Delta Companion Certificate: What You Need to Know

Getting two tickets for the price of one sounds too good to be true, but the Delta Companion Certificate makes it possible — with some caveats. The certificate, which comes with a few Delta co-branded credit cards, can help reduce the cost of traveling in pairs.

Yet squeezing the most value from these certificates takes some know-how and persistence. We have some pointers to help you maximize this potentially lucrative benefit.

» Learn more: The NerdWallet guide to Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

The Delta Companion Certificate can be used to book select domestic or international round-trip tickets for a companion traveling with you on the same itinerary and pay just the taxes and fees. These max out at $22 for domestic and $250 for international flights.

The Companion Certificate is issued to eligible Delta cardholders every card anniversary, so you can use it once a year per card. The benefit does not roll over if unused.

Only a handful of Delta's co-branded airline cards offer the Companion Certificate as a built-in card perk.

Terms apply.

If you’re not sure which Delta card to get, consider the value you expect to get from the certificate each year against each card’s annual fee and other benefits. Try to pick the card that offers an annual fee you can afford yet offers the perks you’re after.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

The Delta companion fare is automatically issued to your SkyMiles account each year following your card renewal. Look under “Certificates, eCredits & Vouchers” under the “profile” section of your SkyMiles account.

There are a few rules you need to follow when trying to use the companion certificate.

Eligible fare classes vary by card

Delta Companion Certificates from eligible AmEx Delta Platinum cards are valid on domestic, Mexico, Caribbean and Central American main cabin fares only.

If you're a Reserve credit card holder, the Companion Certificate has more reach. A Reserve Delta AmEx companion ticket can be used for domestic, Mexico, Caribbean and Central American first class, Comfort+, or main cabin fares.

Delta Companion Certificate restrictions

The Delta Companion Certificate can't be used on basic economy fares, and tickets can only be booked in fares L, U, T, X, or V. Not all flights have availability; be sure to book early as these are some of the lowest Delta fare classes and among the first to sell out.

Both travelers must be booked at the same time and on the same reservation, and travel must be reserved and completed by the expiration date on the certificate. If either ticket is canceled, the other will be as well.

Finally, the Companion Certificate is only valid on round-trip tickets. One-way and open-jaw flights are not eligible.

» Learn more: Top airline credit cards with companion tickets

Only the primary traveler earns miles

Will both travelers earn miles and any related elite status perks? Only the primary ticket will earn miles for travel. However, the primary member and companion are both eligible for any relevant seat upgrades based upon the Medallion member’s status.

Can the companion traveler benefit be shared with someone else?

Can you give your Delta companion ticket to someone else? While the Companion Certificate is transferable, neither the primary ticket nor the companion ticket are transferable once issued.

It can expire

One of the strictest Delta Companion Certificate rules is that travel for any companion pass must be booked and completed by the expiration date listed on the certificate. Note that its validity is not based on the calendar year.

Available destinations

A Delta Companion Certificate is valid for one round-trip ticket with the payment of applicable taxes and fees on certain routings within the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America.

Your certificate is tucked away in your SkyMiles account. One way to find it is to log into your account. Alternatively, you can navigate to this Delta page and jump to your certificate with the 8-digit certificate code from the email you received that includes the certificate. If you’re in the Delta app, the certificate will be in the “My Wallet” section.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to access your certificate and use it to book a flight:

1. Log into your account on delta.com, click on your name in the upper right corner and select your profile.

2. Click on "Certificates, eCredits & Vouchers" on the left side menu under “My Profile.”

3. Your Companion Certificate will be under “Use Certificates and eCredits." To use it, select the Certificate checkbox and click "Continue" at the bottom of the page.

4. You will then see a search box with “round trip” and “2 passengers” pre-selected, along with details of your companion certificate shown at the top of the page.

In our example, we’ve searched for a round trip flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles for two passengers. We also did the same search without using a certificate to compare the price of the flights with and without this benefit. Using the certificate, the flights for two cost $599.16.

If you look into the trip details, you will see that the price of the flight for “Passenger 2” is $0.

If you don't have a Delta Companion Certificate, the cost of these same flights is $1,137.92, which is $538 higher than the cost with the certificate.

As this example demonstrates, the companion ticket can provide significant savings if you take advantage of it.

Tips for redeeming your companion ticket

There’s just one trick to maximizing the Delta Companion Certificate: Use it on the most expensive domestic round-trip ticket you plan to buy. Since the cost of the additional fare is not affected by the original fare, the value of the certificate scales with the cost of the ticket.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to book an unnecessarily expensive ticket. Rather, you should use it on a relatively expensive trip you’re already planning to take. In the example above, using the certificate resulted in two tickets costing $599.16, representing a savings of $538.76.

Because of the destination limitations of the certificate, this usually boils down to timing. Using it for family travel during the holidays, for example, is a great way to cut down on the high cost of airfare in December. Wedding travel and other plans with inflexible dates during peak season is another good target.

The Delta Companion Certificate is a nice benefit that can help somewhat offset the annual fee on Delta AmEx cards. Though the destinations are limited and the certificates are time-bound with expiration dates, Delta loyalists who want to save money on their next flight with a companion can get value from the certificate.

Carissa Rawson, a NerdWallet contributor, added reporting to this article.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, see this page.