The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes packed with Delta-specific perks like priority boarding, a free checked bag, and discounts on award flights. The card's annual companion certificate and ability to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars through spending make it worthwhile for those chasing Delta elite status.
- You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles and a $300 Statement Credit after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply to find out your offer. Terms Apply. Offer ends 11/04/2026.
- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Purchases and Hotel Stays
- 2X SkyMiles at U.S. Supermarkets and at Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $350 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
Welcome Bonus
The Delta Platinum Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles and a $300 Statement Credit after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply to find out your offer. Terms Apply. Offer ends 11/04/2026.
Earning SkyMiles
The Delta Platinum Amex earns:
- 3 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta and at hotels;
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets; and
- 1 SkyMile per dollar on other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The Delta Platinum Amex has an annual fee of $350 (rates & fees).
Card Benefits
The Delta Platinum Amex offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
First and Second Free Checked Bag: Check your first bag free on Delta flights worldwide, and get your second bag free when flying domestically. The first-bag benefit extends to up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. Given Delta’s standard checked bag fee of $35 each way, this perk can lead to substantial savings over time. The waiver applies to bags weighing 50 lbs or less and within Delta’s standard size limits—any overweight or oversized bags will still incur applicable fees.
Priority Boarding: This Delta card grants you and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation the privilege of boarding in Zone 5 ahead of most Main Cabin passengers. This benefit ensures ample overhead bin space for your carry-on bags and provides time to settle in before the flight.
Companion Certificate: Receive a Companion Certificate on a Delta Main round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments)
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: When using your Delta American Express Card for eligible inflight purchases like food, beverages, and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights, you’ll receive a 20% savings as a statement credit. This discount applies to purchases made by primary cardholders and authorized users on domestic and international flights. However, it doesn’t cover inflight Wi-Fi.
15% Award Discount: One of the more unique perks of Delta credit cards is the TakeOff 15 benefit, which offers a 15% discount on award travel booked on Delta.com when signed into your account associated with your card. This discount applies to the SkyMiles required for an award ticket, not the dollar amount of government-imposed taxes and fees. While limited to Delta-operated flights (not partner airlines), this discount can help your miles go further, especially on more expensive routes or last-minute bookings.
Pay with SkyMiles: Delta SkyMiles credit cards unlock the ability to ability to “Pay with Miles” allowing cardmembers to pay for flights with SkyMiles at a rate of 1.0 cents per mile (in increments of 5,000 miles per $50).
Complimentary Upgrades: Cardmembers with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
$150 Annual Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $150 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta Platinum Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com/stays.
$120 Resy Credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card for eligible purchases.
$120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, and Alto. Enrollment Required.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck® Credit: This card offers a credit for TSA PreCheck (expedited airport security) or Global Entry (expedited airport security and customs).
Hertz 5-Star Status: Receive Hertz 5-Star elite status upon enrollment, which offers benefits such as a 25% points bonus, free additional driver for spouse, and upgrades or the ability to choose a car from the Five Star Aisle at Ultimate Choice Locations.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Redeeming SkyMiles
Delta SkyMiles offers a variety of ways to redeem your hard-earned miles for travel. One of the most straightforward options is booking Delta-operated flights, where award pricing is dynamic. This means flexibility in your travel dates can often lead to better value. Keep an eye out for SkyMiles deals, which can offer significant savings on specific routes.
For international travel, Delta's extensive partner network opens up a world of possibilities. As a member of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta allows you to redeem miles on 18 partner airlines, including Air France, KLM, and Korean Air. Additionally, non-alliance partners like WestJet provide more options, especially for travel to Canada.
Partner awards often provide better value than Delta-operated flights, particularly for premium cabin travel. For example, business class flights from the U.S. to Mexico or within Asia can be excellent uses of SkyMiles. However, it's important to note that partner award availability can be limited, so booking in advance is recommended.
Another option is using miles for upgrades on Delta and select partner flights. While this typically provides lower value than booking award flights outright, it can be a good choice if you have a surplus of miles.
Delta Vacations presents another redemption opportunity, often yielding at least 1.15 cents per mile in value. This can be particularly appealing for package deals including flights and luxury hotel stays.
