Reader Question: “How Does the Priority Boarding and Free Checked Bag Perk From the AMEX Delta Cards Work?”

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Lots of readers are interested AMEX Delta cards.  Because Delta miles can be useful for getting away to great destinations, like the South Pacific & Europe!

But earning Delta miles isn’t the only benefit that comes with these cards.  Most of them also have useful perks like free checked bags and priority boarding!

You can get these perks with the:

• Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
• Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
• Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
• Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
• Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
• Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express

Million Mile Secrets reader Caramarie wanted to know how the checked bag benefits and priority boarding perk worked with the AMEX Delta Gold & Platinum cards.

Between the personal and business versions of the AMEX Gold , Reserve, and Platinum Delta credit cards, all offer priority boarding and your first checked bag free.

I’ll explain how these perks work.  And remind you of the other benefits of these cards.

How Does the Free Checked Bag Perk From the AMEX Delta Cards Work?

Folks with any of Platinum, Reserve, or Gold AMEX Delta cards will get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to 8 companions flying on the same reservation.  And you don’t actually need to pay for the ticket with an eligible AMEX Delta card to receive the benefit!

As long as your credit card account is open, in good standing, and you’ve added your Delta frequent flyer number to your reservation, it’s automatically applied.  And you won’t have to pay for your baggage and then wait for a statement credit.  You’ll get the free checked bag(s) at check-in!

That said, this perk only works on Delta & Delta Connection flights, NOT on Delta partner flights like Korean Air, KLM, or Air France.

This perk is also only available to the main cardholder, NOT authorized users.  It only applies to itineraries the account owner is traveling on.  And you won’t get the discount on over-weight or over-sized bags.  It’s only applied to the first normal sized checked bag per person (up to 9 people).

How Does Priority Boarding Benefit From the AMEX Delta Cards Work?

As with the free checked bag perk, most of the AMEX Delta cards also offer Zone 1 boarding for the cardholder and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation.

Zone 1 boarding is actually the fourth zone to board, but you’ll still be ahead of the vast majority of people.  And that translates to a less stressful boarding experience because you’ll likely have an easier time finding storage in the overhead bins.  And you’ll have more time to settle in without feeling rushed.

Again, you’ll need to make sure you add your Delta frequent flyer number to your reservation.  But you do NOT need to use your AMEX Delta card to take advantage of this benefit.  You can pay with any card you like!

That said, only those who are on the same itinerary as the cardholder will qualify for the priority boarding perk.

Bottom Line

Many AMEX Delta cards come with great perks like priority boarding & free checked bags for the cardholder and up to 8 companions traveling on the same reservation!

Thanks for the question, Caramarie!