While I wasn’t too excited about most of the recent big changes to Delta credit cards, I am excited about enhancements to companion certificates issued each year upon renewal to Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cardholders. Previously these were valid only for travel within the lower 48 United States, but now they can be used to fly to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. That’s a huge and positive change. On the other hand, the Delta Reserve companion certs now explicitly disallow Delta One. That’s not so good. Let’s dig into all the details…
Overview
One of the features that make the Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cards worth their annual fee is the companion certificate issued each year upon renewal. This allows you to book a round-trip flight and add a companion for just the cost of taxes and fees. Delta SkyMiles Platinum cardholders can use their certificates only for Main Cabin economy, whereas Reserve cardholders can additionally use their certificates for Comfort+, First Class or Premium Select. In all cases, companion certificates can only be used when discount fare classes are available. This can make the certificates difficult to use during peak travel dates to popular destinations.
Eligible Routes
The original companion certs were limited to flights within the lower 48 states with minor exceptions for those who live in the United States but outside of the lower 48. The new certificates offer much broader routings…
Valid Origins
Companion tickets can include travel from airports in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
Valid Destinations
Companion tickets can include travel to the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.
More specifically, travel is allowed to any of these destinations: United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Mexico, Antigua, Aruba, Bermuda, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador.
Key Info
- Complimentary Upgrades allowed: Companion tickets follow the same rules as other Delta tickets for complimentary upgrades due to Medallion status, credit card ownership, etc.
- Upgrade Certificates allowed: Regional and Global Upgrade certificates can be applied to companion tickets.
- eCredits can be applied: Delta eCredits can be used to pay for the primary passenger’s ticket and/or the companion’s taxes in whole or in part. The eCredit must match the name of the traveler whose ticket is being purchased.
- OK to use non-Delta cards: To pay for the primary and companion ticket (assuming any charge is required after applying eCredits), you must use an American Express card, but you are not required to use Delta American Express cards.
- Companion tickets can be booked for others: The primary cardholder who receives the companion ticket does not have to be one of the two travelers
- Companion taxes limited: In most cases, you’ll pay the full taxes and fees required for the companion, but there is a limit to how much Delta will charge for this. I don’t know of any situation where you’ll reach these maximums, but I guess its good to know that there is a limit:
- Domestic round-trip: Max $80
- International round-trip: Max $250
Key Limitations
- Round Trip Only: No multi-city routings or open-jaws are permitted.
- Complete Travel by Expiration Date: Travel must be completed by the expiration date of the companion certificate. It is not enough to just book the travel by then.
- Discount Fare Classes Only: Companion tickets are only available when the following fare classes are available for two adults…
- Main Cabin: L, U, T, X, V
- Comfort+ (Delta Reserve Only): W, S
(but only when L, U, T, X, or V class of service is available in the Main Cabin) - Premium Select (Delta Reserve Only): A, G
- First Class (Delta Reserve Only): I, Z
- Delta One: Not Eligible
- No Delta One: The new Delta Reserve companion tickets explicitly disallow Delta One bookings even if booking class I or Z is available. The old Delta Reserve companion tickets, issued before 2/1/24, did not have this explicit limitation. That said, it’s possible that it was disallowed before even though the terms didn’t say so: with the old certificates I checked some routes that had I and Z availability for 2 adults in Delta One and could not get the website to show companion ticket availability.
- Companion Ticket Not Reissued after Cancelation: If the Primary ticket or the Companion ticket is cancelled, both tickets will be cancelled and the Companion ticket will not be reissued.
- Cash Tickets Only: Companion certificates cannot be used with SkyMiles award redemptions
- American Express payments only: To pay for the primary and companion ticket (assuming any charge is required after applying eCredits), you must use an American Express card.
- Only primary passenger earns miles and MQDs: Only the primary passenger earns miles and MQDs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars).
- Upgrades with miles are not allowed: These rarely offer good value in my experience anyway.
Tips
- Pick the primary passenger wisely: When booking a companion ticket, Delta defaults to the primary cardholder being the primary passenger, but you can change that in the booking process. If you want the other passenger to earn miles and MQDs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars) then it makes sense to make the other passenger the primary passenger.
- Book early: Since the companion tickets are limited to discount fare classes, your best chance of successfully booking for the dates and destinations you want is to book far in advance.
