How to Get a Free Checked Bag with a Delta SkyMiles® American Express® Card

For more than a decade now, baggage fees have become somewhat of a nuisance for travelers. Most airlines charge a fee for passengers checking their luggage, and that amount can grow rather significantly in conjunction with the size of your travel party and number of bags checked.

But through its partnership with Delta Airlines, American Express offers a way for Card Members to save money by getting the first checked bag for free. Hint: You’ll need an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card.

For Delta passengers with main cabin tickets on a domestic flight, the first checked bag typically costs $30 and the second bag costs $40, one way.¹ This means you can expect to add $60 to your fare’s base price for a round-trip ticket in the U.S. For two bags, that’s $140 round trip. Note that although $30 is the common cost, Delta baggage fees can vary both by route and fare class.

Overweight and oversized bags will be subject to additional charges. For example, the weight allowance for standard Delta baggage fees is 50 pounds.² Fees for exceeding the weight limit can range from $100–$200 depending on weight, and bags exceeding 100 pounds are not permitted. Bags measuring 63”–80” in linear inches (the sum total of your bag’s length, width, and height) are considered oversized and are subject to a $200 fee. Anything larger than 80 linear inches is not permitted. And remember: If the bag is both overweight and oversized, you’ll incur both an overweight and oversized fee.

It’s possible to get the first checked bag for free on a Delta flight if you use an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card, including:

• The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card³
• The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card⁴
• The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card⁵

Note that additional American Express Business Cards offer a free checked bag on the airline.

To receive the benefit, you must use your eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Card when booking your flight on Delta Airlines. The reservation must also include the Card Member’s Delta SkyMiles number to receive the baggage fee waiver for the first checked bag.

Baggage fees will then be waived at check-in for those on the reservation. Just make sure those bags aren’t overweight or oversized, as they won’t be eligible for the benefit. If you check a second bag, you’ll have to pay the second-bag fee – normally $40 for main cabin domestic flights, as mentioned above.

For even greater savings, remember that the first checked bag free benefit also extends to as many as eight additional travel companions, provided they’re all listed on the reservation made by the Card Member. If you’re traveling as a family on vacation, that’s one free checked bag for everyone. For example, at $30 for each passenger’s first bag, a family of four could save $240 in roundtrip baggage fees. If your group reaches the benefit’s maximum number of nine travelers, that’s $540 in roundtrip savings. Both sets of savings are considerable, and that money can be allocated elsewhere on your trip.