Delta Companion Certificate: What You Need to Know

A companion ticket on Delta unlocks the potential for major savings on your next trip in the contiguous U.S.
Elina Geller
Sam Kemmis
Ramsey Qubein
By Ramsey Qubein,  Sam Kemmis and  Elina Geller 
Updated
Edited by Meghan Coyle

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Nerdy takeaways
  • The Delta Companion Certificate lets you book two round-trip tickets within the U.S. for the cost of one plus taxes and fees up to $75.

  • It comes with some Delta co-branded cards but not all.

  • Not all Certificates allow premium cabin fares, and none allow international travel.

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Nerdy takeaways
  • The Delta Companion Certificate lets you book two round-trip tickets within the U.S. for the cost of one plus taxes and fees up to $75.

  • It comes with some Delta co-branded cards but not all.

  • Not all Certificates allow premium cabin fares, and none allow international travel.

MORE LIKE THISTravel

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 many 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.

What is a Delta Companion Certificate?

The Delta Companion Certificate can be used to book a domestic round-trip ticket for a companion traveling with you on the same itinerary for just the cost of taxes and fees up to $80.

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.

Credit cards with a Delta Companion Certificate perk

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Annual fee
$350
$650
$350
$650
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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.

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.

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How does the Delta companion ticket work

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, 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, 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.

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.

Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles with our favorite Delta cards
Check out our nerdy picks for the best Delta credit cards and find the right card for you.

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 48 contiguous United States.

Residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands must originate from there to the 48 contiguous United States and have an address on their SkyMiles account in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the USVI to use the perk.

That's bummer news for those of us who live in the contiguous United States and dream of traveling to our far-flung neighbors: We can't use the Delta companion ticket to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or USVI, regardless of card level.

How to use a Delta Companion Certificate to book a flight

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 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 “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 roundtrip flight from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta for two passengers. We also did the same exact 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 $402.60.

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 $745.60, which is $343 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 really just one trick to using 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 $402.60, representing a savings of $343.

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.

Is the Delta Companion Certificate worth it?

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.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Cards for Delta from our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

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Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Points
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
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