Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express card review: Full details

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a good choice for Delta loyalists who need a little help reaching their elite status goals. This card offers valuable perks, including a domestic companion certificate each year after renewing your card, priority boarding and your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card is one of the best credit cards for Delta travelers. It offers attractive perks for Delta loyalists in exchange for a $350 annual fee (see rates and fees), including an annual companion certificate (Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean or Central American round-trip flights each year after your card is renewed), solid earning rates and other perks.

The recommended credit score for this card is at least 670.

The Delta Platinum Amex is a good fit if you’re chasing Delta Medallion elite status thanks to its earning structure for Medallion Qualification Dollars.

Let’s dig deeper into the Delta Platinum Amex to determine whether it’s the right card for your wallet.

Delta Platinum Amex pros and cons

Delta Platinum Amex welcome offer

For a limited time, the Delta Platinum Amex currently offers new cardmembers 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Oct. 23.

Based on TPG’s September 2024 valuations of Delta miles at 1.2 cents each, this bonus is worth $1,080. This is very close to the best welcome offer we have seen on this card.

However, you likely won’t be eligible for this welcome offer if you have the Delta Amex Platinum or have had it before. Amex may also consider the number of American Express cards you’ve opened and closed and other factors when deciding whether you’re eligible to earn the welcome offer.

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Luckily, Amex will notify you if you aren’t eligible for a welcome offer, displaying a message soon after submitting your application. So, don’t ignore any messages or warnings that appear after you hit submit.

Delta Platinum Amex benefits

The Delta Platinum Amex offers many perks for Delta flyers; let’s take a closer look at all of the card’s perks and benefits. Enrollment is required for select benefits, and terms apply.

Elite status perks

Delta has overhauled how its credit cards help cardmembers earn elite status with one metric: Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). Delta Platinum Amex cardmembers earn 1 MQD for every $20 spent with no limit on how many MQDs can be earned through credit card spending.

They also receive an MQD boost of 2,500 MQDs each year.

Annual companion certificate

The other primary benefit offered by the Delta Platinum Amex is an annual companion certificate. You’ll receive this perk each year after your account renewal.

The Delta companion certificate is valid for round-trip, main cabin domestic travel booked in fare classes L, U, T, X or V. All you’ll need to pay for the companion ticket is taxes and fees. Note that this excludes the carrier’s basic economy tickets (which are booked into E fare class) and most higher-priced economy classes.

This certificate covers travel to all 50 U.S. states (including Hawaii and Alaska), Central America and the Caribbean.

If you use this certificate for expensive flights, you can easily cover most (or all) of the card’s annual fee.

Other travel perks

The Delta Platinum Amex also offers several other benefits you may find helpful, including:

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

Fortunately, Delta ties benefits such as the checked baggage allowance and priority boarding to your Delta SkyMiles account. So, you don’t need to book flights with your Delta Platinum Amex to get access to these perks.

Additionally, cardmembers who are not SkyMiles Medallion Members are eligible to receive complimentary upgrades for Delta One (within the U.S.), first class and Delta Comfort+ after Medallion Members and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card cardmembers.

*Enrollment in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required; terms apply

Related: 4 reasons why the Amex Platinum might be the ideal credit card for Delta flyers

Earning miles on the Delta Platinum Amex

You’ll earn Delta SkyMiles when you make eligible purchases with the Delta Platinum Amex. In particular, you’ll earn Delta miles with your card as follows:

• 3 miles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels
• 2 miles per dollar on purchases made at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets
• 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases

Since TPG’s September 2024 valuations peg Delta SkyMiles miles at 1.2 cents each, you’ll get an effective return of roughly 3.6% on purchases with Delta and at hotels, 2.4% on purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and 1.2% on other purchases.

Though a loyal Delta traveler may enjoy earning bonus SkyMiles on these purchases, none of these returns are close to the best you can do in these categories.

Related: 9 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for

Redeeming miles on the Delta Platinum Amex

Delta’s SkyMiles program doesn’t have the best reputation among points and miles buffs. After all, Delta has devalued its miles many times over the years. And Delta doesn’t publish an official award chart, meaning award costs can skyrocket overnight.

Despite that, there are still some great ways to get value from the Delta SkyMiles program.

For example, Delta has frequent flash sales. In the past, we’ve seen deals like domestic awards from 2,000 SkyMiles one-way, awards to Alaska for as little as 5,000 SkyMiles round-trip, transcontinental awards from 10,000 SkyMiles round-trip and flights to Europe from 16,000 SkyMiles round-trip.

Consider snagging some great sweet spots when using SkyMiles to fly Delta partner airlines. This includes awards on SkyTeam partners such as Air France and Korean Air, but the program also has some nonalliance partners.

Just note that some partner awards don’t show on Delta’s website, including awards on Air Europa, Air Tahiti Nui, Czech Airlines and Kenya Airways. As a result, you’ll want to use ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures) or another SkyTeam website like Flying Blue to find availability before calling to book awards on these partners.

TPG managing editor of news Clint Henderson recently redeemed just over 73,000 SkyMiles for a flight from Mexico City to Brisbane, Australia. With this redemption, Clint was able to secure a Delta One seat from his connection in Los Angeles to Brisbane.

Related: How to earn and maximize Delta SkyMiles

Which cards compete with the Delta Platinum Amex?

If you are interested in the Delta Platinum Amex because you fly (or plan to fly) Delta frequently, you may also be interested in these options.

For additional options, check out our full lists of the best airline credit cards and best American Express credit cards.

Related: Delta Gold Amex vs. Delta Platinum Amex

Bottom line

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card can be a great addition to your wallet if Delta is your carrier of choice. Its annual fee may seem high compared to the lower-annual-fee Delta Gold Amex, but you get useful benefits in return, like the annual companion certificate that can provide significant value.

However, having the card may be hard to justify if you don’t fly Delta often enough to maximize this card’s benefits.

Remember that to maximize your overall travel earning strategy, you’ll likely want to pair the Delta Platinum with other cards offering higher bonus spending categories.

Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

Related: How to choose an airline credit card

For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Amex, click here.