Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Review

Rewards Rating: 4.7 rating 4.7 rating	4.7 / 5
Rewards Value:	5.0
Annual Percentage Rate:	3.0
Rewards Flexibility:	4.0
Features:	4.0
Issuer Customer Experience	5.0

Learn more about our ratings process

In a Nutshell:

High-rolling customers of Delta Airlines will be well-served by the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card elite benefits, though the card is probably beyond the means of most cardholders.

Learn more about this card

Rewards Rate 3:1 directly purchased Delta airfare and purchases made directly with hotels 2:1 restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases 1:1 other eligible purchases Terms apply
Introductory Bonus Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in your first 6 months
Annual Fee $250 (See rates and fees)
APR 20.49%-29.49% Variable (See rates and fees)
Rewards Redemption Pros Miles don’t expire if your account is active every 12 months Redeem miles for airfare, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, limited merchandise and experiences (every 5,000 miles redeemed = $50 off the cost of Delta tickets) No blackout dates on Delta flights (may apply on partner flights) One-way flights allowed Large number of airline partners Miles + cash option available for some rewards flights No limits on miles Cons Fuel surcharges may apply to partner flights and Delta one-way flights from Europe and the Middle East Direct fees for tickets issued in some European countries ($25 for phone bookings, $35 for Ticket Office bookings) No stopovers or open-jaw 75,000-mile limit per reservation Minimum 12,500 miles required
American Express Customer Service Ratings J. D. Power 2020 customer satisfaction rating: 838 (no issuers in this category ranked higher) 24/7 customer service?: Yes Online chat available?: Yes Google Play Store mobile app rating: 4.3/5 Apple Store mobile app rating: 4.9/5

Other Notable Features: Annual companion certificate, first checked bag free on Delta flights, priority boarding, preferred seating, no foreign transaction fee (See rates and fees), discount Delta Sky Club access (including two companions), 20 percent discount on Delta in-flight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), discounts on travel packages, lowest hotel rates guarantee, car rental insurance, baggage insurance, extended warranty, trip delay insurance, purchase protection, ticket presales and VIP events, $0 fraud liability, year-end summary, global assist hotline, car purchase discounts, ShopRunner membership

If Delta Air Lines is your carrier of choice – or if you’re looking for a travel credit card that will help you save up miles to use with an international carrier that has a large network of partner airlines – the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card may be worth a look.

The card carries a solid introductory bonus, annual companion certificate and several noteworthy travel perks. The opportunity to achieve elite status faster than you can with other airline cards is an especially attractive benefit (you can earn up to 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in a calendar year).

However, everyday users will likely find it extremely difficult to meet the exorbitant spending requirements to get there.

Decent rewards scheme

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card offers a decent rewards earning scheme, offering bonus miles on more than just Delta purchases. Airfare purchased directly from Delta and purchases made directly with hotels fetches 3 miles per dollar, while purchases at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets earn 2 miles per dollar.

All other eligible purchases get you 1 mile per dollar. This is more generous than many airline cards, which only offer rewards on purchases made directly with the airline, and with the addition of a couple of popular everyday rewards categories, it should be a bit easier for you to earn enough miles to score a free ticket.

Annual companion certificate

With the Platinum Delta SkyMiles credit card, you’ll snag a companion certificate each year for as long as you remain a cardholder, which means you can invite a friend or family member to join you on an eligible round-trip domestic flight. Taxes and fees still apply, but the ticket itself more than cancels out the card’s high annual fee. The certificate is automatically issued to your account following your card renewal – there’s nothing more you need to do, except pick your lucky travel buddy.

New introductory bonus

You can now earn earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in your first six months. In terms of total miles, this is a huge step up from the card’s previous offer of just 50,000 bonus miles after a $3,000 spend in the first six months.

Bankrate’s latest airline mile valuations give Delta SkyMiles a value of around 1.3 cents per mile on average, so we estimate that 90,000 miles are worth roughly $1,170 — impressive value for an airline rewards card. Plus, this value could be even higher for SkyMiles cardholders since this card also gets you 15% off when you use miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app (not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees).

One potential downside to the new offer is that it doesn’t include any Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs), whereas the previous offer came with 5,000 MQMs. This could make the latest offer less appealing if you’re looking for a head start on the 25,000 MQMs required to reach Silver Medallion status. Silver elite status comes with benefits like complimentary first-class and other upgrades (restrictions apply), free checked baggage for up to eight travel companions, preferential pricing for CLEAR Membership (which fast-tracks your way through airport security) and more.

That said, if you care more about getting points than earning elite status, the new bonus is a great improvement and makes now a smart time to apply.

Relatively high annual fee

The credit card’s $250 annual fee is more than twice what you’ll pay for the lion’s share of cards in the travel category. Unlike many other cobranded airline cards, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card’s annual fee isn’t waived for the first year. Meanwhile, its variable APR means applicants with even good credit scores may be saddled with a higher-than-average APR. In other words, you’d better think twice about getting this card if you normally carry a balance from month to month.

Card perks

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card offers a vast array of extras when flying with Delta, including your first checked bag free, priority boarding, preferred seating, discounts on travel packages and more. You can also get access to Delta Sky Club lounges for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight at a cost of $50 per person and 20% back as a statement credit if you use your card for eligible Delta in-flight purchases.

Delta also has 31 partner airlines, bringing the total number of countries served to 170. That’s more than enough to put a dent in your travel bucket list! It’s worth noting, though, that partner airlines may impose surcharges and that some perks – like the free checked bag and priority boarding – only apply to Delta flights.

Why get the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card?

You regularly fly with Delta or one of its partner airlines, a list that includes Virgin Atlantic, Jet Airways and Aeroméxico.
You’re planning a honeymoon or other special trip and are itching to get your hands on Delta’s valuable companion pass.
You want to save potentially hundreds of dollars (or more) on checked bags.
You often travel internationally and want to save money on American Express’ usual 2.7-percent foreign transaction fee.

How to use the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card:

Spend at least $4,000 within the first six months to earn the card’s introductory bonus.
For triple the miles, use your Platinum Delta SkyMiles card to pay for all eligible Delta and hotel purchases.
Use your card at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets for the double mileage bonus.
Rack up MQMs by booking Delta fares in first class, business class and premium economy.
Pay your balance in full every month to stop excessive interest charges from accruing.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, please click here.

Our reviews and best card recommendations are based on an objective rating process and are not driven by advertising dollars. However, we do receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Learn more about our advertising policy

All reviews are prepared by CreditCards.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the bank’s website for the most current information.

Responses to comments in the discussion section below are not provided, reviewed, approved, endorsed or commissioned by our financial partners. It is not our partner’s responsibility to ensure all posts or questions are answered.

Partner Offer: Terms Apply to the offers on this page

Apply now