Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Basic Review

The Delta Skymiles® Platinum American Express card is the mid-tier premium travel card offered by American Express in cooperation with Delta Air Lines. The card offers the standard suite of benefits one would expect from an airline credit card. Included are free checked bags, plus a qualifying mile boost to those chasing Delta frequent flyer status and an annual companion certificate.

Basic Review

For an annual fee of $250, you get a lot.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express card comes with a welcome offer to earn 50,000 bonus SkyMiles and 50,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 of eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months. This is absolutely worth jumping on if you haven’t had this card before.

For frequent Delta Air Lines flyers who value free checked bags, have a companion who can take advantage of the card’s annual companion certificate, or those pursuing Medallion status in the Skymiles program, this is a card that will more than pay for its annual fee with valuable benefits.

Who Should Consider This Card

Most people who fly Delta Air Lines can benefit from having the Delta SkyMiles®  American Express Platinum card in their wallet.

If you are an occasional flyer, you will get value from benefits like a free first checked bag. If you travel with one or more companions, you’ll get additional value from extending your checked bag benefit to up to eight others traveling on your same reservation and an annual companion certificate, good toward a U.S. domestic Main Cabin round-trip. Frequent flyers can use the Status Boost benefit to elevate their frequent flyer status by earning bonus Medallion Qualifying Miles

You should especially consider this card if you:

• Are a frequent flyer and want to achieve Delta Medallion status in the Skymiles program. The card offers a status boost of 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you make $25,000 in eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year.
• Have a companion who can take advantage of the annual Delta Main Cabin companion certificate that you receive upon renewal

Welcome Offer

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express card offers a welcome offer of 50,000 bonus SkyMiles and 50,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 of eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months.

Learn More on How to Apply

You can learn more on how to apply for the Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card from our partner below.

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Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Credit Card

Earn 50,000 bonus SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualifying Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 of eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months.

• 3x on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• 2x at restaurants worldwide
• 1x on all other eligible purchases.
• First checked bag free on Delta Flights
• Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit
• Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your card. *Payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required.
• $250 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
• Terms Apply.
• Learn More Here.

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Card Rewards

The Delta SkyMiles®  Platinum American Express card earns rewards as Delta SkyMiles, which can be redeemed toward travel on Delta and its partners. Your Skymiles can elevate your travel experience through upgrades, premium drinks in the Sky Club, SkyMiles experiences, and other redemption options.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card earns Skymiles in the following categories:

• 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases
• 3 miles per dollar on purchases directly with hotels
• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
• 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else

SkyMiles are easy to redeem through a simple search at Delta.com and you can toggle between viewing prices in dollars or SkyMiles during booking. Delta offers SkyMiles awards on every Delta-operated flight, plus many flights operated by partners. 

For travelers who have additional flexibility, Delta even offers a Flexible Dates award flight search which lets you see the lowest SkyMiles award price on every combination of departure and return dates available around your preferred dates. Travelers with additional flexibility can search using the Price Calendar, which shows a monthly calendar of the lowest prices available.

Card Benefits

Free Checked Bag

The Delta SkyMiles American Express Platinum card offers a free first checked bag as one of its signature benefits. One aspect of this benefit that is frequently overlooked, but potentially very valuable, is that this benefit extends to up to eight other people traveling with you on the same reservation.

This means that if you book a family of 4 on a round-trip vacation and each check a bag, you could be saving as much as $60 per person, or $240 total, per round trip if each person checks a bag each way.

Get Closer to Medallion Status with Status Boost

If you are chasing Delta Medallion status for its perks including upgrades, increased earnings on travel, same-day confirmed fee waivers, and priority check-in and boarding, the Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card’s status boost can be a valuable benefit, bringing you almost all the way to Silver status or elevating your existing Medallion status almost to the next level.

When you spend $25,000 on your Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card within a calendar year, you will earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles. You can do this up to twice in a year.

Annual Companion Certificate

Each year upon renewal of your card, you will receive a domestic Mian Cabin round-trip companion certificate. Companion Certificates can only be used on certain discount fares, but with some flexibility are readily usable. I was able to easily find a bookable itinerary over a holiday weekend. I’ve used my companion certificates several times in the past. Each for tickets that cost more than the Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card’s annual fee. Companion certificates are bookable on Delta.com.

There are two ways to use your companion certificate. First, you must pay for your journey with your Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card. Second, you must pay government-imposed taxes and fees of up to $75 on round-trip domestic itineraries.

Other Benefits

• Fee Credit for Global Entry of TSA Precheck – Receive either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or a statement credit for up to $85 for TSA PreCheck® once every 4 years.
• Delta Sky Club Per-visit Rate – Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta SkyClub for you and up to two guests when traveling on Delta.
• 20% Back on In-flight Purchases – Receive a statement credit for 20% of your purchase amount when you use your card to purchase Delta in-flight purchases, including food, beverages, and audio headsets.
• Trip Delay Insurance – Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain expenses when your trip is delayed for more than 12 hours. 
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance – Use your card to reserve and pay for a car rental. Decline the collision damage waiver at the rental company counter and you can be covered for damage to or theft of your rental vehicle.
• Baggage Insurance Plan – Provides coverage for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when you purchase your ticket using your card.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees – Use your card globally without incurring any foreign transaction fees.
• Purchase Protection – Offers coverage up to $1,000 per occurrence for items that are stolen or accidentally damaged within 90 days of purchase.
• Extended Warranty – Extends the manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less by up to an additional year.

Terms, restrictions, and limitations apply to all benefits.

Basic Tips

Here are some basic tips to help you get the most value out of your Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card.

Get Global Entry or TSA Precheck – If you travel, you should have TSA Precheck. TSA Precheck will save you time every time you travel and pass through airport security within the United States. If you travel internationally, Global Entry can help you speed through immigration and customs processing when you return to the U.S. Global Entry includes TSA Precheck for a fee. If you already have Global Entry or TSA Precheck, consider using your card to pay for a family member’s membership.

Book family or group travel on one reservation – Share your free first checked bag benefit with your entire family or your entire group. If you book your friends or family together on the same reservation, up to 8 people traveling with you will enjoy your free checked bag benefit.

Check for Amex Offers frequently – American Express offers special promotions, discounts, and credits to cardmembers through its Amex Offers program. I’ve personally saved hundreds of dollars using Amex Offers for products and services that I would have purchased anyway. You can find details on all of your targeted Amex Offers when you log in to manage your card on the American Express website.

Annual Fee

The Delta Skymiles Platinum Card carries an annual fee of $250.

Who can get this card?

American Express limits the number of personal credit cards to 5 per person. Cards with no preset limit, such as the American Express Platinum card or the American Express Gold card do not count against this limit.

The generous welcome offer is only available to applicants who have not had the Delta Skymiles Platinum Card or previous versions of the Delta Skymiles Platinum card. If you are not eligible for the welcome offer, American Express will notify you during the application process prior to processing your application.

Will you be going for this card?

I’d love to hear down in the comments below or over in our 7,000+ Member Basic Travel Facebook Group!

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Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Credit Card

Earn 50,000 bonus SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualifying Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 of eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months.

• 3x on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• 2x at restaurants worldwide
• 1x on all other eligible purchases.
• First checked bag free on Delta Flights
• Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit
• Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your card. *Payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required.
• $250 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
• Terms Apply.
• Learn More Here.

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