Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card overview

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a good choice for Delta loyalists who need a boost to reach their elite status goals. This card offers valuable perks, including an annual companion certificate, priority boarding and a free checked bag 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.

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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 and solid earning rates.

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

TPG recommends a good to excellent credit score for this card.

Let’s examine the Delta Platinum Amex more closely to determine whether it’s the right card for your wallet.

Delta Platinum Amex pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Fast track to Medallion status by spending on the card Companion certificate in economy class First checked bag free	Doesn’t make sense if you don’t fly Delta frequently SkyMiles aren’t the most valuable airline currency

Delta Platinum Amex welcome offer

New Delta Platinum Amex cardmembers can earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends on Oct. 29.

Based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations of Delta miles at 1.15 cents each, this bonus is worth $1,035. This is the highest bonus we tend to see on this card, and was last offered in July.

However, you likely won’t be eligible for this welcome offer if you have this card 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.

Delta’s cards are subject to American Express’s family restrictions for earning welcome bonuses, so if you’ve had a higher-tier Delta Amex card in the past, you may not be eligible to earn the welcome bonus on the Delta Amex Platinum.

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.

Related: What credit score do you need to get Delta SkyMiles American Express cards?

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 credit cards help cardmembers earn elite status with one metric: 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 at the start of each Medallion Qualification 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, T, U, V or X). 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), the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

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.)

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

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

Since TPG’s September 2025 valuations peg Delta SkyMiles miles at 1.15 cents each, you’ll get an effective return of 3.5% on purchases with Delta and at hotels, 2.3% on purchases on dining 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 with other cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).

Related: Best credit cards for everyday spending

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 be very high.

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, flights to Alaska for as little as 5,000 miles round-trip, transcontinental awards from 10,000 miles round-trip and flights to Europe from 16,000 miles 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 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 principal spokesperson Clint Henderson redeemed just over 73,000 SkyMiles for a flight from Mexico City to Brisbane, Australia. With this redemption, Clint secured a lie-flat Delta One seat on the leg from Los Angeles to Brisbane.

Related: How to redeem your Delta SkyMiles for maximum value

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 preferred airline. 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 another card that earns more points in bonus categories.

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Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

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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.

“These are the types of lawsuits we need more of.”

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are facing class action lawsuits from more than a million passengers who say they were misled into paying extra for so-called “window seats” that didn’t actually have windows. The suits argue that the airlines knowingly labeled seats next to blank walls as window seats, pocketing millions in fees while customers expected a view.

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People have complained about this on social media for years, and the airlines’ inaction could cost them millions.

Windowless window seats

Multiple attorneys representing over a million former passengers filed two class action lawsuits on Tuesday. They accuse Delta and United Airlines of charging more for seats that promised a window without delivering the goods.

While these seats might be furthest from the aisle, some end up next to a blank wall due to window placement or to cover up air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits, and other necessary components. The complaint argues that the airlines should not have labeled these as window seats, and certainly shouldn’t have charged extra.

“Windows can captivate or distract an antsy child,” the suit against Delta reads. “Many people have a fear of flying, or get claustrophobic or motion sick on planes, and windows give them a greater level of comfort in an otherwise stressful environment. Others just want a burst of sunlight to brighten their days.”

“Whatever the motive, had Plaintiff and the class members known they were choosing a windowless seat, they would not have selected it at all, much less paid more money for it.”

Alaska and American Airlines warn customers during the booking process when seats next to the wall don’t have windows. Delta and United don’t, and the lawsuit accuses them of knowingly labeling windowless spots as “window seats” and selling millions of tickets this way.

Class actions take flight

Both filings include screenshots of social media posts from annoyed customers displaying photos of these windowless window seats. A simple search for “window seat no window” on a platform like X brings up many such posts.

On July 2024, @si4rra snapped a photo like this and wrote, “so i paid extra for a window seat….with no window.”

In 2017, @MyFavoriteDJ tweeted a photo of himself sitting at a windowless seat alongside the caption, “Hey @united paid your INSANE $75 charge for a window seat. There’s no window.”

The fact that some of these complaints date back 10 years or more explains why so many users are cheering on these class action lawsuits.

“These are the types of lawsuits we need more of,” wrote @NotZainAgain.

“I would like to join this class action. I have receipts,” @JHartley2 offered.

“Higher prices (and straight up rip-offs), declining quality,” said @ICElationist. “Gotta love it.”

User @katiermckay agreed that “we need more class actions about the quotidian scams that add up to a lifetime of exploitation.”

These lawsuits and reactions may be a sign that customers are at their limit when it comes to added fees and other shenanigans by airlines that keep finding ways to charge folks more for less.

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.

Delta Air Lines fired back at lawmakers this week, defending its use of artificial intelligence in pricing airfare.

In a letter to three lawmakers reviewed by TPG, the Atlanta-based carrier again insisted it’s not tapping into customer data or targeting individual consumers as part of a new AI-assisted pricing program.

Delta specifically disputed concerns raised by three Democratic senators who, last month, accused the airline of “individualized” and “surveillance” pricing.

“This is incorrect and this assumption, unfortunately, has created confusion and misinformation in the public discourse,” Delta Chief External Affairs Officer Peter Clark wrote in a letter Thursday. “Furthermore, we have zero tolerance for discriminatory or predatory pricing and fully comply with applicable laws in privacy, pricing and advertising.”

Delta first revealed it was using AI on a small portion of domestic bookings last fall, likening the technology to a “super analyst” assisting its human revenue management workers.

By last month, the carrier had integrated AI on about 3% of its domestic routes through a partnership with tech firm Fetcherr, Delta President Glen Hauenstein said, noting the carrier hoped to increase its AI usage to about 20% of routes by the end of 2025.

That revelation drew scrutiny from Capitol Hill to the C-suite of top competitors.

Senators Mark Warner (a Democrat from Virginia), Ruben Gallego (a Democrat from Arizona) and Richard Blumenthal (a Democrat from Connecticut) penned a letter to the airline last month, demanding more clarity about the company’s AI pricing tactics.

Then, last week, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said Delta’s use of AI was “not appropriate” and contended American didn’t plan to use AI in its fare-pricing practices.

Responding this week, Delta said its new AI program was merely a “decision-support tool” that forecasts demand and recommends fares based on many of the same business considerations that have dictated fares for decades, from booking patterns to route competition and fuel prices.

In some cases, Delta’s AI tool recommends cheaper fares — presumably when seats aren’t selling.

Delta noted it’s also integrating AI into other parts of its business, including in customer service and in predicting when a plane or aircraft part might need maintenance.

Related reading:

Delta Air Lines is modernizing and expanding its Sky Club network. However, the airline enacted several changes in February to significantly reduce Delta Sky Club access for some travelers. So, here’s what you need to know about the various ways you can currently get Delta Sky Club access.

Delta Sky Club access via credit cards

One easy way to get Delta Sky Club access is to hold a card that grants access. Here’s a look at when you can get access with some of the best cards for Sky Club access:

If you’re interested in a card that offers Delta Sky Club access, the Delta Reserve Amex has a limited-time welcome offer of 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. If you prefer a business card, the Delta Reserve Business Amex has a limited-time welcome offer of 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. However, both limited-time offers end July 16.

Each visit includes all access for 24 hours from your first usage. As such, one visit can include access to Delta Sky Club locations and Grab and Go locations at multiple airports within 24 hours. However, if you use a Grab and Go location, you can’t use another Grab and Go location or Sky Club at the same airport for three hours.

If you run out of visits, you can buy additional Sky Club visits for $50 per visit or additional Grab and Go visits for $25 per visit. You can also earn unlimited Sky Club visits through the end of the following Medallion year (Jan. 31) if you spend $75,000 or more during a calendar year on one of the eligible cards. Once you meet the spending requirements, you can enjoy unlimited visits for the rest of the calendar year, the following year and the first month of the following year.

Related: Inside Delta’s brand-new Sky Club in Atlanta, its nicest one yet

There are some restrictions to be aware of. You cannot access Sky Clubs when traveling on a basic economy fare. Additionally, you won’t get access until within three hours of your flight’s scheduled departure time unless you are on an eligible arriving flight.

The above cards only provide Delta Sky Club access to the cardmember. However, you can pay $50 per person ($25 per person for Grab and Go locations), per visit to bring up to two guests or your immediate family (spouse or domestic partner and children under 21). Basic cardmembers of the Delta Reserve and the Delta Reserve Business also get four one-time guest passes each program year to bring guests to Delta Sky Clubs. (You can use up to two guest passes per visit.)

