Delta Platinum Amex Card Review (2022)

American Express and Delta have had a close relationship for many years, and as part of that, they issue seven co-branded Delta Amex cards, including the Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards (with the exception of the Blue product, all the others have both a personal and business version).

Delta Platinum American Express Card Basics For March 2022

In this post, I wanted to take a look at the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. This is one of Amex’s premium co-branded Delta credit cards, which offers a lot of value for frequent Delta flyers. Given the four personal Delta credit cards to choose from, is this the right card for you?

Delta Platinum Amex Bonus Of 90,000 SkyMiles

For a limited time (for applications through April 13, 2022), the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Card has a welcome offer of 90,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $3,000 within the first three months. This is an excellent bonus — personally I value SkyMiles at 1.1 cents each, so to me the bonus is worth $990.

Card Eligibility

The welcome bonus on the card is “once in a lifetime,” so it’s not available to you if you currently have the card, or if you’ve had the card in the past. However, note that you can get each “flavor” of the Delta Amex card, so you are eligible for this card if you’ve had the Gold or Reserve, or if you’ve had any of the business versions of the card.

You can read more about Amex’s general application restrictions here.

Delta Platinum Amex Annual Fee

The Platinum Delta Amex has a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees). You can add additional users to the card at no extra cost (Rates & Fees).

Earning Miles With Delta Platinum Amex Card

The Delta Platinum Amex offers the following points earning opportunities for spending:

• 3x SkyMiles for purchases directly with Delta
• 3x SkyMiles for purchases made directly with hotels
• 2x SkyMiles at restaurants
• 2x SkyMiles at U.S. supermarkets
• 1x SkyMiles on all other purchases

The card has solid bonus categories for a co-branded airline card, but purely in terms of rewards for spending, I think there are still better cards out there for airfare purchases, hotel purchases, restaurant purchases, and grocery store purchases.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

If you are going to put spending on the Delta Platinum Amex, the good news is that there are no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees), so you can use the card abroad without potentially paying fees those high fees.

Platinum Delta Amex Card Perks & Benefits

The Platinum Delta Credit Card has an excellent welcome bonus. In general, I’d say it could be worth putting spending on the card if you’re trying to earn Medallion elite status with Delta SkyMiles. For most people, the reason you’ll want to keep this card long-term is because of the perks and benefits that it offers, which for many people will more than offset the annual fee.

Annual Companion Certificate

Every year upon renewal of your card you can receive a domestic economy roundtrip companion certificate. You just have to pay the government imposed taxes and fees for the companion. This is a great deal that can be worth significantly more than the annual fee in and of itself.

If redeeming the certificate there are some things to be aware of:

• It’s valid for roundtrip travel within the 48 contiguous United States
• Residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or the USVI with SkyMiles accounts registered in those regions can use the certificate for travel from their home territory to the 48 contiguous United States
• You have to pay the government taxes for the second traveler on the reservation
• Companion certificates are only valid for travel in the L, U, T, X, and V fare classes
• You can’t combine a companion certificate with eCoupons
• Travel has to be completed by the expiration date of the certificate
• You have to pay for the ticket using a Delta Amex card

Earn Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs)

Delta is one of the airlines that makes it easiest to earn status through credit card spending. With the Delta Amex Platinum Card you can be well on your way toward status with qualifying spending:

• Earn 10,000 MQMs after spending $25,000 or more in eligible purchases in a calendar year
• Earn an additional 10,000 MQMs after spending an additional $25,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year

Delta Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) Waiver

In order to earn status with Delta, you need to earn a certain number of Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) or Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs), and you also need to earn a certain number of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs).

With the Delta Platinum American Express you can receive a waiver of the MQD requirement for qualifying spending:

• Spend $25,000 on the card within the qualification year to get an MQD waiver for Silver, Gold, or Platinum status
• Spend $250,000 on the card within the qualification year to get an MQD waiver for Diamond status

First Checked Bag Free

Just for having the Platinum Delta Card you get a first checked bag free, which would otherwise cost $30 one-way per person:

• This benefit is limited to the primary cardmember and anyone traveling on the same reservation with them (up to nine people)
• You don’t have to pay for your flight with your Delta Amex, though you do need to have your SkyMiles number in the reservation

This is a great value, given that you’ll usually pay $60 per person roundtrip for a checked bag. If you’re traveling with someone then you’re looking at $120 roundtrip in fees.

Priority Boarding

Just for having the card you receive Main Cabin 1 priority boarding. This helps maximize your odds of finding space for your carry-on and getting to your seat sooner. Just make sure the primary cardmember’s SkyMiles number is linked to the reservation.

20% Delta Inflight Savings

If you have the Platinum Delta Amex then you can save 20% in the form of a statement credit for eligible pre-purchased meals, and in-flight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets, on Delta flights. Allow 8-12 weeks for the statement credit to post.