- Change rather than cancel: If your plans change, don’t cancel your round-trip ticket. Instead, change it to a different date and/or destination. If you cancel, the companion certificate may not be reissued*, but if you change it you can continue to use the certificate for the changed flight. (* I wrote “may not be reissued” because I believe I’ve had success with calling to cancel in the past and asking for the certificate to be reissued, but I’m not 100% sure about that!)
- Take the bird in the hand: Imagine that you have an opportunity to use a companion certificate for a $300 flight. You may be tempted to pass up that opportunity and wait for a flight that costs much more. But, if you do so, you risk letting the certificate go entirely unused before it expires. Unless you are certain that you’ll have later better opportunities, I’d recommend taking advantage of the small opportunity you have now rather than waiting and hoping for a better opportunity in the future.
- Be generous and book others: Just because a companion certificate is in your Delta account does not mean that you have to fly to use it. You can book the tickets for anyone. If you have a soon-to-expire certificate that you can’t use, let others know. Most people with plans to fly two people on Delta will be thrilled for the chance get one ticket nearly free.
- Earn 5X and companion fee reimbursements: A strange quirk of the Delta companion ticket is that you have to pay with an American Express card, but despite terms that say otherwise, you do not have to pay with a Delta American Express card. Any Amex card will do. So, if you have a consumer Platinum card which earns 5X for airfare, you might as well use that! One great side benefit I’ve found is that the taxes and fees for the second passenger sometimes (but not always) count towards the Platinum card’s annual $200 in airline fee credits.
Transition from Old to New
Companion certificates issued before February 1st 2024 do not adhere to the new rules. This means that if you have a companion certificate with an expiry date of January 31 2025 or earlier, your companion certificate will still be limited to destinations in the lower 48 states.
Terms & Conditions
Delta Platinum Companion Certificate at Renewal
Eligibility:
Basic Card Members with a Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Platinum Business American Express Card will receive a Companion Certificate each year after Card Account renewal, eligible for use on Delta, Delta Connection carrier and Delta Shuttle flights only (excludes all other Delta-designated codeshare flights). Companion Certificate is valid for one roundtrip Main Cabin Companion ticket with the purchase of certain adult roundtrip fares on published routings originating within the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) to the following destinations: the United States, Puerto Rico, USVI, Mexico, Antigua, Aruba, Bermuda, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, and El Salvador. Qualifying tickets must be operated by Delta or its Delta Connection carriers and are limited to Delta-served airports; routes, frequencies and destinations offered by Delta are subject to change at any time in Delta’s sole discretion without prior notice. It is the responsibility of the passenger to be in possession of all necessary documentation (e.g., valid passport, visa where applicable) at the time and place of departure. Travel to Cuba is subject to compliance with applicable law. Each year, the Companion Certificate will be made available for redemption on delta.com in your Card Account renewal month. If the Basic Card Member’s Account anniversary month changes (for example, due to a Card replacement), the Companion Certificate will be awarded annually within the new Card Account renewal month. Reservations are only available at delta.com. Companion Certificate terms and conditions may vary each year of Card Membership. Additional restrictions apply.Taxes/Fees:
A Companion ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments), and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights to the eligible destinations (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Taxes and fees depend on the itinerary. Checked bag fees apply. These allowances are subject to size/weight limits. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Taxes and fees are subject to change, are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the Primary ticket is purchased and the Companion ticket is issued.Restrictions:
Redemption is available only on delta.com/redeem. Companion Certificate and Delta eCredits can be combined in the same transaction. Delta eCredits can be applied as payment toward cost of the Primary ticket, Companion ticket, and any government-imposed taxes and fees. The eCredit must match the name of the traveler whose ticket is being purchased. The certificate cannot be combined with another offer or discount including, but not limited to, web fares, sale fares and eCoupons. Both passengers must be booked at the same time, in the same class of service and in the same record. Tickets are only available in L, U, T, X, and V classes of service for Main Cabin travel. Tickets may not be available on all flights or markets. Companion Certificates are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades, subject to availability on flights where Complimentary Upgrades are made available to Medallion Members, SkyMiles Program Rules, and Medallion Benefit terms and policies in effect at the time of travel. