American Express Platinum vs. Delta Reserve card s...

Suppose you are on the lookout for the perfect advantages a bank card can present to vacationers who continuously fly Delta. In that case, it’s possible you’ll assume the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card could be finest since it is the top-tier cobranded Delta consumer card.

Then again, what about The Platinum Card® from American Express? It is one other top-tier premium card that provides some stellar advantages to frequent vacationers.

It is essential to match them to find out which is best for Delta flyers, particularly after the Amex Platinum card’s latest refresh.

Let’s evaluation these playing cards that will help you determine which is finest for you as you propose your future journeys.

Discover out your Amex Platinum supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords differ, and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion.

Based mostly on TPG’s valuations, Membership Rewards factors are price 2 cents every, making this welcome bonus price as much as $3,500.

The Delta Reserve presently affords new cardmembers the possibility to earn 125,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. This supply ends Oct. 29.

Based mostly on TPG’s valuations, Delta miles are price 1.15 every, making this welcome bonus price $1,438.

Keep in mind that Amex solely means that you can earn one welcome bonus per card in a lifetime, so ensure you get the absolute best supply for the cardboard you wish to apply for.

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Winner: Amex Platinum. The welcome supply is price extra, and the cardboard earns transferable factors that may be transferred to a number of airline and lodge companions, together with Delta.

Whereas it has many helpful perks, the one Delta-specific profit you will get with the Amex Platinum is access to Delta Sky Club lounges when flying Delta.

Entry is proscribed to 10 day visits per calendar yr, however you may get limitless entry after spending $75,000 in a calendar yr. Cardmembers might also carry as much as two friends at a per-visit fee of $50 per individual per location.

The Amex Platinum affords limitless entry to Centurion Lounges for eligible cardmembers, no matter which airline you are flying.

The Delta Reserve affords many Delta-specific perks, beginning with entry to Delta Sky Membership lounges. Cardmembers obtain 15 annual visits to Delta Sky Membership lounges when touring on same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flights.

That is 5 greater than the Amex Platinum. Much like it, you will get limitless Sky Membership entry after spending $75,000 in a calendar yr.

As well as, cardmembers obtain 4 one-time visitor passes for the Delta Sky Membership every Medallion yr (when flying Delta). After that, a visitor move is $50 per visitor.

You may additionally get complimentary entry to American Specific Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket bought utilizing the Delta Reserve. You may carry as much as two friends into the lounge with you for a price of $50 every.

The advantages trade-off to consider is that the Amex Platinum is taken into account extra of a basic journey and way of life card. Some notable advantages that got here with the cardboard’s newest refresh embody (enrollment is required for choose advantages):

• As much as $600 in hotel statement credits per calendar yr (as much as $300 semi-annually), legitimate on pay as you go Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Resort Assortment bookings (of two nights or extra) whenever you pay together with your Amex Platinum
• As much as a $400 Resy assertion credit score (as much as $100 every quarter) per calendar yr for eating at eligible U.S. eating places
• As much as a $300 assertion credit score for Lululemon purchases per calendar yr (as much as $75 per quarter; U.S. shops and on-line solely; shops excluded)

The Delta Reserve’s notable assertion credit embody:

• As much as $240 Resy credit each calendar yr (as much as $20 in assertion credit month-to-month) towards eating at U.S. eating places
• As much as $200 Delta Stays assertion credit score for lodge bookings each calendar yr
• As much as $120 ride-hailing credit score every calendar yr (as much as $10 assertion credit month-to-month) with choose U.S. suppliers

Different Delta-specific advantages embody:

• First checked bag free: First checked bag free on Delta flights for you and as much as eight companions touring with you in your reservation
• Companion certificates after account anniversary: Legitimate for one round-trip first-class, Consolation or Most important Cabin companion ticket whenever you pay taxes and costs on the award ticket and buy an grownup round-trip to all 50 U.S. states, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico
• Low cost on inflight purchases: 20% financial savings within the type of a press release credit score for eligible pre-purchased meals and inflight purchases of meals and drinks on Delta-operated flights
• Priority boarding: Applies to the first cardmember and as much as eight passengers on the identical reservation
• 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights

Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

An essential benefit of the Delta Reserve is the MQD Headstart, which provides cardmembers 2,500 MQDs towards standing qualification initially of the yr and the flexibility to earn 1 MQD for each $10 spent on the cardboard.

That is a formidable profit and a solution to earn or significantly help you in incomes elite standing with Delta.

Additionally notice that a few of the Delta Reserve’s advantages are additionally accessible on the lower-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (see rates and fees).

The Amex Platinum has fewer Delta perks, which suggests cardmembers want to maximise its Delta advantages and the cardboard’s different perks to actually get full worth from the cardboard.

Winner: Delta Reserve. As indicated by its cobranded standing, the Delta Reserve affords many extra Delta-specific advantages than the Amex Platinum.

Associated: How to use credit cards to defeat basic economy

The Amex Platinum earns

• 5 factors per greenback spent on flights booked instantly with airways or by means of Amex Travel (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback spent) and 5 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go motels booked on AmexTravel.com
• 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases

Based mostly on TPG’s valuations, this implies you will get a formidable 10% return on Amex Journey or direct airline purchases (as much as the spending cap) and a 2% return on all different purchases.

The Delta Reserve earns:

• 3 miles per greenback spent on Delta purchases (3.45% return primarily based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations)
• 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases (1.15% return)

As a cobranded card, the Delta Reserve’s incomes fee is weak in comparison with the Amex Platinum. The first advantage of spending on the Delta Reserve card is regularly incomes MQDs.

Winner: Amex Platinum. The Delta Reserve’s fee of return is not aggressive even on Delta purchases.

Associated: Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights

The Amex Platinum earns American Express Membership Rewards points. You may get the perfect worth out of your Membership Rewards factors whenever you switch them to one among Amex’s journey companions after which redeem them by means of the companion for flights or lodge stays.

Different redemption choices exist, however all of them present lower than TPG’s valuation of Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents apiece.

TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed took benefit of Aeroplan’s distance and region-based award chart to e book a multicity business-class ticket from Madrid to Istanbul with a one-week stopover in Zurich for 25,000 factors. Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan at a ratio of 1:1.

The Delta Reserve earns Delta SkyMiles, which could be irritating to make use of attributable to dynamic award pricing. However there are nonetheless some nice methods to get value from Delta miles.

For instance, Delta affords comparatively frequent flash gross sales.

You may also use Delta miles to upgrade to the subsequent class of service. There are additionally nice candy spots for flying worldwide companion airways with SkyMiles.

All SkyTeam companions, similar to Air France and Korean Air, can be found for award redemptions, in addition to some nonalliance companions.

Winner: Amex Platinum. Membership Rewards factors could be transferred to a number of airline and lodge companions, together with Delta, so you could have much more flexibility when utilizing your rewards.

Associated: How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points

On the whole, the Amex Platinum would be the best option for Delta vacationers attributable to its increased earn fee on Delta purchases and wider-reaching advantages, together with extra in depth lounge entry. Nevertheless, for those who’re centered on Delta elite standing and wish to maximize the cardboard’s companion certificates, then the Delta Reserve is worthy of consideration.

To study extra, learn our full opinions of the Amex Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Reserve.

Apply right here: Amex Platinum
Apply right here: Delta Reserve

For charges and costs of the Delta Reserve, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Delta Platinum, click on here.