Suppose you are searching for the very best advantages a bank card can present to vacationers who often fly Delta. In that case, it’s possible you’ll assume the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Categorical Card could be greatest since it is the top-tier cobranded Delta client card.
Nonetheless, it is value evaluating the Delta Reserve to The Platinum Card® from American Categorical to find out which is the greatest card for Delta flyers.
Let’s evaluate these playing cards that can assist you resolve which is greatest for you as you intend your future journeys.
Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve comparability
| Amex Platinum | Delta Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Earn 80,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 in purchases in your first six months of card membership. You is likely to be focused for a better supply by the CardMatch instrument. Presents might change at any time, and also you will not be focused for a similar supply as one other particular person. | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. |
| Incomes charges |
|
|
| TPG’s February 2025 valuation | 2 cents every | 1.2 cents every |
| Annual charge | $695 (see charges and costs) | $650 (see charges and costs) |
| Lounge entry | Entry to many lounges by the American Categorical World Lounge Assortment, together with:
Enrollment required for choose card advantages; phrases apply |
Entry to Delta Sky Membership lounges (15 visits yearly)
4 one-time visitor passes for the Delta Sky Membership upon account opening and every year upon account renewal (when flying Delta), then $50 per particular person 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
The Amex Platinum at the moment presents a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 within the first six months.
Primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations, Membership Rewards factors are value 2 cents every, making this welcome bonus value $1,600.
The Delta Reserve at the moment presents 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership.
TPG’s February 2025 valuations worth Delta miles at 1.2 cents every, so this welcome bonus is value $1,200.
Winner: Amex Platinum. The welcome supply is value 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.
Nonetheless, entry is proscribed to 10 day visits per calendar 12 months except you spent no less than $75,000 within the earlier calendar 12 months. Cardmembers might also convey as much as two visitors at a per-visit price of $50 per particular person 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.
As well as, cardmembers obtain 4 one-time visitor passes for the Delta Sky Membership (when flying Delta) after which $50 per particular person per go to.
Cardmembers are restricted to fifteen day visits to Delta Sky Membership lounges every calendar 12 months, 5 greater than the Amex Platinum — once more, except they spent no less than $75,000 within the earlier calendar 12 months.
You will additionally get complimentary entry to American Categorical Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket bought on the Delta Reserve. You possibly can convey as much as two visitors 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.
Delta Reserve advantages embrace many assertion credit and complimentary Hertz President’s Circle standing. The assertion credit embrace:
- As much as $240 annual Resy credit score each calendar 12 months (as much as $20 month-to-month) towards eating at U.S. eating places
- As much as $120 annual ride-hailing credit score every calendar 12 months (as much as $10 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 embrace:
- 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, Premium Choose, Delta Consolation+ or 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, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
- 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
Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.
An vital benefit of the Delta Reserve is the MQD Headstart, which supplies cardmembers 2,500 MQDs towards standing qualification in the beginning 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 strategy to earn or drastically help you in incomes elite standing with Delta.
Winner: Delta Reserve. As indicated by its cobranded standing, the Delta Reserve presents many extra Delta-specific advantages than the Amex Platinum.
Additionally observe that a number of the Delta Reserve’s advantages are additionally accessible on the lower-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Categorical Card (see charges and costs).
Associated: Learn how to use bank cards to defeat fundamental economic system
Incomes rewards with the Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve
The Amex Platinum earns 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked instantly with airways or by American Categorical Journey (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback spent) and pay as you go inns booked on AmexTravel.com.
Primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations, this implies you will get a formidable 10% return on this spending.
You will additionally earn 1 Membership Rewards level per greenback spent on every thing else, which equates to a 2% return.
The Delta Reserve earns 3 Delta miles per greenback spent on Delta purchases, which equates to a 3.6% return primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations. You will earn 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases, which gives solely a 1.2% return.
Winner: Amex Platinum. The Delta Reserve’s price of return is not aggressive even on Delta purchases. The Amex Platinum beats the Delta Reserve on each Delta purchases and on a regular basis purchases.
Associated: The perfect bank cards for airfare purchases
Redeeming rewards with the Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve
The Amex Platinum earns American Categorical Membership Rewards factors. You will get the very best worth out of your Membership Rewards factors whenever you switch them to one in every of Amex’s journey companions after which redeem them by the associate for flights or resort nights.
There are different redemption choices, however all of them present lower than TPG’s February 2025 valuation of Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents apiece.
TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed lately took benefit of Aeroplan’s distance and region-based award chart to e book a lie-flat business-class ticket on Turkish Airways for 45,000 factors from Barcelona to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Air Canada Aeroplan is a switch associate of Amex Membership Rewards.
The Delta Reserve earns Delta miles, which might be irritating to make use of attributable to 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 associate airways with SkyMiles. All SkyTeam companions, comparable to Air France and Korean Air, can be found for award redemptions, in addition to some nonalliance companions.
Winner: Amex Platinum. Membership Rewards factors might be transferred to a number of airline and resort companions, together with Delta, so you will have much more flexibility when utilizing your rewards.
Associated: A information to incomes transferable factors
Ought to I get the Amex Platinum or Delta Reserve?
Typically, the Amex Platinum would be the most suitable option for Delta vacationers attributable to its larger earn price on Delta purchases and its wider-reaching advantages. Nonetheless, if you’re centered 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 attain or keep elite standing. Nonetheless, when you’d want a card that grants Delta, Centurion and associate 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 Amex Platinum full evaluate and the Delta Reserve full evaluate.
Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Categorical
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Categorical Card
Associated: Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
For charges and costs of the Delta Reserve, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Delta Platinum, click on right here.
