Note: American Express is a Frequent Miler advertiser, but we always show the best public offer even when we don't earn a commission. Please see our Advertiser Disclosure.
| Card Details and Application Link |
|---|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card 50K miles ⓘ Affiliate 50K miles after $3K spend in 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Click here to learn how to apply This is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer Recent better offer: 85K after $4K spending in first 6 months [Expired 8/2/23] FM Mini Review: Good choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of annual companion certificate Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X US Supermarkets Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Spend $25,000 in purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs); spend a total of $50,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver up to Platinum status with $25K spend across one or more Delta cards or $250K spend for Diamond status (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Terms and limitations apply. spend across one or more Delta cards (or $250K spend for Diamond status) ✦ Terms apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) each year upon card renewal ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights ✦ Terms and Limitations Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
Here’s everything you need to know about the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card…
Overview
The American Express Delta Platinum card is a nice step up from the Delta Gold card for frequent Delta fliers. In addition to offering all of the features found on the Gold card, such as a free checked bag and a 15% award flight discount, the Platinum card throws in an annual companion ticket and the ability to earn elite status boosts with big spend. The Delta Platinum card is available as both a consumer card and a business card. And while the two versions of the Delta Platinum card are nearly identical (other than having different category bonuses) they are considered different products and so it's possible to earn welcome bonuses for each, and even to earn MQMs with big spend on each.
Application Tips
Current offer
Here is the current offer for the consumer Delta Platinum card:
| Card Details and Application Link |
|---|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card 50K miles ⓘ Affiliate 50K miles after $3K spend in 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Click here to learn how to apply This is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer Recent better offer: 85K after $4K spending in first 6 months [Expired 8/2/23] FM Mini Review: Good choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of annual companion certificate Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X US Supermarkets Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Spend $25,000 in purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs); spend a total of $50,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver up to Platinum status with $25K spend across one or more Delta cards or $250K spend for Diamond status (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Terms and limitations apply. spend across one or more Delta cards (or $250K spend for Diamond status) ✦ Terms apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) each year upon card renewal ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights ✦ Terms and Limitations Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
And here’s the current offer for the similar Delta Platinum business card:
| Card Offer |
|---|
60k miles ⓘ Affiliate 60k after $3k spend in first 3 months. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 95K after $4K in first 3 months [Expired 3-29-23] |
Should you apply?
Many cards are worth getting for the welcome bonus alone. In this case though, if that’s your only interest, you may prefer to sign up for the Delta Gold card since it has a lower annual fee:
| Card Offer |
|---|
50k miles ⓘ Affiliate 50k after $2k spend in first 3 months. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees)$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 Recent better offer: 75K after $2K spend in first 3 months [Expired 3/29/23] |
40K miles ⓘ Affiliate 40K miles after $2K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 Recent better offer: 70K after $2K spending in first 3 months [Expired 3/30/23] |
If you’re a regular Delta flyer and you value the Delta Platinum card’s annual companion ticket and/or the ability to earn MQMs through spend, then the Platinum card probably makes sense to you. On the other hand, you might do even better with an ultra-premium Delta Reserve card. See: Delta Reserve complete guide.
| Card Offer |
|---|
70k miles ⓘ Affiliate 70k after $5k spend in first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$550 Annual Fee Recent better offer: Expired 8/2/23: 100K after spending $6K in first 3 months |
60K Miles ⓘ Affiliate 60K miles after $5K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$550 Annual Fee Recent better offer: Expired 8/2/23: 85K after spending $6K in first 6 months |
Are you eligible?
