Suppose you are on the lookout for the most effective advantages a bank card can present to vacationers who often fly Delta. In that case, you could assume the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card could be greatest since it is the top-tier cobranded Delta client card.
Nevertheless, it is price evaluating the Delta Reserve to The Platinum Card® from American Specific with a purpose to decide which is the greatest card for Delta flyers.
Let’s evaluation these playing cards that can assist you determine which is greatest for you as you intend your future journeys.
Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve comparability
| Amex Platinum | Delta Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible to earn as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of cardmembership. Welcome presents range and also you is probably not eligible for a proposal. | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. Supply ends July 16. |
| Incomes charges |
|
|
| TPG’s July 2025 valuation | 2 cents every | 1.15 cents every |
| Annual charge | $695 (see charges and charges) | $650 (see charges and charges) |
| Lounge entry | Entry to many lounges via the American Specific World Lounge Assortment, together with:
Enrollment required for choose card advantages; phrases apply |
Entry to Delta Sky Membership lounges (15 visits yearly, limitless visits after $75,000 in spending in a calendar 12 months)
4 one-time visitor passes for the Delta Sky Membership upon account opening and every Medallion 12 months thereafter (when flying Delta), then $50 per individual per go to Entry to Centurion Lounges (when flying Delta) Enrollment required for choose card advantages; phrases apply |
| Different standout advantages |
Enrollment required for choose card advantages; phrases apply |
Enrollment required for choose card advantages; phrases apply |
*Enrollment within the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required.
Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve welcome bonus
Discover out your Amex Platinum provide and see if you’re eligible to earn as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome presents range and also you is probably not eligible for a proposal.
Primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, Membership Rewards factors are price 2 cents every, making this welcome bonus price as much as $3,500.
The Delta Reserve at present presents new cardmembers the possibility to earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. That is the greatest provide we have seen on the cardboard. This provide ends July 16.
Primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, Delta miles are price 1.15 every, making this welcome bonus price $1,150.
Winner: Amex Platinum. The welcome provide is price extra, and the cardboard earns transferable factors that may be transferred to a number of airline and resort companions, together with Delta.
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Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve advantages
Whereas it has many helpful perks, the one Delta-specific profit you will get with the Amex Platinum is entry to Delta Sky Membership lounges when flying Delta.
Nevertheless, entry is proscribed to 10 day visits per calendar 12 months until you spent at the very least $75,000 within the earlier calendar 12 months. Cardmembers may additionally carry as much as two friends at a per-visit price of $50 per individual per location.
As anticipated, the Delta Reserve presents 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. Like with the Amex Platinum, you will get limitless Sky Membership entry after spending $75,000 in a calendar 12 months.
As well as, cardmembers obtain 4 one-time visitor passes for the Delta Sky Membership every Medallion 12 months (when flying Delta). After that, friends will value $50 per visitor.
You may additionally get complimentary entry to American Specific Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket bought on the Delta Reserve. You may carry as much as two friends into the Centurion Lounge with you for a charge of $50 every.
The Amex Platinum presents limitless entry to Centurion Lounges, no matter which airline you are flying. Company are nonetheless charged $50 per, until you spend $75,000 in a calendar 12 months.
Delta Reserve advantages embody many assertion credit and complimentary Hertz President’s Circle standing. The assertion credit embody:
- As much as $240 Resy credit score each calendar 12 months (as much as $20 in assertion credit month-to-month) towards eating at U.S. eating places
- As much as $120 ride-hailing credit score every calendar 12 months (as much as $10 assertion credit month-to-month) with choose U.S. suppliers.
- As much as $200 Delta Stays assertion credit score for resort bookings each calendar 12 months
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
- Precedence boarding
- Companion certificates every year after your account anniversary: Legitimate for one round-trip first-class,*Delta Consolation+ or Major Cabin companion ticket whenever you pay taxes and charges on the award ticket and buy an grownup round-trip to all 50 U.S. states, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
- Low cost on inflight purchases: 20% financial savings within the type of an announcement credit score for eligible pre-purchased meals and inflight purchases of meals and drinks on Delta-operated flights
Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.
An vital benefit of the Delta Reserve is the MQD Headstart, which provides cardmembers 2,500 MQDs towards standing qualification firstly of the 12 months and the power to earn 1 MQD for each $10 spent on the cardboard.
That is a formidable advantage of the cardboard and is a method to earn or significantly help you in incomes elite standing with Delta.
Additionally notice that among the Delta Reserve’s advantages are additionally obtainable on the lower-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Specific Card (see charges and charges).
Winner: Delta Reserve. As indicated by its cobranded standing, the Delta Reserve presents many extra Delta-specific advantages than the Amex Platinum.
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Incomes rewards with the Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve
The Amex Platinum earns 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked immediately with airways or via Amex Journey (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback spent) and pay as you go accommodations booked on AmexTravel.com.
Primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this implies you will get a formidable 10% return on this spending.
You may additionally earn 1 Membership Rewards level per greenback spent on every part else, which equates to a 2% return.
The Delta Reserve earns 3 SkyMiles per greenback spent on Delta purchases, which equates to a 3.45% return primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations. You may earn 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases, which supplies solely a 1.15% return.
Winner: Amex Platinum. The Delta Reserve’s price of return is not aggressive even on Delta purchases.
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Redeeming rewards with the Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve
The Amex Platinum earns American Specific Membership Rewards factors. You may get the most effective worth out of your Membership Rewards factors whenever you switch them to one in every of Amex’s journey companions after which redeem them via the companion for flights or resort nights.
Different redemption choices exist, however all of them present lower than TPG’s July 2025 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. Air Canada Aeroplan is a switch companion of Amex Membership Rewards.
The Delta Reserve earns Delta SkyMiles, which might be irritating to make use of resulting from dynamic award pricing. However there are nonetheless some nice methods to get worth from Delta miles. For instance, Delta presents comparatively frequent flash gross sales.
It’s also possible to use Delta miles to improve to the following class of service. There are additionally nice candy spots for flying worldwide companion airways with SkyMiles. All SkyTeam companions, reminiscent of Air France and Korean Air, can be found for award redemptions, in addition to some nonalliance companions.
TPG engineering supervisor Zoe Jablow just lately redeemed 6,400 SkyMiles for a one-way flight between Santiago and Mendoza. She remembers that money costs hovered at round $300 one-way, which means she achieved roughly 4.7 cents per level with this redemption.
Winner: Amex Platinum. Membership Rewards factors might be transferred to a number of airline and resort companions, together with Delta, so you might have much more flexibility when utilizing your rewards.
Associated: How (and why) it is best to earn transferable bank card factors in 2025
Ought to I get the Amex Platinum or Delta Reserve?
Generally, the Amex Platinum would be the most suitable option for Delta vacationers resulting from its increased earn price on Delta purchases and wider-reaching advantages. Nevertheless, if you’re targeted on Delta elite standing, then the Delta Reserve is worthy of consideration.
Backside line
The Delta Reserve is a more sensible choice for Delta flyers searching for to realize or keep elite standing. Nevertheless, in the event you’d want a card that grants Delta, Centurion and companion lounge entry plus the power to earn versatile Membership Rewards factors, then the Amex Platinum has the higher hand.
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluations of the Amex Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Reserve.
Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Specific
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card
For charges and charges of the Delta Reserve, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta Platinum, click on right here.
