Delta skymiles platinum amex card companion certificate

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The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Terms apply. See rates & fees) is a solid choice for frequent Delta travelers who want a leg up on earning Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) to qualify for elite status but who don’t prioritize a card with Delta SkyClub access. Those who can max out the complimentary Companion Certificate perk will come out ahead of the card’s $250 annual fee.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Welcome Bonus

Earn 80,000 bonus miles

Regular APR

18.74%-27.74% Variable

Credit Score

Excellent/Good

Pros

• Annual companion certificate for an eligible domestic flight
• Priority boarding and free checked bag when flying with Delta

Cons

• Booking fees for some tickets issued in Europe
• High standard APR
• Companion certificate is subject to taxes and fees

Highlights

• Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
• Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
• Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• $250 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Introduction

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is one of the premium choices among the Delta SkyMiles credit card options and offers significant value to frequent Delta Air Lines flyers seeking a boost to the next elite status level.

Cardholders earn 10,000 MQMs for every $25,000 you spend on purchases on your Platinum Card, up to two times in a calendar year. New cardholders can also get the following welcome bonus: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.
Each year you renew your card membership, you’ll receive a Delta Companion Certificate in your SkyMiles account—one of the best perks of this card. The certificate can be used to book a companion flight in Main Cabin on domestic round-trip flights for only the cost of taxes and fees.

Only Main Cabin flights in certain fare classes qualify for the companion ticket perk, which means you can’t fly in First Class, but you can still save a significant sum of money by booking two tickets for the price of one. To squeeze the most value out of this card, try to use the companion perk for a flight that costs at least $250.

At a Glance

• Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months
• Earn 3 miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2 miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases
• Companion Certificate each year you renew your card valid for a complimentary ticket for a plus one in Main Cabin when you pay taxes and fees
• Save 20% on in-flight Delta purchases when you pay with your card
• Check one bag for free for yourself and up to eight other passengers traveling on the same reservation when you fly with Delta
• Priority boarding on Delta in the Main Cabin 1 group
• Annual fee: $250

Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card Rewards

Earning Rewards

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex earns unlimited SkyMiles at the following rates: 3 miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2 miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.

The card comes with a welcome bonus: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Remember that American Express welcome bonus rules are quite strict. If you received a welcome bonus on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card before, you don’t qualify to receive another offer on this particular card.

Redeeming Rewards

Delta’s loyalty program isn’t the most user-friendly when it comes time to redeeming miles. SkyMiles no longer publishes award charts on its website. The dynamic pricing model makes it hard to find great value in the program by increasing redemption rates with demand.

One of the best opportunities to redeem SkyMiles is through SkyMiles Deals. You’ll find that redemption rates are lower than usual to particular destinations during these sales. In the past, we’ve seen sales to Australia, the Caribbean, Alaska and Hawaii.

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, so you can redeem SkyMiles to book award seats on itineraries operated by other SkyTeam members including Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air France,, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines and more.

Other less-valuable ways to use SkyMiles include Pay with Miles and enrolling in Delta Sky Club membership. These are not recommended because the value per mile is reduced to just 1 cent, which is below the value possible when redeeming for flights.

Rewards Potential

To determine the rewards potential of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card we have to look at the bonus categories and calculate what the typical American household might spend in those areas. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage earners bring in $107,908 annually and we base spending on that number.

Forbes Advisor calculates that the typical household spends $10,833 on restaurants and groceries, which adds up to 21,666 SkyMiles. Spending $3,040 on airfare would translate to 9,120 SkyMiles, and $18,199 on other purchases that could reasonably be charged to a credit card would earn 18,199 SkyMiles. This means that the card would earn a total of 48,985 points per year in addition to the welcome bonus earned during the first year only.

On top of the SkyMiles earned, the cardholder can benefit from an annual companion certificate for a Delta flight each year they renew their card. This assumes the certificate actually gets used because if it isn’t used it has no value at all.

Other Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card Benefits

• Free First Checked Bag: Check a bag for free for you and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation on a Delta flight and save $30 per bag, each way.
• Priority Boarding: The cardholder and up to eight additional travelers on the same reservation can board with the Main Cabin 1 group.
• Reduced Sky Club Entrance Fee: Access to Delta Sky Club lounges at reduced $39 per person rate when you have a same-day Delta or Delta partner boarding pass.
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Fee Credit: Receive a statement credit of up to $85 for TSA PreCheck or up to $100 for Global Entry.
• 20% Statement Credit on In-Flight Purchases: Receive 20% back on your statement when paying for in-flight snacks, drinks or entertainment with your card.

