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3. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Image: Image of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

27 reviews from Intuit Credit Karma members

4.3

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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Great for flying with friends or family

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Annual fee: $250

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Member stats

Updated: November 1, 2023

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31.4%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

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43 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

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$98,993

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.

Card highlights

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Annual companion certificate could justify card membership on its own

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Free checked bag for airport savings

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In-flight discounts for food and drinks

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card review: One terrific benefit, but other perks vary

Updated November 7, 2023

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Written by: Tim Devaney

Pros

• Annual companion certificate could justify card membership on its own
• Priority boarding helps you beat the crowd
• Free checked bag for airport savings
• In-flight discounts for food and drinks

Cons

• High annual fee won’t be right for everyone
• No complimentary Delta Sky Club access
• Difficult to earn Delta’s airline status
• In-flight discounts don’t cover internet

5 things to know about the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Benefits outweigh the annual fee

Total Benefit Value: $951

Ease of Use: Moderate

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card has an estimated Total Benefit Value of $951 as of May 2022, based on Credit Karma’s calculation.

The Total Benefit Value measures how much a premium rewards card could be worth if you use each benefit once. We found the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card pays for itself with an extremely valuable companion certificate and other airline perks that are worth nearly four times as much as the $250 annual fee.

The companion certificate could cover the annual fee by itself

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes with a hefty $250 annual fee, which might scare off some travelers.

But we think it’s likely to be worth every penny for Delta loyalists who tend not to travel alone.

That’s because cardholders receive a companion certificate each year after their account anniversary. This benefit allows you to bring a friend or family member along on roundtrip main cabin tickets on domestic flights once a year for no more than $80 in taxes and fees.

The value you get from the companion certificate depends on the cost of the flight, but it’s certainly possible to find a ticket that costs more than $330 to make this perk worthwhile. That expense is the most you’d pay for the annual fee, plus the taxes and fees on your companion’s flight.

Just keep in mind that the annual companion certificate doesn’t kick in until after your account anniversary, so you won’t be able to use one during your first year with the card.

A good welcome bonus

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card offers a current welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of opening the account.

Beyond the welcome bonus, you’ll earn ...

• 3 miles for every $1 you spend on eligible purchases charged directly with Delta
• 3 miles for every $1 you spend directly with hotels
• 2 miles for every $1 you spend at restaurants around the world, as well as U.S. takeout and delivery
• 2 miles for every $1 spent at U.S. supermarkets
• 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

Those earning rates are better than what you get from some other airline-specific cards, but don’t compare favorably to what you’ll get from several popular travel cards with more flexibility.

A mixed bag of airline perks

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card offers cardholders a few perks on Delta flights.

• A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100
• First checked bag free for up to nine travelers on the same reservation
• Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding for up to nine travelers on the same reservation
• In-flight savings of 20% in the form of a statement credit for food, drinks and audio headsets

But it’s also missing some other travel benefits you might hope for as a Delta loyalist.

• Through Dec. 31, 2023, there’s a discount for lounge access. But you’ll still be charged $50 per visit to enter a Delta Sky Club® airport lounge.
• In-flight savings don’t apply to wireless internet purchases.

These benefits might offer clear value to you, but it’s important to remember that perks are only worth something if you use them. Consider whether you stand to save from checking bags, or if you’d rather go for another card with complimentary lounge membership.

Earning Delta Medallion Status could be a challenge

A shortcut to elite status can be an enticing feature of an airline credit card. But the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card doesn’t do much to help you earn Delta’s coveted Medallion Status, which comes with complimentary access to Delta SkyTeam® lounges and seat upgrades.

For one thing, Delta’s process for earning elite status is complicated. You have to keep track of Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) — and remember what their acronyms stand for.

Just to earn Silver status, the lowest Medallion level, you need to fulfill both of these requirements.

1. Earn $3,000 MQDs (roughly equivalent to spending $3,000 on Delta airfare, without including the cost of the taxes and fees) or make at least $25,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the calendar year.
2. And earn either 25,000 MQMs or 30 MQSs in a calendar year. These qualifications can usually only be earned by flying, and you’ll have to travel a lot to reach those thresholds.  

And since most of these requirements reset each calendar year, it will be even more difficult to qualify for Medallion Status in your first year of card membership if you don’t time your application well.

Is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card worth it?

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card certainly isn’t a perfect travel card. Many of the airline and status perks don’t stand out, especially given the $250 annual fee.

But if you fly with Delta Air Lines on a regular basis and travel with family and friends, you might be justified in carrying the card just because of the annual companion certificate. That benefit alone could be worth hundreds of dollars every year.

On the other hand, you might want to look into other travel cards that offer numerous benefits. While the value of the companion certificate is clear and relatively easy to earn, you may find that other cards offer a mix of potential savings and flexibility that better suits your needs.

Member reviews

Updated: November 8, 2023