In most cases with Amex, if you’ve had the same card before, you can’t get a welcome bonus when signing up. Consider, though, that each variation of Delta card is considered a different product. Over time, it’s possible for you to earn the welcome bonus on all of the following cards since each one is a separate product:
| Card Offer Mini |
|---|
Here are additional Amex application tips:
Amex Application Tips
Check application status here. |
How to meet minimum spend requirements
In order to meet minimum spend requirements, people often look for options to increase spend in ways that result in getting their money back. These techniques are referred to as "manufacturing spend". American Express has terms in their welcome offers that exclude some manufactured spend techniques from counting towards the minimum spend requirements for the welcome bonus offer. For example, most new cardmember bonuses have terms like this:
Eligible purchases to meet the Threshold Amount do NOT include fees or interest charges, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of gift cards, person-to-person payments, or purchases of other cash equivalents.That said, many techniques for meeting minimum spend are perfectly fine. Here are some techniques that are safe for meeting Amex minimum spend requirements (click each link for more information):
Perks
Travel Perks
- Domestic economy class companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) each year upon card renewal. See: Delta companion certificates quick guide.
- 15% off award bookings: Cardholders get 15% off the mileage price of an award ticket when the entire itinerary is on Delta or Delta Connection.
- Global Entry or TSA Application fee credit: One statement credit every 4 years for the $100 Global Entry application fee or one statement credit every 4.5 years for the $85 TSA Precheck application fee
- Priority boarding
- First checked bag free.
- 20% Back on In-Flight Purchases
Elite Status Boosts
With big spend on the Delta Platinum card, it is possible to earn a higher level of elite status than through flying alone. The chart below shows the MQM and MQD requirements for earning each level of status. With the Delta Platinum card, you'll earn 10,000 MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars) and a MQD Waiver up to Platinum Medallion status when you spend $25,000 within a calendar year. And you'll earn another 10,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000 within a calendar year. These features are awesome for those who highly value Delta elite status and can use the extra help that this card offers.
Amex shows your progress towards these status boosts when you log into the American Express website to view your account:
Amex shows your progress towards these status boosts when you log into the American Express website to view your account:
Travel Protections
- Trip Delay Insurance: Coverage kicks in after a 12 hour delay. Details here.
- Baggage Insurance: Up to $500 per person for checked luggage, and up to $1,250 per person for carry-ons. Must pay transportation in full with your card to be covered. Details here.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: Secondary car rental insurance. Must pay for rental in-full with card. Details here.
Purchase Protections
- Extended warranty: Up to 1 extra year.
- Purchase protection: Covers damage, loss, or theft up to 90 days after purchase. Details here.
- Cell Phone Protection
- Coverage includes phones that are stolen or damaged.
- Cracked screens are covered.
- Max $800 per claim or $1,600 per 12 month period.
- A $50 deductible applies to each claim.
- “You must charge your monthly Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone bill to your Eligible Card Account.” (interestingly, the terms do not say that you must pay in full each month, but maybe that’s implied?)
- Policy details can be found here.
Earn Miles
There are few ways to earn Delta SkyMiles with this card:
Welcome Bonus
Obviously, if eligible, you can earn miles by successfully signing up for this card and meeting the minimum spend requirements:
| Card Details and Application Link |
|---|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card 50K miles ⓘ Affiliate 50K miles after $3K spend in 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Click here to learn how to apply This is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer Recent better offer: 85K after $4K spending in first 6 months [Expired 8/2/23] FM Mini Review: Good choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of annual companion certificate Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X US Supermarkets Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Spend $25,000 in purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs); spend a total of $50,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver up to Platinum status with $25K spend across one or more Delta cards or $250K spend for Diamond status (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Terms and limitations apply. spend across one or more Delta cards (or $250K spend for Diamond status) ✦ Terms apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) each year upon card renewal ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights ✦ Terms and Limitations Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
And here’s the current offer for the similar Delta Platinum business card:
| Card Offer |
|---|
60k miles ⓘ Affiliate 60k after $3k spend in first 3 months. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 95K after $4K in first 3 months [Expired 3-29-23] |
Refer Friends
The refer-a-friend offer shown above for the Delta Platinum card was in effect when this post was first written. Offers can and do change over time. Consider this only an example of the type of offer you may find.
By logging into your American Express account, you should be able to find an offer to earn miles when referring friends. It's often the case, but not always, that your friends can get bigger bonuses through your referral link than through a public offer.