Remember, award prices can change without notice, so it's always wise to book when you find a good deal. With some strategic planning, Delta SkyMiles can be a valuable currency for your travel needs.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Annual Companion Certificate: One round-trip with a partner within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America is the benefit that carries this card, and it recurs every year the account renews. You pay government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 on itineraries of up to four segments, which is a fraction of what a second ticket would cost.
- Checked Bags for the Whole Reservation: The first-bag waiver covers you plus up to eight travel companions on the same booking, and it triggers off your SkyMiles number rather than the form of payment. For a family flying Delta round-trip, that is a checked-bag fee avoided for every passenger on the booking, without anyone needing their own card.
- A Real Path to Medallion Status Without Extra Flying: The $2,500 MQD Headstart puts you halfway to Silver before you board anything, and the uncapped MQD Boost adds $1 more for every $20 you spend. For someone close to a tier but short on flights, that is the closest thing to spending your way into status.
- TakeOff 15 Discounts Every Award You Book: Every eligible award booking, all year long, comes off at least 15% cheaper on the mileage side, with no spend trigger and no enrollment step. Book two or three awards a year and the savings add up without any effort on your part.
- Statement Credits Across Travel and Everyday Spend: Delta Stays, Resy, rideshare, and the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit span travel and everyday life rather than sitting in one narrow bucket. Two of them arrive monthly, which spreads the value across the year instead of concentrating it in a single booking.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: Cards that charge a foreign transaction fee skim a percentage off every purchase you make abroad, and this one charges none. That pairs directly with the companion certificate, whose eligible destinations run to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America.
Cons
- No Lounge Access of Any Kind: This card carries no Sky Club access at all, not a reduced allotment and not a paid-entry discount. If lounge access is what you want from a Delta card, the Reserve is the only rung of the lineup that provides it.
- Dynamic Award Pricing With No Published Chart: Delta prices awards against cash fares rather than a fixed table, so what your miles are worth moves with route and demand instead of holding steady. Domestic economy prices competitively, while long-haul premium cabins routinely do not.
- Credits You Have to Enroll In and Use Monthly: The Resy and rideshare credits pay nothing until you enroll through your American Express account, and both are monthly use-it-or-lose-it with no carry-forward. All three recurring credits reset on January 1 rather than on your card anniversary, so a mid-year approval gets a compressed first run at them.
- Restrictions on the Two Headline Perks: TakeOff 15 cannot be combined with the companion certificate, eCredits, vouchers or Pay With Miles, so the card’s two biggest perks can never ride on the same trip. The certificate itself is limited to Delta Main in five fare classes, excludes Delta Main Basic, and requires both passengers on one booking, with stays of 3 to 30 nights.
Is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card Worth It?
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is worth it if you fly Delta round-trip with a companion at least once a year. It’s also worth it if you’re close enough to a Medallion tier that a $2,500 head start and an uncapped spending boost genuinely change your outcome.
Meet either test, and I think the annual bundle clears the fee without much effort. If neither test lands, the answer is that it doesn’t clear: someone who doesn’t check bags, doesn’t travel with a partner, and isn’t chasing status is paying for a certificate they won’t redeem and credits they won’t remember to use.
If you’re based in a Delta hub city such as Atlanta or Minneapolis, you get more out of the card, since award availability is stronger where the airline concentrates its flying. Two things still weigh against it: no lounge access at all, and SkyMiles that price dynamically, converting less predictably than a chart-based program does.
MQD Headstart dollars can be rescinded if you cancel or downgrade within 60 days of the deposit or your renewal date. Downgrading to the Gold keeps the checked bags, Zone 5 boarding, and TakeOff 15, but gives up the companion certificate and the MQD Headstart entirely.
So the question that actually decides this one is simple. Does your next 12 months include a Delta round-trip with someone else in the seat beside you?
- You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles and a $300 Statement Credit after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply to find out your offer. Terms Apply. Offer ends 11/04/2026.
- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Purchases and Hotel Stays
- 2X SkyMiles at U.S. Supermarkets and at Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $350 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
