’s June 5 travel-card roundup notes the JetBlue Plus card gives the cardholder and up to three others a free checked bag. Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Priority card covers the cardholder and up to eight companions. United’s cards are in the bag-waiver game too, but the bag allowance varies by product.
Delta’s push to consumers is backed by a big revenue stream. In March, Reuters said Delta got $8.2 billion in cash from American Express in 2025. That was about 14% of its adjusted operating revenue and about 1.4 times its adjusted operating income. U.S. airlines are turning more to co-branded card partnerships.
But the value isn’t a given. Travelers need to actually redeem the credits, hit the spending minimums without piling up high-interest debt, and secure award seats that don’t cost too many miles. David Robertson of the Nilson Report told Reuters that if using miles becomes too difficult, some people could just walk away from airline cards. John Breyault at the National Consumers League was blunter, calling the modern airline “a gigantic rewards program” that also happens to fly planes. Reuters
Delta and American Express shares were idle Sunday as the U.S. markets stayed shut. Delta closed Friday at $79.42. American Express finished the session at $310.66.