Note that your friends can use your referral link to apply for any Delta card. They are not limited to the one that you have. For example, a friend can use your Delta Gold or Delta Platinum friend-link to apply for the Delta Reserve card. Similarly, a Delta Reserve referral link can be used to apply for the Delta Gold or Delta Platinum card. Regardless of which Delta card they apply for, you will earn a referral bonus if they are approved.
Bonus Spend
Delta Platinum cards have different bonus categories depending upon whether you have the consumer or business version. Here are the details:
Consumer Delta Platinum
The ability to earn 2X at US Supermarkets with the consumer version of the card is a great option for those who highly value both Delta SkyMiles and the ability to earn MQMs through high spend.
| Card Info Name and Earning Rate (no offer) |
|---|
Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X US Supermarkets |
Business Delta Platinum
The ability to earn 1.5X is a great option with the business version of the card for those who highly value both Delta SkyMiles and the ability to earn MQMs through high spend and who have frequent large purchases.
| Card Info Name and Earning Rate (no offer) |
|---|
Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 1.5X on purchases of $5K or more (max 50K extra miles per year) |
Redeem Miles
You don’t need a Delta credit card to redeem Delta miles for award flights, but there are a couple of features that require having a Delta credit card: 15% discount and Pay with miles…
TakeOff 15 (15% Discount on Award Flights)
Delta offers a 15% award discount to members who have a Delta Gold, Delta Platinum, or Delta Reserve card. This discount is called “TakeOff 15.” Discounts do not apply to itineraries that include partner flights, but otherwise they are applied across the board.
We did some research to see whether Delta simply increased award prices for those without credit cards, but found instead that this is a true discount. Award prices relative to cash prices were pretty consistent before and after this feature was introduced and so we concluded that the 15% discount is real. See: No catch -- Delta’s 15% discount is real.
Pay with Miles
Delta's "Pay with Miles" feature is limited to primary cardholders of any Delta card (Blue, Gold, Platinum, or Reserve). This feature lets you pay for cash tickets in part or in full with Delta SkyMiles at a value of 1 cent per mile. You must pay in increments of 5,000 miles. Every 5,000 miles you apply decreases the ticket cost by $50. In other words, each mile is worth exactly 1 penny with this feature.
No miles earned: Flights that are paid for in this way earn full MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars) and MQSs (Medallion Qualifying Segments). However, only the portion paid in cash earns redeemable SkyMiles and MQDs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars). The latter two issues reduce the value of the Pay with Miles feature.
Tip: Unless the full ticket amount is an exact multiple of $50, I recommend stopping short of paying the whole fare with miles since you'll get lower value from the last 5,000 miles. For example, if you want to use this feature and your ticket costs $228, I recommend paying 20,000 miles to decrease the cash cost to $28. Otherwise you would have to pay another 5,000 miles for that last $28 (which is a poor value).
Keep, cancel, or product change?
If you regularly make good use of the card’s annual companion certificate, then the card basically pays for itself with that feature alone. And for those who seek Delta elite status, the ability to earn MQMs through spend is great. If neither of these apply to you, then you’re probably better off cancelling or downgrading to the lower fee Gold card or the no-fee Blue card.
One way to decide is to use our spreadsheet to compare similar cards. See: Which Ultra Premium Cards are Keepers?
Related Cards
Here’s a full list of Delta branded cards available in the United States:
| Card Name w Details & Review (no offer) |
|---|
FM Mini Review: Good choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of annual companion certificate $250 Annual Fee Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 1.5X on purchases of $5K or more (max 50K extra miles per year) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Spend $25,000 in purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs); spend a total of $50,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver up to Platinum status with $25K spend across one or more Delta cards or $250K spend for Diamond status (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Terms and limitations apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) each year upon card renewal ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights ✦ Terms and Limitations Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
FM Mini Review: Good choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of annual companion certificate $250 Annual Fee Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 3X purchases made directly with hotels ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X US Supermarkets Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Spend $25,000 in purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs); spend a total of $50,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver up to Platinum status with $25K spend across one or more Delta cards or $250K spend for Diamond status (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Terms and limitations apply. spend across one or more Delta cards (or $250K spend for Diamond status) ✦ Terms apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) each year upon card renewal ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights ✦ Terms and Limitations Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
FM Mini Review: Excellent choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of SkyClub access and companion certificate. Also a good choice for big spenders seeking Delta elite status. $550 Annual Fee Earning rate: 3X Delta ✦ 1.5X on all eligible purchases per calendar year after spending $150K Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Earn 15K MQMs (towards elite status) after $30K spend up to four times per year (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver up to Platinum status with $25K spend across one or more Delta cards or $250K spend for Diamond status (ends 1/1/24) ✦ After you spend $150K in a calendar year, earn 1.5X miles per dollar on eligible purchases for the rest of the year (excludes Delta purchases after you meet the $150K requirement) ✦ Terms and limitations apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy or first class companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) after card renewal ✦ SkyClub access (starting 2/1/25, 15 visits per year (after 15 visits have been used, additional visits can be purchased for $50 each) or earn unlimited visits after spending $75K/calendar year on the card starting from 1/1/24 to 12/31/24 ✦ 2 Delta SkyClub one-time guest passes ✦ Centurion Lounge access when you book your Delta flight with your Reserve card ✦ Complimentary upgrades ✦ $100 Global Entry fee credit every 4 years (or 4.5 years for TSA Precheck) ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees) See also: Delta Reserve complete guide |
FM Mini Review: Excellent choice for frequent Delta flyers who can make use of SkyClub access and companion certificate. Also a good choice for big spenders seeking Delta elite status. $550 Annual Fee Earning rate: 3X Delta Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to four times per year (ends 1/1/24) ✦ Complimentary upgrades ✦ $100 Global Entry fee credit every 4 years (or 4.5 years for TSA Precheck) ✦ Medallion Qualifying Dollar waiver (up to Platinum status) with $25K (ends 1/1/24) spend across one or more Delta cards (or $250K spend for Diamond status) ✦ Terms apply. Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Domestic economy or first class companion certificate (subject to taxes & fees) after card renewal ✦ SkyClub access (starting 2/1/25, 15 visits per year (after 15 visits have been used, additional visits can be purchased for $50 each) or earn unlimited visits after spending $75K/calendar year on the card starting from 1/1/24 to 12/31/24 ✦ 2 Delta SkyClub one-time guest passes ✦ Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta ✦ Complimentary upgrades ✦ One statement credit every 4 years for the $100 Global Entry application fee or one statement credit every 4.5 years for the $85 TSA Precheck application fee ✦ Priority boarding ✦ First checked bag free on Delta flights. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees) See also: Delta Reserve complete guide |
FM Mini Review: Priority boarding and first checked bag free make this a reasonably good option for Delta flyers who do not have elite status. However, those who can make use of an annual companion certificate would do better with the Delta Platinum card. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 Earning rate: 2X Delta ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and U.S. shipping purchases (capped at $50k per year starting 1/1/24) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: $100 Delta flight credit after $10K in purchases in a calendar year Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Priority boarding, and first checked bag free on Delta flights. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees) |
FM Mini Review: Priority boarding, and free checked bag make this a reasonably good option for Delta flyers who do not have elite status. However, those who can make use of an annual companion certificate would do better with the Delta Platinum card. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 Earning rate: 2X Delta ✦ 2x restaurants worldwide ✦ 2x US supermarkets Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: $100 Delta flight credit after $10K in purchases in a calendar year Noteworthy perks: 15% off when using miles to book an award flight (Delta metal only) ✦ Priority boarding and first checked bag free on Delta flights. Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees) |
FM Mini Review: This card offers an OK welcome offer for a no-fee card, but many/most other cards offer better return for spend. No Annual Fee Earning rate: 2X restaurants worldwide ✦ 2X Delta ✦ 1X on all other eligible purchases Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks: 20% statement credit on in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and headsets Terms and limitations apply. (Rates & Fees) |