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3-night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay. All fare rules, restrictions, advance purchase requirements, and availability are per rule of Primary ticket fare purchased. Companion tickets are not transferable. Primary ticket and Companion ticket must be purchased with your Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Platinum Business Card and/or eCredits. Additional restrictions apply. Visit delta.com/eCredits for more information. Both passengers must be booked on the same flights and dates, at the same time. Travel for Companion Certificate must be booked and completed (i.e., fully flown) by the date on the front of certificate. Validity is not based on calendar year. Primary ticket will accrue miles. Companion ticket will not accrue miles. Tickets are eligible for Global or Regional Upgrade Certificates but not eligible for mileage upgrades. Companion Certificate is void if reproduced, altered, counterfeited, obtained or used improperly, or where prohibited by law. Companion Certificate has no value except when redeemed in accordance with all terms and conditions of this offer. Companion Certificate is for new purchases only and cannot be applied to the cost of miscellaneous charge orders or previously issued tickets. Companion Certificate will be deemed fully used once tickets have been issued and will not be returned or replaced. Companion Certificate is the property of Delta Air Lines and must be surrendered or returned upon request. Delta reserves the right to cancel, rescind, or void any Companion Certificate if the Card is cancelled or downgraded within 60 days of the date that the Annual Fee is billed to the Card. Fares, fees, schedules, offers and rules are subject to change without notice. Terms and conditions of this offer are as written and cannot be altered, modified or waived unless authorized by a corporate officer of Delta Air Lines, Inc. All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide.Routing/Blackout Dates:
Stopovers, open jaws, and circle trips are not permitted. Blackout dates subject to the rules of the Primary ticket fare purchased.Cancellations/Ticket Changes/Reissuance:
If the Primary ticket or the Companion ticket is cancelled, both tickets will be cancelled and the Companion ticket will not be reissued. Subject to the fare rules of the Primary ticket, the value of the Primary ticket, less any fare difference, may be applied to future travel. Cancellations are subject to the rules of the fare purchased. Neither a new Companion Certificate nor Companion ticket will be issued upon a cancellation. If the Primary ticket and Companion ticket are changed after issuance, subject to the fare rules of the Primary ticket, there will be a charge for the fare difference of the Primary ticket. Changes are subject to the rules of the fare purchased and are subject to seat availability. After travel has commenced, rerouting is not permitted.Transferability:
The Companion Certificate is transferable. Primary ticket and Companion ticket are not transferable once issued. Companion Certificate may not be bartered or sold. Companion Certificates or Companion tickets acquired through prohibited sale/barter transactions are void and will not be honored for travel. In the event of flight irregularities and/or cancellations, alternative flights will be on Delta only.
Delta Reserve Companion Certificate at Renewal
Eligibility:
Basic Card Members with a Delta SkyMiles Reserve or Reserve Business American Express Card will receive a Companion Certificate each year after Card Account renewal, eligible for use on Delta, Delta Connection carrier and Delta Shuttle flights only (excludes all other Delta-designated codeshare flights). Companion Certificate is valid for one roundtrip First Class, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin Companion ticket with the purchase of certain adult roundtrip fares on published routings originating within the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) to the following destinations: the United States, Puerto Rico, USVI, Mexico, Antigua, Aruba, Bermuda, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, and El Salvador. Qualifying tickets must be operated by Delta or its Delta Connection carriers and are limited to Delta-served airports; routes, frequencies and destinations offered by Delta are subject to change at any time in Delta’s sole discretion without prior notice. It is the responsibility of the passenger to be in possession of all necessary documentation (e.g., valid passport, visa where applicable) at the time and place of departure. Travel to Cuba is subject to compliance with applicable law. Each year, the Companion Certificate will be made available for redemption on delta.com in your Card Account renewal month. If the Basic Card Member’s Account anniversary month changes (for example, due to a Card replacement), the Companion Certificate will be awarded annually within the new Card Account renewal month. Reservations are only available at delta.com. Companion Certificate terms and conditions may vary each year of Card Membership. Additional restrictions apply.
Taxes/Fees:
A Companion ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments), and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights to the eligible destinations (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Taxes and fees depend on the itinerary. Checked bag fees apply. These allowances are subject to size/weight limits. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Taxes and fees are subject to change, are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the Primary ticket is purchased and the Companion ticket is issued.
