American Express Platinum vs. Delta Reserve card showdown

Suppose you are in search of the most effective advantages a bank card can present to vacationers who steadily fly Delta. In that case, you could assume the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card could be greatest since it is the top-tier cobranded Delta consumer card.

Nonetheless, it is price evaluating the Delta Reserve to The Platinum Card® from American Express to find out which is the best card for Delta flyers.

Let’s evaluate these playing cards that can assist you determine which is greatest for you as you intend your future journeys.

The Amex Platinum presently presents a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 within the first six months.

Based mostly on TPG’s February 2025 valuations, Membership Rewards factors are price 2 cents every, making this welcome bonus price $1,600.

The Delta Reserve presently presents 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership.

TPG’s February 2025 valuations worth Delta miles at 1.2 cents every, so this welcome bonus is price $1,200.

Winner: Amex Platinum. The welcome provide is price extra, and the cardboard earns transferable factors that may be transferred to a number of airline and resort companions, together with Delta.

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Whereas it has many helpful perks, the one Delta-specific profit you may get with the Amex Platinum is access to Delta Sky Club lounges when flying Delta.

Nonetheless, entry is restricted to 10 day visits per calendar year until you spent not less than $75,000 within the earlier calendar 12 months. Cardmembers may additionally carry as much as two company at a per-visit price of $50 per individual per location.

As anticipated, the Delta Reserve presents many Delta-specific perks, beginning with entry to Delta Sky Membership lounges. Cardmembers obtain 15 annual visits to Delta Sky Membership lounges when touring on same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flights.

As well as, cardmembers obtain 4 one-time visitor passes for the Delta Sky Membership (when flying Delta) after which $50 per individual per go to.

Cardmembers are restricted to fifteen day visits to Delta Sky Membership lounges every calendar 12 months, 5 greater than the Amex Platinum — once more, until they spent not less than $75,000 within the earlier calendar 12 months.

You may additionally get complimentary entry to American Specific Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket bought on the Delta Reserve. You possibly can carry as much as two company into the Centurion Lounge with you for a price of $50 every.

The Amex Platinum presents limitless entry to Centurion Lounges, no matter which airline you are flying.

Delta Reserve advantages embody many assertion credit and complimentary Hertz President’s Circle standing. The assertion credit embody:

• As much as $240 annual Resy credit score each calendar 12 months (as much as $20 month-to-month) towards eating at U.S. eating places
• As much as $120 annual ride-hailing credit score every calendar 12 months (as much as $10 month-to-month) with choose U.S. suppliers.
• As much as $200 Delta Stays assertion credit score for resort bookings each calendar 12 months

Different Delta-specific advantages embody:

• First checked bag free: First checked bag free on Delta flights for you and as much as eight companions touring with you in your reservation
• Precedence boarding
• Companion certificates every year after your account anniversary: Legitimate for one round-trip first-class, Premium Choose, Delta Consolation+ or Primary Cabin companion ticket if you pay taxes and charges on the award ticket and buy an grownup round-trip to all 50 U.S. states, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
• Low cost on inflight purchases: 20% financial savings within the type of a press release credit score for eligible pre-purchased meals and inflight purchases of meals and drinks on Delta-operated flights

Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.

An necessary benefit of the Delta Reserve is the MQD Headstart, which provides cardmembers 2,500 MQDs towards standing qualification at the beginning of the 12 months and the power to earn 1 MQD for each $10 spent on the cardboard.

That is a powerful good thing about the cardboard and is a solution to earn or vastly help you in incomes elite standing with Delta.

Winner: Delta Reserve. As indicated by its cobranded standing, the Delta Reserve presents many extra Delta-specific advantages than the Amex Platinum.

Additionally notice that a number of the Delta Reserve’s advantages are additionally obtainable on the lower-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (see rates and fees).

Associated: How to use credit cards to defeat basic economy

The Amex Platinum earns 5 Membership Rewards points per greenback spent on flights booked instantly with airways or via American Express Travel (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback spent) and pay as you go lodges booked on AmexTravel.com.

Based mostly on TPG’s February 2025 valuations, this implies you may get a powerful 10% return on this spending.

You may additionally earn 1 Membership Rewards level per greenback spent on every little thing else, which equates to a 2% return.

The Delta Reserve earns 3 Delta miles per greenback spent on Delta purchases, which equates to a 3.6% return primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations. You may earn 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases, which supplies solely a 1.2% return.

Winner: Amex Platinum. The Delta Reserve’s price of return is not aggressive even on Delta purchases. The Amex Platinum beats the Delta Reserve on each Delta purchases and on a regular basis purchases.

Associated: The best credit cards for airfare purchases

The Amex Platinum earns American Express Membership Rewards points. You may get the most effective worth out of your Membership Rewards factors if you switch them to one in all Amex’s journey companions after which redeem them via the associate for flights or resort nights.

There are different redemption choices, however all of them present lower than TPG’s February 2025 valuation of Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents apiece.

TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed not too long ago took benefit of Aeroplan’s distance and region-based award chart to e-book a lie-flat business-class ticket on Turkish Airways for 45,000 factors from Barcelona to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Air Canada Aeroplan is a switch associate of Amex Membership Rewards.

The Delta Reserve earns Delta miles, which may be irritating to make use of as a consequence of dynamic award pricing. However there are nonetheless some nice methods to get value from Delta miles. For instance, Delta presents comparatively frequent flash gross sales.

You can too use Delta miles to upgrade to the following class of service. There are additionally nice candy spots for flying worldwide associate airways with SkyMiles. All SkyTeam companions, resembling Air France and Korean Air, can be found for award redemptions, in addition to some nonalliance companions.

Winner: Amex Platinum. Membership Rewards factors may be transferred to a number of airline and resort companions, together with Delta, so you may have much more flexibility when utilizing your rewards.

Associated: A guide to earning transferable points

Basically, the Amex Platinum would be the most suitable option for Delta vacationers as a consequence of its increased earn price on Delta purchases and its wider-reaching advantages. Nonetheless, if you’re centered on Delta elite standing, then the Delta Reserve is worthy of consideration.

To study extra, learn our Amex Platinum full review and the Delta Reserve full review.

Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Express
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

Associated: Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

For charges and charges of the Delta Reserve, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Delta Platinum, click on here.