Fine Print

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 18.74%-27.74% Variable
• Purchase Intro APR: N/A
• Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual Fee: $250
• Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
• Cash Advance: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
• Foreign Purchase Transaction Fee: None

How The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card Stacks Up

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

The Platinum version of the Delta SkyMiles card isn’t quite as “premium” as the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Terms apply. See rates & fees), but it’s certainly a step-up from its other siblings.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is for those who prefer visiting Sky Clubs on their many trips with Delta Air Lines. The card offers Delta Sky Club access (membership is worth $545 annually as a comparison) to passengers looking for a more comfortable airport experience.

With a $550 annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card isn’t cheap, but it’s about what you’d pay for a comparable Sky Club membership alone. With the credit card, you also get the additional perks including checked bags and a Companion Certificate each year you renew your card good for eligible flights (good for a buy-one-get-one domestic flight in an eligible cabin when you pay taxes and fees).

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

Delta flyers don’t have to stick to co-branded Delta cards to be able to book award tickets. The American Express® Gold Card (Terms apply. See rates & fees) can do the trick as well. For a $250 annual fee, you’ll get access to Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred directly to about two dozen programs, including Delta SkyMiles and Air France-KLM Flying Blue. This way you still can book Delta flights using miles, except you have more options to do it.

In addition to transfer partners, the points earned with the Amex Gold Card can be used to book flights with any participating airline via the American Express Travel at a rate of 1 cent per point.

The American Express® Gold Card also offers dining credits to the foodies at heart: monthly $10 Uber Cash when you link your card to your Uber account (valid for rides and eats in the U.S.) and monthly $10 credits toward orders at places including The Cheesecake Factory, Grubhub, Seamless, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and at select Shake Shack locations once you enroll in the benefit. Using these credits to their full potential can help you make the most of the annual fee.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card vs. Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

If Delta isn’t the optimal carrier for your home airport, consider a different airline card, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. This card waives fees for the first checked bag on domestic flights (for up to five travelers on the same booking) and has no foreign transaction fees. After you spend $20,000 on the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Card in a year and renew for another year you’ll receive a $125 American Airlines flight discount—more than enough to warrant carrying the card if you’re a big spender.

There’s no boost on the path toward elite status, but the $99, waived for first 12 months annual fee is lower than what you’ll find with the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card.

Related: Best Credit Cards

Compare Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card With Other Credit Cards

Is The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card For You?

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card delivers some useful benefits for a regular Delta flyer. If you make use of the companion ticket perk, you can break even with the card’s annual fee. But if you’re seeking greater flexibility with your earnings, or you want even more elite perks, consider a different card.

To view rates and fees for Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please visit this page.

To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card, please visit this page.

To view rates and fees for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What credit score do you need for Delta SkyMiles Platinum?

Rather than requiring a specific credit score for card approvals, American Express instead looks at your creditworthiness as a whole. As a premium card, excellent credit is suggested. Factors that may be considered include your payment history, credit utilization rate, available assets, housing payments and other monthly liabilities and the number of American Express cards you’ve already opened.

How many MQMs are required for Delta Platinum?

You can earn Platinum Medallion status by earning 75,000 MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Miles) or 100 MQSs (Medallion Qualifying Segments) in a calendar year. You will also need to accrue $9,000 MQDs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars), though you are eligible for a waiver on this requirement if you spend $25,000 or more on an eligible Delta credit card during the calendar year.

What does the Delta Platinum card get you?

The two stand-out features on the Delta Platinum card are the ability to earn MQMs through spending on the card and the annual Companion Certificate. The credit card also includes benefits when flying Delta, such as free checked bags, priority boarding and more.

What are eligible purchases to earn Delta SkyMiles?

Nearly all purchases charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card will earn Delta SkyMiles. There are some exceptions for card fees, such as the annual fee or a late payment fee, which do not earn miles. Additionally, any purchases you later return are ineligible to earn miles.

How to upgrade the Delta Amex Gold to Platinum?

If you’re interested in upgrading a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card to the Delta Platinum card, you can call the number on the back of your card to inquire about processing the upgrade. If approved, you’ll be responsible for the increased annual fee immediately but will also be eligible for new card benefits immediately. In some cases, you may even receive bonus miles for upgrading your card—but these are usually targeted, limited-time offers.

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