You know that quiet frustration when you have to do mental arithmetic at an airport check-in counter to calculate the bag charges? An easy family affair within the city can instantly turn into $100+ to check a couple of suitcases. This calculation may change at least for Delta passengers.

American Express is in the works to improve an important perquisite on its Delta co-brand credit cards, reports the respected aviation industry news and information blog, JonNYC. Domestic fares eligible Delta Amex cardholders will be getting two complimentary checked bags, rather than just one, starting June 4th. If it happens as planned, it's a big step forward for the average user of a credit card and a smart strategy in a competitive credit card industry.

This is an actual savings category

But let's talk numbers, because these savings are real. Currently, Delta is offering their first checked bag at $45 one way, and their second checked bag at $55 one way. That translates to $100 for bag one and $110 for bag two, or a cardholder who uses two bags could save up to $210 each round trip. Family of 4? Math comes real quick.

If you're a Delta SkyMiles Silver Medallion member (or even a Gold) with a Delta Amex co-brand card, you already get 2 free checked bags. Platinum/Diamond members receive 3. The second bag thing could really be a welcomed improvement for travelers who aren't on the Medallion path yet.

This paper compares the Delta plan to the competition

This wouldn't be taking place in isolation. With the checked bag benefit space becoming even more crowded, it looks like Delta is playing the smart game to remain competitive.

Other big carriers' status quo:

• United Quest Card Primary cardmember and 1 companion receive 1st and 2nd bag FREE on qualifying United fares (card must be presented for fare purchase).
• Similar to the two-bag benefit for cardmembers on Chase United Club Cards.
• Two Free Checked Bags for Main Cardholder with Frontier Airlines World MasterCard.
• Co-branded cards Usually one free checked bag on qualifying journeys.

The scale of Delta's potential move is what makes it noteworthy. The two-bag perks are only available on its top-tier cards and are not available on its widely-held Explorer card. If Delta is able to do this on its entire Gold card product and beyond, it would be the first major network carrier to do so to a broad base of regular cardholders not just the top-tier premium products.

‍

The Southwest Factor

There's a time of this and the other, as with Southwest Airlines. For years, Southwest's bags fly free policy was a true differentiator: Two bags free for every passenger with no card required. That's all changing now, and Southwest is not completely phasing out that advantage even on its own credit card holders.

It's ironic that Delta is doing the opposite of pull-back, expanding bag benefits. Southwest has been closing down its operations in Atlanta as well, which makes it less of a necessity for them to make a competitive move, but the short-term numbers are still on Delta's side.

It's Really About Card Acquisition

The larger issue here is that it's nothing to do with stealing customers away from United or Southwest, it's more about Delta's own loyal flyers becoming Delta Amex cardholders. In 2025, Delta is the top performer on the airline-bank partnership front, with $8.2 billion in co-brand revenue, the highest of any U.S. airline.

However, it's not a simple task to maintain the momentum when you've already made a serious effort to attract customers from your own SkyMiles membership. For this reason, Delta has been expanding its ecosystem by offering free Wi-Fi for Delta customers in-flight, having a Starbucks relationship and Uber deal, among others to provide new points of entry to the customer's marketing funnel.

The sales pitch becomes concrete and tangible with a second free bag, which is a benefit up to $110 round trip for Delta. The math is interesting in so many ways, particularly for families, where "bonus miles" isn't always.

The other thing to keep in mind is that Delta has played around with cardholders in the past. It actually tried to do a big overhaul on its SkyMiles program about two and a half years ago that would have meant people would have had to spend a lot of money on their card in order to become eligible for significant status. There was a strong and swift backlash, and Delta has taken note and walked back. The lesson that was learnt was that one can win over cardholders, but also push them away.

The Bottom Line 

It's important to keep in mind how we came this way. On May 21st, 2008, American Airlines unveiled the first major legacy-carrier checked bag fee, $15 for the first bag (from June 15th of that year). Spirit Airlines had quietly rolled out the concept the year before. The remainder of the industry followed suit with swiftly.

Credit card answer was immediate. Following Continental's own debut of a $15 first-bag fee in September 2008, Chase's Continental Airlines card will be the first to waive the new charge. Most travelers didn't pay a bag fee for the first time until the waiver came around.

It began as a compensation for a new aggravation, but has grown over the last almost 20 years to be a major selling point of the airline credit card. It would be the next chapter (and the most charitable one) in that tale if Delta extended it a second bag.