Delta Reserve vs. AmEx Platinum: Platinum Is Tops for Most Air Travelers
The Platinum Card from American Express has more to offer for those who aren’t committed to Delta.
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Frequent flyers who want to travel in comfort and style — and who aren’t dissuaded by high annual fees — will likely find their needs satisfied by a premium travel card. And two of the best on the market right now are the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the American Express Platinum Card®.
Both options come with hefty annual fees, but cardholders can make up the cost of either by taking advantage of the cards' generous perks. But that may be easier to do with the AmEx Platinum and its more than $3,500 in annual credits.
Redemption choices are also more varied and valuable with the AmEx Platinum, which allows you to transfer the Membership Rewards points you earn with the card to several travel loyalty partners. By contrast, miles earned with the Delta Reserve are mostly only good for flights on Delta and its partners.
You’ll also gain access to more airport lounges with the American Express Platinum Card®, a feature that looks even more enticing in light of Delta’s recent restrictions on its Sky Clubs: As of Feb. 1, 2025, Delta Reserve cardholders will receive 15 lounge visits per year rather than unlimited access — unless they can spend $75,000 a year on the card.
$650. Terms apply
$895. Terms apply.
Earn 125,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 10/29/2025. Terms Apply.
You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
Earn 1 mile on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express.
5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through American Express.
2 points per dollar on other eligible travel expenses booked through American Express.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Terms apply.
$240 Resy credit, doled out in $20 monthly credits. Enrollment required.
$120 rideshare credit, doled out in $10 monthly credits. Enrollment required.
$200 annual Delta Stays credit for prepaid hotel and vacation rentals booked through delta.com.
Either a $120 Global Entry credit every 4 years, or an $85 TSA PreCheck credit every 4.5 years.
First checked bag free.
Terms apply.
$600 hotel credit for eligible properties booked through AmEx's travel portal.
$300 digital entertainment credit, doled out in $25 monthly credits. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ membership credit.
$200 airline fee credit.*
Up to $200 in Uber Cash, applicable to U.S. Uber Eats orders and rides. Card must be added to your Uber account to receive this benefit, which is offered in $15 monthly increments ($35 in December). Enrollment required.
$120 Uber One credit. Enrollment required.
$300 Equinox credit. Enrollment required.
$400 Resy credit. Enrollment required.
$300 lululemon credit. Enrollment required.
$200 Oura credit. Enrollment required.
$209 CLEAR+® credit.
Either a $120 Global Entry credit every 4 years, or an $85 TSA PreCheck credit every 4.5 years.
Up to $100 in statement credits for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases, up to $50 twice per year. Enrollment required.
$300 SoulCycle at-home bike credit. Enrollment required.
Terms apply.
Why the American Express Platinum Card® is better for most people
Credits
Most of the annual credits that come with the American Express Platinum Card® are meant to accommodate the frequent traveler. For instance, cardholders receive $600 a year for eligible hotel bookings, $200 a year for airline fees and a fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Enrollment required; terms apply. Cardholders may or may not get much use out of some of the other perks, such as an annual $300 toward an Equinox gym membership. Enrollment required; terms apply.
Overall, though, the menu of credits is broad enough to satisfy many people.
Redemption options
Purchases made with the AmEx Platinum earn highly versatile Membership Rewards points. These points can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners. Better still, they are worth more than the 1:1 transfer rate with a few airlines and hotels.
American Express' website has calculators that allow you to see how much your Membership Rewards points are worth when transferred to each of the loyalty partners.
By contrast, redemption options for Delta Sky Miles are limited to Delta flights, seat upgrades, checked bags, and hotels and car rentals booked through Delta.
Lounge access
If you’re paying the three-figure annual fee for the American Express Platinum Card®, it’s reasonable to expect a luxurious travel experience. You’ll likely find it in one of the many airport lounges that you’ll have access to when you carry the card, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs and Priority Pass Select lounges.
Holders of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card have unlimited access to American Express Centurion Lounges when flying Delta, but they only get 15 Delta SkyClub visits per year unless they can qualify for unlimited visits after spending $75,000 in a calendar year with the card. The American Express Platinum Card® allows for 10 Delta SkyClub visits per year.
Terms apply.
Why you might want the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Companion certificate
Naturally, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a better fit for frequent Delta flyers. Perhaps the biggest draw is the annual companion certificate that’s good for a round-trip flight within the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. To redeem the companion ticket, you and your guest must travel in the same fare class — so if you book a first class ticket, you get another first-class ticket free. Terms apply.
Your plus-one can also accompany you into the Delta Sky Clubs. Delta Reserve cardholders get four one-time guest passes every year. Terms apply.
Discount on flights
Through Delta’s TakeOff 15 program, Delta Reserve cardholders receive a 15% discount on Delta flights booked with Delta SkyMiles. This discount will be shown and applied automatically at booking. That means a 50,000-mile flight would only cost you 42,500 miles at checkout. You don't need the Delta Reserve in order to get that 15% discount, though: Any Delta co-branded card with an annual fee also gives 15% off on award flights.
Terms apply.
Elite status
If you care about earning elite status on Delta, the Delta Reserve is the only card of the two that helps you toward that goal. Cardholders earn $2,500 in Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD), giving a head start toward status each qualifying year. The spending you do on your card gives a status boost, too: You'll earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent.
Terms apply.
Which card should you get?
For Delta lovers, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the clear choice over the American Express Platinum Card®. The Delta companion pass is a rare commodity offered by just one other Delta card, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.
However, travelers who aren’t wedded to Delta and who enjoy the best amenities should opt for the American Express Platinum Card®. It beats the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card in terms of lounge access by, well, a mile. And the annual credits — such as a $300 digital entertainment credit toward popular streaming services — make the American Express Platinum Card® even more appealing. Enrollment required; terms apply.
*More from American Express
American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details
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