Restrictions:
Redemption is available only on delta.com/redeem. Companion Certificate and Delta eCredits can be combined in the same transaction. Delta eCredits can be applied as payment toward cost of the Primary ticket, Companion ticket, and any government-imposed taxes and fees. The eCredit must match the name of the traveler whose ticket is being purchased. The certificate cannot be combined with another offer or discount including, but not limited to, web fares, sale fares and eCoupons. Both passengers must be booked at the same time, in the same class of service and in the same record. Tickets are only available in L, U, T, X, and V classes of services for Main Cabin travel. For Delta Comfort+ travel, tickets are available in W and S classes of service, but only when L, U, T, X, or V classes of service are available in the Main Cabin. For Delta Premium Select travel, tickets are available in A and G classes of service. For First Class travel, tickets are available in I and Z classes of service. Companion Certificates are not eligible to purchase Delta One® seats. Tickets may not be available on all flights or markets. Companion Certificates are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades, subject to availability on flights where Complimentary Upgrades are made available to Medallion Members, SkyMiles Program Rules, and Medallion Benefit terms and policies in effect at the time of travel. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3-night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay. All fare rules, restrictions, advance purchase requirements, and availability are per rule of Primary ticket fare purchased. Companion tickets are not transferable. Primary ticket and Companion ticket must be purchased with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve or Reserve Business Card and/or eCredits. Additional restrictions apply. Visit delta.com/eCredits for more information. Both passengers must be booked on the same flights and dates, at the same time. Travel for Companion Certificate must be booked and completed (i.e., fully flown) by the date on the front of certificate. Validity is not based on calendar year. Primary ticket will accrue miles. Companion ticket will not accrue miles. Tickets are eligible for Global or Regional Upgrade Certificates but not eligible for mileage upgrades. Companion Certificate is void if reproduced, altered, counterfeited, obtained or used improperly, or where prohibited by law. Companion Certificate has no value except when redeemed in accordance with all terms and conditions of this offer. Companion Certificate is for new purchases only and cannot be applied to the cost of miscellaneous charge orders or previously issued tickets. Companion Certificate will be deemed fully used once tickets have been issued and will not be returned or replaced. Companion Certificate is the property of Delta Air Lines and must be surrendered or returned upon request. Delta reserves the right to cancel, rescind, or void any Companion Certificate if the Card is cancelled or downgraded within 60 days of the date that the Annual Fee is billed to the Card. Fares, fees, schedules, offers and rules are subject to change without notice. Terms and conditions of this offer are as written and cannot be altered, modified or waived unless authorized by a corporate officer of Delta Air Lines, Inc. All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide.
Routing/Blackout Dates:
Stopovers, open jaws, and circle trips are not permitted. Blackout dates subject to the rules of the Primary ticket fare purchased.
Cancellations/Ticket Changes/Reissuance:
If the Primary ticket or the Companion ticket is cancelled, both tickets will be cancelled and the Companion ticket will not be reissued. Subject to the fare rules of the Primary ticket, the value of the Primary ticket, less any fare difference, may be applied to future travel. Cancellations are subject to the rules of the fare purchased. Neither a new Companion Certificate nor Companion ticket will be issued upon a cancellation. If the Primary ticket and Companion ticket are changed after issuance, subject to the fare rules of the Primary ticket, there will be a charge for the fare difference of the Primary ticket. Changes are subject to the rules of the fare purchased and are subject to seat availability. After travel has commenced, rerouting is not permitted.
Transferability:
The Companion Certificate is transferable. Primary ticket and Companion ticket are not transferable once issued. Companion Certificate may not be bartered or sold. Companion Certificates or Companion tickets acquired through prohibited sale/barter transactions are void and will not be honored for travel. In the event of flight irregularities and/or cancellations, alternative flights will be on Delta only.
Certificates issued before 2/1/24
For those with the old style certificates issued before 2/1/24, I’ve included the terms found on the Delta Reserve companion tickets…
Delta Reserve Companion Certificate at Renewal
Benefit is limited to Basic Card Members (not Additional Card Members).
Taxes/Fees/Restrictions: Companion Certificate valid for one round-trip First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin Companion ticket with the payment of applicable taxes and fees detailed below and the purchase of certain adult round-trip fares on published routings within the 48 contiguous United States. Residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) 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. Each year, the Companion Certificate will be made available for redemption on delta.com in your renewal month. If your account anniversary month changes for any reason (for example, due to a card replacement), your Companion Certificate will be issued within your new renewal month. Applicable government imposed taxes and fees vary and depend upon the number of flight segments included in the itinerary and are no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Basic Card Members (not Additional Card Members) with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card are eligible to receive the first checked bag fee waiver on Delta and Delta Connection carrier tickets. $40 fee for second checked bag. These allowances are subject to size/weight limits. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Taxes and fees are subject to change, are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the primary ticket is purchased and the Companion ticket is issued. All fare rules, restrictions, advance purchase requirements, and availability are per rule of primary ticket fare purchased. Tickets are only available in I and Z classes of service for First Class travel and only available in L, U, T, X, and V classes of service for Main Cabin travel. For Delta Comfort+ travel, tickets are available in W and S classes of service, but only when L, U, T, X, or V classes of service are available in the Main Cabin. Tickets may not be available on all flights or markets. Companion Certificates are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades which are subject to availability and may not be eligible on all flights. Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members traveling with one companion will be eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to Delta One®, First Class, and Delta Comfort+ based on the status of the higher-tiered Member, as long as the companion is a SkyMiles Member, Medallion Member or partner airline elite member, traveling in the same reservation. Companion tickets are not transferable once issued. Companion certificate and Delta eCredits can be combined in the same transaction. Delta eCredits can be applied as payment toward cost of the primary ticket, companion ticket, and any government-imposed taxes and fees. eCredit must match the name of the traveler whose ticket is being purchased. Companion Certificate cannot be combined with another offer or discount including, but not limited to, web fares, sale fares and eCoupons. Primary ticket and Companion ticket must be purchased with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card and/or eCredits. Additional restrictions apply. Visit delta.com/eCredits for more information. Both passengers must be booked on the same flights and dates, at the same time. Travel for Companion Certificate must be booked and completed by the date on the front of certificate. Validity is not based on the calendar year. Redemption is available only on delta.com/redeem, opens in new tab. Certificate terms and conditions may vary each year of Card Membership. Additional restrictions apply. See Companion Certificate for details.
Delta Reserve Companion Certificate for Online Redemption
Benefit is limited to Basic Card Members (not Additional Card Members).
Eligibility: Eligible on Delta, Delta Connection carrier and Delta Shuttle flights only (excludes all other Delta-designated codeshare flights). Companion Certificate is valid for one round-trip First-Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin companion ticket with the purchase of certain adult round-trip fares on published routings within the 48 contiguous United States. Residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) 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. Each year, the Companion Certificate will be made available for redemption on delta.com, opens in new tab in your renewal month. Companion ticket requires payment of applicable government-imposed taxes and fees which vary and depend upon the number of flight segments included in the itinerary and are no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Reservations are only available at delta.com, opens in new tab. Companion Certificate terms and conditions may vary each year of Card Membership. Additional restrictions apply.
Restrictions: Redemption is available only on delta.com/redeem., opens in new tab Companion certificate and Delta eCredits can be combined in the same transaction. Delta eCredits can be applied as payment toward cost of the primary ticket, companion ticket, and any government-imposed taxes and fees. eCredit must match the name of the traveler whose ticket is being purchased. The certificate cannot be combined with another offer or discount including, but not limited to, web fares, sale fares and eCoupons. Both passengers must be booked at the same time, in the same class of service and in the same record. Tickets are only available in I and Z classes of service for First Class travel and only available in L, U, T, X, and V classes of service for Main Cabin travel. For Delta Comfort+ travel, tickets are available in W and S classes of service, but only when L, U, T, X, or V classes of service are available in the Main Cabin. Tickets may not be available on all flights or markets. Companion Certificates are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades which are subject to availability and may not be eligible on all flights. Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members traveling with one companion will be eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to Delta One®, First Class, and Delta Comfort+ based on the status of the higher-tiered Member, as long as the companion is a SkyMiles Member, Medallion Member or partner airline elite member, traveling in the same reservation. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3 night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay. All fare rules, restrictions, advance purchase requirements, and availability are per rule of Primary Ticket fare purchased. Companion tickets are not transferable. Primary Ticket and Companion ticket must be purchased with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card and/or eCredits. Additional restrictions apply. Visit delta.com/eCredits for more information. Both passengers must be booked on the same flights and dates, at the same time. Travel for Companion Certificate must be booked and completed by the date on the front of certificate. Validity is not based on calendar year. Primary ticket will accrue miles. Companion ticket will not accrue miles. Tickets are eligible for Global or Regional Upgrade Certificates but not eligible for mileage upgrades. Companion Certificate is void if reproduced, altered, counterfeited, obtained or used improperly, or where prohibited by law. Companion Certificate has no value except when redeemed in accordance with all terms and conditions of this offer. Companion Certificate is for new purchases only and cannot be applied to the cost of miscellaneous charge orders or previously issued tickets. Companion Certificate will be deemed fully used once tickets have been issued and will not be returned or replaced. Companion Certificate is the property of Delta Air Lines and must be surrendered or returned upon request. Fares, fees, schedules, offers and rules are subject to change without notice. Terms and conditions of this offer are as written and cannot be altered, modified or waived unless authorized by a corporate officer of Delta Air Lines, Inc. All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide., opens in new tab
Routing/Blackout Dates: Stopovers, open jaws, and circle trips are not permitted. Blackout dates subject to the rules of the primary ticket fare purchased.