Discounted SkyClub Access

Delta SkyClubs are among the best airline lounges in the United States. If you have the Platinum Delta Amex then you can buy SkyClub access for $39 per person per visit. With a long layover that could represent a good value.

TSA Pre-Check Or Global Entry Credit

The Platinum Delta Amex offers a Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit once every four years. This can save you time both at security and immigration, and is something I highly recommend signing up for if eligible.

Delta Pay With Miles

Delta has a Pay With Miles feature, where if you have a Delta co-branded credit card you can redeem miles for one cent each toward a Delta flight purchase (in increments of 5,000 miles per $50). That’s not the best deal in the world, though this is a feature that’s exclusively available to those with an eligible card.

Some people find this to be useful since they can redeem their miles toward flights, and then they still earn elite miles for taking those flights.

Trip Delay Coverage

American Express offers travel coverage on many of its premium credit cards, including the Delta Platinum Card. Specifically, the card offers reimbursement for trip delays. If you’re delayed by at least 12 hours you can be reimbursed up to $300 per trip for necessary expenses, like hotels, meals, and other essentials.

You can use this benefit up to two times per 12 consecutive months, and it’s valid for roundtrip tickets paid with your card (this would include paying taxes on an award ticket with your card).

Cell Phone Protection

The Delta Platinum Card offers cell phone protection, which works as follows:

• If a cell phone is stolen or damaged, including a cracked screen, card members can be reimbursed for the repair or replacement costs
• This coverage is valid for up to two approved claims, for a maximum of $800 per claim, and $1,600 per 12-month period
• There’s a $50 deductible per claim
• The cell phone line needs to be listed on a wireless bill, and the prior month’s wireless bill needs to be paid with the eligible card

Amex Offers

One of the great features of Amex cards is access to Amex Offers, which offers savings or bonus points on purchases with all kinds of retailers. There’s huge value to be had in getting as many Amex cards as possible, so that you can get these offers on multiple cards.

Amex Offers could save you hundreds of dollars per year. You can access these offers by logging into your account and scrolling down to the bottom of your account summary page.

ShopRunner Membership

For having the Delta Platinum Amex you get a ShopRunner membership, which gets you free two-day shipping on eligible items at a network of 100+ online stores. You just have to enroll in your complimentary membership and can then start taking advantage of it.

Purchase Protection & Extended Warranty

There are some other benefits to spending money on the card that are worth being familiar with. The card offers:

• Purchase protection, so you’re covered for up to 90 days from the date of purchase when you charge your eligible purchased item to your card
• Extended warranty, so you can get an extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty, on warranties of five years or less

In both cases, you’ll want to check your cardmember agreement for all of the terms.

Is The Delta Platinum Amex Worth It?

The Platinum Delta Credit Card isn’t necessarily the best card for the casual Delta flyer, and it’s also not a card I’d recommend putting much spending on, unless you value the MQMs that you can earn through spending, or unless you want to spend money on the card to get an MQD waiver.

However, this card has really strong perks, ranging from a companion certificate to a first checked bag free to priority boarding to savings on flight purchases, and more. Add in the incredible welcome bonus right now, and this card is definitely worth picking up.

Bigger picture, is the card worth it, though? There are a few things to consider.

Want A Business Credit Card Instead?

If the Delta Platinum Amex sounds interesting to you but you are instead looking for a card for your small business, consider the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card.

Most of the benefits of the card are the same. The only significant difference is that the business card earns 1.5x miles on purchases of over $5,000 (up to 50,000 bonus miles annually), while the personal card offers 2x miles at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (both cards offer 3x miles on Delta purchases and hotel purchases).

Quick Comparison: Platinum Delta Amex Vs. Gold Delta Amex

How Does The Delta Reserve Card Compare?

For the very frequent Delta flyer, there’s the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card (review), which has a $550 annual fee (Rates & Fees). What differentiates this card?

• The card offers Delta SkyClub and Amex Centurion Lounge access when traveling on Delta same day
• The card offers a companion certificate that is valid for first class as well
• The card allows you to earn up to 60,000 MQMs per year (if you spend $120,000)
• Having the card gets you upgrade priority over those in the same elite tier and fare class who don’t have the Reserve Card

Earn Amex Membership Rewards Points

If you are looking to earn Delta SkyMiles through credit card spending then consider using a card earning Amex Membership Rewards points. That’s because these points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio, and you can in many cases earn points at a much faster rate.

For example:

Bottom Line

The Delta Platinum Amex offers solid perks for those who fly Delta frequently, especially Medallion members. For many, the annual companion certificate will more than justify the annual fee in and of itself, without even accounting for all of the other perks. Some will also find it worth spending money on the card, either to get an MQD waiver, or to earn MQMs for spending.

This is an especially good time to pick up the card, given the exceptional welcome bonus it’s offering at the moment.

If you want to learn more about the Platinum Delta Amex Card or apply, follow this link.

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees).