Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card review: A mid-tier card with a valuable companion certificate

Our take: The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a useful card for those who fly Delta regularly enough to justify the $350 annual fee and want perks including a companion certificate, free checked bags, and a Delta stays hotel credit, but aren’t ready to shell out for the ultra-premium Delta SkyMiles Reserve.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Overview

Card type: Airline, Travel

For frequent Delta Air Lines travelers looking to beef up their SkyMiles balance, the Delta Platinum American Express card comes with a meaty suite of benefits and a savory rewards program. Earn bonus miles on all Delta purchases along with groceries and restaurants, score a discount when it comes time to redeem your miles, even fly with a friend or loved one for free.

The companion certificate that comes with the card is good for travel in Main Cabin anywhere Delta flies in the U.S. — as well to the Caribbean and Central America too — so the chances of you being able to take that dream vacation with your loved one just got that much easier.

While the Sky Club lounge benefit on this card went away as of Dec. 31, 2023, there are plenty of other benefits that still make this card worth a second glance. Cardholders are entitled to a 15% discount off the mileage portion of an Award Ticket called the “TakeOff 15” benefit, on all Delta-operated flights. You’ll also receive a credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, get a free first checked bag on all Delta flights, and be protected if your luggage gets damaged, stolen, or lost in transit.

The card also provides several credits that travelers and foodies may find value in:

• Up to $150 Delta Stays Credit for prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked via Delta Stays on delta.com.
• Up to $120 Resy Credit ($10 per month) for eligible restaurant dining. 
• Up to $120 Rideshare Credit ($10 per month) on eligible rideshare purchases, enrollment required.

Also, if you’re seeking Medallion Status with Delta, you’ll appreciate this card’s MQD Headstart and MQD Boost features. The former perk provides $2,500 MQDs per year while the latter lets cardholders earn $1 MQD for every $20 spent on purchases using this card.

Medallion Status tiers are as follows:

• Silver at $5,000 MQDs.
• Gold at $10,000 MQDs.
• Platinum at $15,000 MQDs.
• Diamond at $28,000 MQDs.

Delta Platinum cardholders who frequently rely on rental cars in their travels will appreciate that the card provides complimentary Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required).

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card see this page

Who is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card good for? 

If you live in or near one of Delta’s many hubs, such as Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis, Detroit, or Salt Lake City, chances are you’re going to be flying on Delta. This card is great for frequent Delta flyers who can take advantage of benefits such as a free checked bag and the annual companion certificate. 

The $350 annual fee might be off-putting to more casual travelers, but if you fly at least once a year with a friend or family member, the companion pass can easily help you recoup what you pay to carry the card.

Who shouldn’t get the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card? 

If you’re an infrequent Delta flyer and don’t see yourself using this card on the regular, perhaps a different option would be better suited to your spending and travel habits. And, since the Delta Platinum recently lost access to the airline’s famed Delta Sky Clubs, paying $350 for a card with no lounge access will be a tough pill for many folks to swallow. 

For the very frequent Delta traveler, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers top-of-the-line luxury perks, including Sky Club access. However, it also charges a top-of-the-line annual fee of $650 in exchange for its premium benefits.

Travelers seeking more flexibility for a similar annual fee to the Delta Platinum might prefer the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. For a slightly higher cost of $395, cardholders get perks including a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (enrollment required), a $300 back annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel, and rewards that transfer to numerous airline and hotel partners.

Pro tip: Many cards give out credits in monthly or other increments. Make sure to make a note in your calendar so you don’t lose out on free money.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: How to earn SkyMiles

The Delta Platinum earns elevated miles in four bonus categories. You’ll earn a generous 3 miles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta, whether those purchases are seat upgrades, tickets, baggage fees, or more. You’ll also earn 3 miles per dollar at hotels, 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, and 1 mile per dollar of eligible purchases.

As a welcome bonus to new card applicants, you can earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.

We mention new applicants because you may not be eligible if you’ve had this card or the Delta SkyMiles reserve in the past. If you’re concerned you might not be eligible for the card’s welcome, you can give American Express a call to find out before you apply. You should also receive an alert during the online application process if you’re not eligible and should have the option to exit the application process at that point.

How to redeem SkyMiles 

While it may seem obvious, the easiest way to use your miles is on Delta flights. They don’t make it easy though, since just like the majority of U.S. airlines, Delta no longer publishes an award chart. Instead, the airline uses something called “dynamic pricing.” That means that your flight could have a variety of prices, based not only on where you’re going but when you’re booking, ranging from a few thousand to multiple hundreds of thousands of miles for a flight.

Delta does have a wide range of partners thanks to their membership in the SkyTeam alliance, meaning you could redeem your flights for their partner flights on Air France, KLM, and Aeromexico as examples. These rates have more of a fixed schedule of mileage, but you still won’t find a chart. Some great values are for flights between non-U.S. destinations. Consider using your SkyMiles from Europe to the Middle East or between European cities. You might even find value from Europe to Asia.

Lastly, Delta runs frequent sales through their SkyMiles deals page. Round-trip tickets can be had for as few as 7,000 miles plus taxes and fees. While these are usually for shorter routes, Delta often publishes sales to Mexico, Europe, South America and beyond.

While you can redeem your miles for things like seat selection and premium drinks, your miles are probably better spent on actual flights. With that said, if you don’t have enough miles for a free flight and they’re burning a hole in your proverbial pocket, have a drink on Delta!

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card rates and fees

• Annual fee: $350.
• Foreign transaction fee: None.
• Intro APR: None.
• Purchase APR: 20.99%–29.99% variable.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card see this page

Additional benefits

• Annual companion certificate after card renewal. The cardholder is responsible for taxes and fees of no more than $80 on round-trip domestic flights and no more than $250 when flying internationally.
• A 15% discount off the mileage portion of an Award Ticket called the “TakeOff 15” benefit.
• First checked bag free.
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit.
• Cell phone protection of up to $800.
• 20% back on in-flight Delta purchases of food and beverages.

Credit cards similar to the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the little brother to the Delta Platinum card in terms of earning and card benefits. It might make sense to snag this card instead if you’re looking for some baseline benefits with Delta without the hefty annual fee.

You’ll get a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. The Delta Gold’s rewards program is similar to the Delta Platinum card’s but not quite as generous: 2X miles on Delta purchases, 2X miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. , 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets and 1X mile on all other eligible purchases.

Your first checked bag is still free with the Delta Gold, you’ll still enjoy insurance for lost, damaged or stolen baggage and you’ll even get the TakeOff15 discount on award tickets, but you’ll lose the coveted companion pass. If you’re planning to travel with a companion then look toward the Platinum, but otherwise the Gold card might be a perfectly viable option for you.

Plus, the Delta Gold offers $100 in statement credits per calendar year for Delta Stays prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking , as well as a $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card see this page

American Express® Gold Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

If you like earning elevated rewards on dining and groceries, and you want more flexibility from your rewards than being tied to one airline, the American Express® Gold Card might be right for you. The name might sound similar, but it’s very different from the Delta SkyMiles Gold mentioned above. With the Amex Gold, you earn flexible American Express Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to nearly two dozen airline and hotel partners.

Importantly, Delta SkyMiles is one of the partners, and points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Delta.

Amex Gold cardholders earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x), and 3x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. The welcome bonus is 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

What you’ll lose is the free first checked bag waiver on Delta flights, but if you’re a member of #TeamCarryOn, this might be a moot point. Add in up to $120 a year in Uber Cash ($10 each month) and up to $120 a year in credits for eligible dining ($10 each month) and the $250 annual fee loses much of its sting.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card see this page

Is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card right for you?

Chances are that if you’re on the fence about this card, then you might not be enough of a Delta flyer to get value from the card. If you live in or near a Delta hub, want to fly for free with a companion, and check bags often, then this card is a no-brainer. But if you’re more of a free agent, often travel alone or don’t check bags, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card a good card? 

This card is great for Delta loyalists who travel with a companion and are OK forgoing Delta Sky Club access. However, those who aren’t loyal to the airline or who travel solo are likely to balk at the $350 annual fee.

How do I use the TakeOff15 award discount?

There’s nothing special you need to do in order to activate your TakeOff 15 discount. The discount will apply automatically when you use your miles to book travel. Simply head to the Delta website or use the Delta app to book flights and you’ll see the original price and your price as a cardholder. The discount only works for flight marketed and operated by Delta and not their partners.

Is Delta elite status worth it?

While you won’t earn elite status simply by holding this card, you can earn MQDs toward your elite status. Many of the benefits of elite status, such as priority boarding and free checked bags, are a perk of this card. If those are the most important parts of having elite status, then you can get the card and enjoy some of the fringe benefits of having elite status.

How do I use the Delta companion certificate?

Once you get the companion pass it will be automatically loaded into your “credits and certificates” section of your SkyMiles account online. Once logged in, choose the certificate you want to use and Delta will take you to a special page to book your ticket. 

Note that the companion fare works for two passengers heading to the same destination from the same origin, on the same dates. You can’t have different cities or dates if you’re traveling with a friend. Also, some blackout dates apply, so make sure to have some flexibility in your dates for the best chances of success.

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Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying. 

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.