Finally, if you have the Delta Reserve or the Delta Reserve Business and travel on a Delta partner airline flight not marketed or operated by Delta, you can pay $50 per visit for Delta Sky Club access ($25 per visit for Grab and Go locations).

Related: Why the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is still one of the best cards I’ve added to my wallet

Delta Sky Club membership

If you have Delta Medallion status, you can purchase a Sky Club membership with cash or Delta SkyMiles. There are two types of Delta Sky Club memberships:

• Individual membership: One-year rate of $695 or 69,500 SkyMiles
• Executive membership: One-year rate of $1,495 or 149,500 SkyMiles

These memberships provide Sky Club access when flying Delta or select partners, as long as you’re not flying on a basic economy ticket.

With an individual membership, only the member can enter the Sky Club. However, the member can pay $50 or 5,000 miles per guest, per visit ($25 or 2,500 miles per guest, per visit for Grab and Go locations) for up to two guests or immediate family members.

Meanwhile, an executive membership is handy for those who anticipate frequently bringing guests with them into the club. You can bring up to two guests or your immediate family for free. You can also bring up to two more guests for $50 or 5,000 miles per guest, per visit ($25 or 2,500 miles per guest, per visit for Grab and Go locations).

Related: 5 ways to ensure you have lounge access before your next flight

Delta Sky Club access via elite status

There are several ways you might get Delta Sky Club access as a benefit of your elite status. For example, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members get to select Choice Benefits each Medallion year.

Some of the Delta Choice Benefits can provide Delta Sky Club access as follows:

• Delta Sky Club individual membership: Diamond Medallion members can obtain this benefit with two Choice Benefit selections.
• Delta Sky Club executive membership: Diamond Medallion members can obtain this benefit with three Choice Benefit selections.

Delta Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members and up to one guest traveling in the same cabin can also access Sky Club lounges when traveling in:

• Premium Select internationally (excluding the Caribbean)
• Delta First to Mexico, Canada or Central America (or an equivalent cabin on a flight operated by a Delta partner)
• Delta One (or an equivalent cabin on a flight operated by a Delta partner)

If you are a SkyTeam Elite Plus member from another airline, you can access Delta Sky Club lounges with up to one guest before you travel on an international SkyTeam flight (excluding between the U.S. and the Caribbean) or a domestic SkyTeam flight connecting to or from an international SkyTeam flight.

There are also a few airlines that give Delta Sky Club access as an elite status benefit, including:

• LATAM: Signature Black Emerald, Black Emerald and Platinum Sapphire members and up to one guest get Delta Sky Club access when traveling on or connecting to a same-day international flight operated by Delta or LATAM.
• WestJet: Gold and Platinum members and up to one guest get Delta Sky Club access when traveling on a same-day transborder flight between the U.S. and Canada operated by Delta or WestJet.

Related: Some of our favorite ways to use Delta SkyMiles

Delta Sky Club access on premium cabin tickets

Both domestic and international Delta One (which is different from first class on Delta) passengers get Sky Club lounge access regardless of elite status or membership. The same goes for anyone flying on a same-day international first-class or business-class ticket on another SkyTeam-operated flight (though you must be confirmed in business class or first class for every segment of your journey).

You can enter the club even if you’re on a domestic Delta flight connecting to or from a same-day international Delta One flight. However, flights between the U.S. and the Caribbean aren’t considered international for lounge-access purposes.

Additionally, Delta partners with two other airlines to provide Sky Club access to their premium cabin passengers:

• LATAM: Business-class passengers can access Sky Club lounges with same-day international travel or with a connection to or from an international flight operated by Delta or LATAM.
• WestJet: Business-class passengers can access Sky Club lounges with same-day international travel or with a connection to or from an international flight operated by Delta or WestJet.

Related: These are our favorite Delta Sky Clubs in the US — and a card we love that gets you access

Bottom line

If you regularly fly Delta or live in or travel to a hub city, Sky Club access can make your travel experience much more enjoyable.

While Delta has tightened Sky Club access rules, there are still some ways to gain access as long as you avoid booking basic economy fares. For example, top-tier Diamond Medallion members can redeem Choice Benefits for a Delta Sky Club membership. At the same time, anyone with Delta elite status can still pay cash or redeem miles for a Delta Sky Club membership.

Additionally, some premium credit cards still provide a set number of complimentary Delta Sky Club visits each program year. You can also earn unlimited visits by meeting specific spending thresholds each calendar year. Here’s a list of these cards, including links to apply: