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The Platinum Card® from American Expressand the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card have a lot in common:
They both have high annual fees putting them squarely in the “premium” card spaceThey both get you access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges when you fly DeltaIt’s possible to access Amex Centurion Lounges with both cardsThey’re both issued by American Express
The fact that both get you access to Delta Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounges means that people often look at the two cards as relatively interchangeable. However, they’ve got plenty of differences, too. Here’s what to consider when deciding between the two.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Welcome offers
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a standard welcome bonus offer of The Platinum Card® from American Express. Insider estimates that Amex points are worth 1.8 cents each, making this bonus worth The Platinum Card® from American Express in travel, on average.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Insider values Delta miles at 1.1 cents apiece, making this bonus worth Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card in travel, on average.
It’s possible to get significantly more (or less) value from your rewards, depending on how you use them. Read our guides for how to maximize Amex points and how to maximize Delta miles for more information.
The Platinum Card actually beats the Reserve for earning points on Delta flights
The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 points per dollar on flights purchased directly from an airline or through Amex Travel. It also earns 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on everything else. You can instantly transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to 20 airline and hotel programs at a 1:1 ratio — including Delta.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, on the other hand, earns 3 miles per dollar with Delta and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
In other words, the Amex Platinum actually beats the Delta Reserve when it comes to earning on Delta flights.
The Platinum Card offers more extensive lounge access
Both Platinum Card® from American Express and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offer access to Delta Sky Club lounges, as long as the cardholder is flying with Delta that day. Delta Sky Club membership otherwise costs $545 per year, so this is an extremely valuable card benefit for Delta flyers.
Both cards also offer access to Amex Centurion Lounges, widely considered to be the best domestic airport lounges in existence. While they can sometimes become a bit crowded, Amex has recently expanded several locations to better handle their popularity. They offer ample seating, fast Wi-Fi, complimentary hot meals, cocktails, coffee, and snacks.
The Platinum Card also comes with a complimentary membership in Priority Pass**, a network of more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world.
Several travel credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also include Priority Pass Select membership. Priority Pass Select is actually more limited on Amex cards, because Amex has eliminated non-lounge Priority Pass access — so airport restaurant discounts are excluded from your membership.
There are also international Amex-branded lounges you can access as a Platinum cardholder, including in Mumbai, Delhi, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Sydney. You’ll also receive access to a handful of other lounge networks, such as Plaza Premium, Air Space, and Escape lounges.
All this to say, the Platinum Card’s lounge access is significantly more extensive. If you prioritize airport lounges, you won’t find a better card than the Amex Platinum family of cards.
Both cards offer inflight perks
One of Platinum Card® from American Express’s benefits is up to $200 each calendar year in airline fee credits**. Each year, you choose one eligible US airline for the credits to apply. Then, anytime you use your card for things like onboard food or drinks, upgrades to extra legroom seats, checked bags, lounge passes for guests, or other expenses, the credit will be automatically applied.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers a handful of direct benefits anytime you fly Delta. You’ll get one free checked bag for each person on the cardholder’s reservation (up to nine people total) on Delta flights, priority boarding so you can settle in sooner and snag space in the overhead compartments, and a 20% discount in the form of a statement credit on Delta inflight purchases.
The Reserve also offers a potentially big, rarely discussed perk for Delta Medallion, or elite, frequent flyers. Delta Medallion flyers are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first-class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.
For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Reserve can be extremely valuable. Upgrades clear in hierarchical order based on a number of factors, such as each passenger’s Delta elite status level, the original fare class booked, etc. If you have a Delta Reserve Card, you’ll be upgraded before passengers with the same elite status level.
Both cards have high annual fees
As premium cards, both Platinum Card® from American Express and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card have high annual fees, but the benefits may make up for them.
Platinum Card® from American Express charges a $550 annual fee. However, this is offset by benefits such as:
Up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year**Up to $200 in Uber credits each cardmember year**Up to $100 in shopping credits for Saks Fifth Avenue (enrollment required) each year, and benefitsUp to $200 in hotel credits each calendar year toward prepaid bookings at Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or Hotel Collection properties (minimum two-night stay)Up to $189 in annual CLEAR® credits**Up to $240 in annual digital entertainment credits**Comprehensive airport lounge access
If you can make use of even a few statement credits each year, you can manage to completely offset the Amex Platinum card’s annual fee.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card’s fee is Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card . It doesn’t have comparable annual credits, but the benefits like lounge access and upgrade priority make the fee worthwhile for some. If you’d otherwise have purchased a Delta Sky Club lounge membership, this card isn’t a bad deal.
The Reserve offers an MQD waiver and bonus MQMs
Each level of Delta Medallion frequent flyer status requires you to fly and spend a certain amount with the airline:
Medallion Qualification Miles (or MQMs) are earned based on how many miles you fly with Delta (or partner airlines)Medallion Qualification Dollars (or MQDs) are based on how much you’ve spent
When you have the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and you spend $25,000 in a calendar year, you’ll be waived from the coming year’s MQD requirement for any Medallion level except for the highest (Diamond).
Also, for every $30,000 you spend on the card in a calendar year, you’ll get a bonus of 15,000 MQMs — up to four times per year. By spending $120,000 on your card, you can receive up to 60,000 MQMs.
As an airline-agnostic card, the Amex Platinum Card doesn’t offer anything comparable. However, only big spenders and frequent Delta flyers who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for the next level of status can make use of this benefit.
Hotel benefits, TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR®
Platinum Card® from American Express comes with complimentary Gold-level elite status in both the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs**. If you stay at hotels even a few nights a year, these benefits can be extremely valuable — especially because Hilton Honors Gold status entitles you to free breakfast (currently awarded as a food and beverage credit), which can save a lot of money each morning.
Amex also offers Platinum cardmembers access to the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program. When you book participating hotels through Amex Travel (there are nearly 1,000 worldwide), you’ll enjoy valuable perks including room upgrades, free breakfast, late checkout, free Wi-Fi, and a unique amenity at each hotel, like a credit to use at on-property spas or restaurants.
Plus, as mentioned above, you’ll receive up to $200 in hotel credits per calendar year which you can redeem when reserving prepaid bookings with Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or Hotel Collection properties (minimum two-night stay).
Both the Platinum Card® from American Express and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can also help you speed through airport security with an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry (which comes with TSA PreCheck) are absolute musts for even a casual traveler. Once you enroll, you can use special lanes to breeze through airport security — you won’t have to remove shoes and light coats, and you can leave your laptop in your bag. With Global Entry, you can use a fast lane when you return to the US from abroad, which makes clearing immigration and customs easy and quick. The programs cost $85 (TSA PreCheck) and $100 (Global Entry).
With either card, American Express will provide an up-to-$100 credit for that fee every four years (memberships are valid for five years).
However, only the Platinum Card® from American Express reimburses up to $189 for CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is an expedited screening program allowing you to essentially “cut in line” at the TSA security checkpoints. It costs $189 per year (though it’s possible to get it for cheaper).
Amex Delta Reserve also offers an annual companion pass for domestic flights
Each year on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card cardmember anniversary after renewing, you’ll get a complimentary domestic companion pass, good for a first-class or main cabin round-trip within the continental US.
A companion ticket is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book a flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card also comes with a companion pass, although that one is only good for economy flights.
Compare the Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the Platinum Card® from American Express and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to help decide which is a better deal for your travel and spending habits.
Platinum Card® from American Express
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Annual fee
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Welcome bonus
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Rewards rate
5x points on airfare purchased directly through the airline, and on flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel***
1 point per dollar on everything else
3x miles on eligible Delta purchases
1 mile per eligible dollar on everything else
Statement credits
Up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year
Up to $100 in Saks credits each calendar year**
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Up to $300 annually (up to $25 per month) on the Equinox+ app or eligible Equinox club memberships**
$189 per year in credits for CLEAR® membership**
Up to $200 in credits per year toward prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection (with a two-night minimum)
Up to $240 in annual credits (up to $20 per month) toward eligible digital subscriptions*****
$12.95 in credits each month toward Walmart+ membership**
$300 statement credit toward a purchase of SoulCycle At-Home Bike online
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit after you apply through any authorized enrollment provider
20% off inflight purchases as a statement credit
Other benefits
Up to $200 in Uber Cash each calendar year**
Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
Airport lounge access (Priority Pass**, Centurion lounges, and more)
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts (benefits at exclusive luxury properties)
The Hotel Collection (property credits and upgrades)
Cell phone protection
Secondary car rental insurance
Trip cancellation insurance
Baggage insurance
Trip delay insurance
Return protection
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Premium Global Assist Hotline
Discounts and bonuses through Amex Offers**
No foreign transaction fees
Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights
Annual Delta companion certificate
15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, up to four times
Complimentary Delta Sky Club airport lounge access when you fly Delta
Complimentary American Express Centurion Lounge access when you fly Delta and use the card to pay for your ticket
Access to complimentary upgrades and upgrade priority
Car rental insurance
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Baggage insurance
Trip delay insurance
Return protection
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Cell phone protection
Premium Global Assist Hotline
Access to Amex Offers**
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Amex Platinum reviewDelta Reserve review
***Note: Starting January 1, 2021, the 5x points will apply up to $500,000 on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel per calendar year
*****Eligible digital subscriptions include Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times
Bottom line
Both the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Platinum Card® from American Express come with useful benefits for anyone who flies Delta.
Each charges a steep annual fee but comes with valuable benefits, including airline perks and airport lounge access. The right card for you ultimately depends on your spending and travel habits, and whether or not you prefer flexible points or earning Delta miles exclusively.