Taxes/Fees: The fare for Companion tickets includes government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Taxes and fees depend on the itinerary. Basic Card Members (not Additional Card Members) with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card are eligible to receive the first checked bag fee waiver on Delta and Delta Connection carrier flights. $40 fee for second checked bag. These allowances are subject to size/weight limits. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com, opens in new tab for details. Taxes and fees are subject to change, are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the primary ticket is purchased and the companion ticket is issued.
Cancellations/Ticket Changes/Reissuance: If the primary ticket or the Companion ticket is cancelled, both tickets will be cancelled and the Companion ticket will not be reissued. Subject to the fare rules of the primary ticket, the value of the primary ticket, less any fare difference, may be applied to future travel. Cancellations are subject to the rules of the fare purchased. Neither a new Companion Certificate nor Companion ticket will be issued upon a cancellation. If the primary ticket and Companion ticket are changed after issuance, subject to the fare rules of the primary ticket, there will be a charge for the fare difference of the primary ticket. Changes are subject to the rules of the fare purchased and are subject to seat availability. After travel has commenced, rerouting is not permitted.
Transferability: The Companion Certificate is transferable. Primary ticket and Companion ticket are not transferable once issued. Companion Certificate may not be bartered or sold. Companion Certificates or Companion tickets acquired through prohibited sale/barter transactions are void and will not be honored for travel. In the event of flight irregularities and/or cancellations, alternative flights will be on Delta only.
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Does anyone know if you can travel with more than 1 person and pay cash for all others? Example, if my family of 5 travel, can I buy 4 tickets cash and add on the 5th as a companion certificate? This will be my first time using a cert. It looked like when I tried to book online using it, it only allowed me to book 2 people
I’m not sure, but I expect that if you call to book the agent should be able to make that happen. Otherwise you’ll have to do it as two separate bookings.
Not online. You have to book the pair with companion separately then you can call and join the 2 reservations so they are linked on the delta side but will still appear 2 seperate confirmations on yours. I’ve done this a couple times for my typical party of 3.
@Chuck, thanks. Will delta extend same booking perks like free bags to reservations linked is this way?
That I can’t say for sure. I’ve just taken my player 3’s bags and put them on P1 & P2 since my status always makes those free. Although come to think of it I think she would also get free bags anyway so my method may not matter (TLDR: I dunno)
Worth mentioning you can use two certs with one paid ticket when three people are traveling. May need to call in, not sure, they’ve updated the website since I last did it.
Wow, really? I’m surprised. When did you last pull this off, please?
One thing not mentioned here. The Delta platinum card’s annual renewal has increased to $350 from the current $250 a year annual fee. Doesn’t sound so good once the annual fee jumps a hundred dollars. Truly Ed Bastian, do you think this will help Delta retain Platinum card customers? Not me! Canceling this card. Once again, Ed Bastian is trying to play tricks on Delta’s customer base!
These certificates are useless because it is rarely possible to find an available flight. I tried 6 months in advance and could not found one for all of July.
I cancelled a couple of months ago and got my certificate back and an e-credit entirely in the name of the primary flyer.
I recently had to cancel tickets that I used the companion ticket and a comfort + ticket. I have read that they would not reissue the companion ticket but they did and gave me credit for the other ticket. I was surprised and pleased with that outcome.
So basically you were able to convert your companion certificate into an eCredit that was the value of the companion ticket? If so, that’s a great value. I have a companion certificate expiring the end of April so would consider making a dummy booking and later canceling if this is possible. You may have just gotten lucky but if I paid with eCredits I already have on my account I’d consider it very low risk with worst case being I lose a certificate that was going to expire anyway.
Delta gave me my companion ticket back and gave me an ecredit for my ticket. I was surprised when that happened. I have to use my companion ticket by 6/17 and the ecredit I have to use bt 6/26.
Any data on how soon after card anniversary do these certificates typically get issued?
Sorry. Now see that Lee has answered this effectively.
The I/Z fares for the First Class Cert are a little misleading. You can’t simply look for I and Z buckets. You also need the underlying (LUTX) fare buckets to be available.So if you’re using Expert Flyer, you need (2) for LUTX and then I or Z to be available, for example. I’ve also had issues where the website won’t show anything, but if you CALL an agent, stuff will show up. The Calendar search/view (my dates are flexible) is a little of a pain since I think it only goes +/- 5 days? Maybe a week at most.
Book EARLY with the cert. Like 9-12 months in advance. The fare buckets fill up very quickly, IMO. But I’m in ALB, so there’s that (try finding ALB-EYW at 6 months out–almost impossible). Need 9 months at least.
– Odd about the LUTX required for IZ — I’ve had cases where the certificate showed First (IZ) availability but not Main (LUTX). Also, there to be a 14-day ‘for certain fares/routes’ restriction that I’d run into. So lots of mysteries on the back-end.
– Instead of ExpertFlyer, I find it a lot easier to use https://oldmatrix.itasoftware.com/ to search for IZ or LUTX availability for a whole month at a time (one-way, both directions)
It’s been years since I’ve used the old ita matrix. Can you detail what params to put in to do the search you suggested?
Besides the main ones like: airport — airports could be NYC or “JFK,EWR”, the key ones are: Adults = 2; Dates = calendar of lowest fares; Cabin: cheapest; stops: no limit etc; Advanced controls, the first box put DL or DL* depending on non-stop vs multi-stop preference (or “DL DL” for 1-stop); and in the 2nd advanced controls, options like: “f bc=i|bc=z” for Reserve Comp Ticket, or for the Plat Comp ticket: “f bc=L|bc=U|bc=T|bc=X|bc=V” [you can also throw in something like maxconnect 300, e.g. “f bc=I|bz=Z ; maxconnect 300”
Thanks!
I should clarify what I posted, LOL.
From Flyertalk, here’s the underlying buckets:
U/T/X/V basis FC fares book into Z booking class and Q/K/L book into I.
I’m trying to find my post where, after armed with this information, I tried to book and couldn’t. Called in and the agent said it was because (and they listed which fare bucket) wasn’t available (and sure enough expertflyer showed that). It was thought *I think* that you only needed one of the buckets (ie: U, or T, or X, or V) for Z, but I think I determined you needed all 4 or something. OR it was a combo of needing U and Q for example or some such nonsense.
I’ve had the Reserve card for many years. Disappointing that D1 is disallowed (though as you say, may have been disallowed before). Being MSP based (and guessing DTW is the same), there are nonstops to Hawaii. Looks like they are coded as D1 (see image link).
D1 vs FC:
There is one (anecdotal) data point I’ve encountered many times that is not strictly spelled out in the T/C: in order to use I/Z availability for First Class, there MUST be LUTXV availability. I know, counter-intuitive. If you’ve ever verified on Delta there is I/Z availability for two (2) tickets, but then been unable to book using the certificate, this is the issue. It requires a phone call and override and a lot of explaining and referencing to the T/C. I’m not sure I really want them to explicitly update the T/C to “fix” this.
That’s strange. I know I’ve run into situations plenty of times with companion tickets where first class was available but main cabin wasn’t.
Alas, I went back into my notes (I also filed a complaint that got me nowhere): The scenario involved seeing two tickets in FC (Z) class (in one example: $840 each) that were (mock) bookable on delta.com, but would be “repriced” to (I) class (increase from $840 to $927 in this example)when I used the companion certificate. This was the primary ticket price (not including the companion taxes which would then be added).
I went through this three times during 2022 for trips in 2023, armed with evidence from ExpertFlyer, and the DM reps always confirmed “there was (Z) space to book” but not possible online – it was genuinely bizarre. In one instance, I was on hold (DM line) for three hours, at which time the (Z) class went up $60 by the time it was finally ticketed.
My note about “still requiring LUTXV” availability to book “Z/I” was an anecdotal comment from one of the agents, trying to explain to me why I couldn’t book online with the companion pass at (Z) / forcing me to and had to call in. In any event, I ran into the repricing issue three times in 2022. Let’s hope it’s ancient history.
I’ve let a few of these die (didn’t pay a/f anyway). Problem for me is: we rarely fly return in the US and instead almost always fly one-way between different homes.
Yeah they’re not much use for round trip travel unless you can find a super cheap return flight and just throw it away. For example, if your outbound is lets say $400 per person and return is $150 then you’d pay $550 + taxes = ~$580 for two vs. $800 for two if you didn’t use the cert. That’s only a $220 savings but at least its something.
Also, I haven’t experimented with this, but it might be possible to initially book a return for as far out in the schedule as you can find and later change it to a date that you’d actually use.
A variation of that for multi-location travel is that P1 can fly the return alone (legitimately — Delta allows you to cancel P2), so you can get J for a slight savings — in your example, you might pay $400 * 2 + ~60 = ~$860 for 3 segments ~ $286/segment instead of $400 that you were willing to pay (spending $860 instead of $1200).
Oh interesting. I didn’t know that the primary passenger could fly the return alone.
By ‘legitimately’ I mean I’d called the DM line to inquire about it and they were perfectly happy to cancel P2 return (and, if I recall, refund taxes)… I wouldn’t want to risk a ‘no-show’ approach, especially if P1 hates dealing with stuff like this 🙂
Greg’s last point is the best answer. You have a shot at garnering some additional value. I’ve done this as well.
Under the old conditions, for many, their likely Companion Certificate redemption was close enough to the former annual fee that having the cards was easy enough to rationalize. Under the new conditions, for many, their likely redemption falls far short of the new (higher) annual fee and having the cards is difficult to rationalize.
Certainly, the new conditions open up possibilities for some. Sure, going to Hawaii, the Caribbean, etc. For those people, it’s great and it’s a fit. But, I suspect that for many others’ likely travel plans, it adds no material value . . . and it’s a different form of breakage . . . like so many of the statement credits.
I use Delta for certain routes. I love every aspect of Delta’s travel experience. But, while some might benefit no small amount from these changes, I will say again that the changes to the credit cards in toto were elegantly designed to create breakage.
In my opinion, the changes, especially with the Platinum and Reserve cards, were designed primarily to try to keep the Delta card front and center in people’s wallets (and virtual wallets). They’re hoping that people won’t bother to take the card out of the sock drawer once a month for a Resy dining credit and will instead just use the card all the time for dining (what a waste when people do that!). They’re hoping that people will set and forget their rideshare accounts to use their Delta card all the time. I think that the assumption of breakage is how they pay for these changes.
AA would like its cards front and center in customers’ wallets as well. But, AA has taken a very different approach. Being in the hobby and knowing what I know, Delta’s approach “feels” like purposeful abuse towards its customers . . . it offends the sensibilities. And, rather than putting Delta’s cards front and center in my wallet, that feeling of purposeful abuse will have me not renewing any of our Delta credit cards.
Interesting take Lee. What do you like about AA’s implementation here that Delta lacks?
I’m CLT based, so EXP and a regular AA flyer. I think AA is underrated relative to other carriers, esp the value obtainable from their miles (where DL is weaker).
Then again, AA doesn’t give the kind of credit for *carrying* their CCs like the revised DL program does (at least for 2024).
Hi Greg, 2 quick questions. You say round trip only, so 1 way flights won’t work? Do you get the companion fare on your first year anniversary, or a few weeks later after you pay the annual fee? Thank you.
I’m not able to book an actual one-way ticket with mine. So, one must book a round-trip ticket and simply not show up for the return flight. Stupid but true.
The companion certificate vests at some point in the (call it) 30 days immediately following your approval anniversary date. Your annual fee typically hits at the end of your 13th month (roughly). So, the companion certificate vests prior to the renewal becoming payable or non-refundable.
Hope this helps.
Thank you Lee 🙂
Yep, as Lee said, it is possible (or at least has been possible in the past) to wait until the companion cert is deposited and then cancel or downgrade. You’ll still keep the cert.
While this may still be true, note that there is language in the card T&Cs as follows: “Delta reserves the right to cancel, rescind, or void any Companion Certificate if the Card is cancelled or downgraded within 60 days of the date that the Annual Fee is billed to the Card.”
This has never happened to me. Doesn’t mean they’ll never do it.
Are they really not going to update the certificates issued in the first 4 weeks of the year? That’s absurd. Then we should be able to continue to book D1.
Correct, that’s my understanding.
Do you know if its ever really been possible to book D1 with the old certs? I haven’t had any luck in trying to.
Yes I just flew D1 on a cert from JFK to SFO. Older product but still great!
Good to know!
Just wondering—I know the primary ticket cannot be a SkyMiles award redemption, but how about pay with points? I thought that was essentially treated as a paid ticket.
No, they don’t offer that option either.
No, and you can’t use Gift cards either, but you CAN use e-credits with the companion cert. If you have Gift cards, book a flight with the GC, wait MORE than 24 hours, cancel the itinerary to get an e-Credit and then you can use that with the Companion cert. Might have to call in to have it booked though.