American Express Platinum Card® vs. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card: Premium Cards, Smarter Travel
5 Min Read | Last updated: June 4, 2026
Compare the American Express Platinum Card® and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card, and learn which option best suits your travel style.
At-A-Glance
- The American Express Platinum Card® is a global travel card that offers luxury perks, extensive lounge access, hotel credits, and lifestyle rewards.
- The American Express Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card prioritizes loyal Delta fliers with Companion Certificates, Medallion® status boosts, up to two free checked bags, rideshare credits, and more.
- The right Card for you depends on whether you want broad luxury travel benefits or Delta-specific advantages.
If you’re a frequent traveler looking for more refined travel experiences, the American Express Platinum Card® and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Cards could be your ticket to luxury. Platinum lets you travel in style and comfort around the world, no matter who you fly with, while the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card helps Delta fliers save and access premium experiences.
Let’s take a closer look at how each Card stacks up in respective fees, rewards, and travel benefits to decide which works better for you.
The Platinum Card
As a cream-of-the-crop, catch-all luxury rewards card, the American Express Platinum Card may best suit travelers who seek premium benefits in all corners of the world for an annual fee of $895.1 Let’s examine some of its highlights.2
Rewards
With the American Express Platinum Card, the rewards you receive for spending are on another level. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly through airlines or with Amex Travel, on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year. Of course, when you land, you usually need somewhere to stay, and the Platinum Card lets you earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.
Travel Perks
Whether you’re in Tokyo or Chicago, the American Express Platinum Card opens doors for you on your travels. It gives you access to the Global Lounge Collection®, which means you can relax in over 1,550 airport lounges in 140 countries worldwide, featuring lounge providers like Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges, plus Delta Sky Club® Lounges when you fly with Delta.3
Card Members also receive $300 back in semi-annual statement credits on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel. With the $200 Airline Fee Credit, you’ll also get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for airline fees after you charge incidental airline fees from your one selected qualifying airline to your Card.4
American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
If you’re not feeling up for a rental car on your travels, don’t worry: Card Members get $120 in statement credits each calendar year after they purchase an auto-renewing Uber One membership with their Card.
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
If you fly Delta all the time, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card could deliver you serious perks and savings. Here are some of its travel benefits and rewards.4
Rewards
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card brings plenty of earning power to make sure you save on future travels. Earn 3X miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta, 3X miles on hotel bookings made directly with hotels, 2X miles on dining at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), 2X miles on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, and 1X miles on other eligible purchases. When it’s time for your next flight, you can redeem miles for major savings.
Travel Perks
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card has your back when you’re flying Delta.
For starters, after renewing your Card for the first time, you get a Companion Certificate for Delta Main cabin flights, allowing you to bring a guest with you round-trip to domestic, Mexico, Caribbean, or Central American destinations by just paying fees and taxes. The Card also gets you closer to Medallion Status with Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) Headstart and Boost, earning you 2,500 MQDs each Medallion Qualification Year and 1 MQD every time you spend $20 on purchases with your Card.
The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
Additionally, you can earn up to $10 back each month after your first Card renewal when using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.
Plus, Basic Card Members can check two bags for free on domestic Delta flights. If you are traveling with a guest on the same reservation, they can also check their first bag for free.
Card Members also elevate their travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using their Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com. Terms apply.
Rewards Side-by-Side Comparison:
| Amex Platinum Card | Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $8951 See rates and fees. | $3505 |
| Lounge Access | Global Lounge Collection (Centurion, Priority Pass Select membership, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight, and other select partners) | None |
| Hotel Credits | $600 annual hotel credit (get up to $300 back in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel) | None |
| Airline Benefits | $200 annual airline fee credit (up to $200 back per calendar year after incidental fees are charged by your one select airline) | First Bag Free + Second Bag Free; Zone 5 Priority Boarding; $150 Delta Stays Credit1 |
| Companion Certificate | Not included | Main Cabin round-trip (within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America) each year after Card renewal (requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees, baggage charges and other restrictions apply, Delta Basic experiences not eligible) |
| Earning Rates | 5X on flights (booked with airlines or on Amex Travel on up to $500,000 per year), 5X on prepaid hotels (booked through Amex Travel) | 3X on Delta purchases made directly with Delta, 3X on purchases made directly with hotels, 2X on dining (at restaurants including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), 2X on groceries at U.S. supermarkets |
| Best Fit | Global luxury travelers | Loyal Delta flyers seeking airline perks |
Frequently Asked Questions
The American Express Platinum Card and the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card are different cards with different benefits. The Amex Platinum Card may benefit travelers who prefer broader amenities when they’re traveling, and the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card might provide more advantages to frequent Delta flyers.
The American Express Platinum Card doesn’t directly earn you Medallion Status through spending, but it does give you access to Delta Sky Clubs when you’re flying with Delta. The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card are both quality options for Card Members who value gaining Medallion Status.
Thanks to global lounge access in over 140 countries, more valuable hotel statement credits, and other benefits like airline fee statement credits, the American Express Platinum Card may be a better option for frequent international travelers. If you’re frequently flying internationally on Delta flights, however, the Delta Platinum Card is also an excellent choice.
The Takeaway
When deciding between these two elevated travel Cards, you can consider your travel style and preferences. If you value lounge access around the world, premium hotel benefits, and a diverse set of travel credits, then the American Express Platinum Card may be the Card for you. If you’re a frequent Delta flyer who wants access to quality perks and earn miles toward your next Delta flight, you may prefer the Delta Platinum Card.
In either case, becoming an Amex Card Member opens doors for you at home and abroad.
1 For more on Rates and Fees for the American Express Platinum Card, click here.
2 For more on Offer and Benefit Terms for the American Express Platinum Card, click here.
3 "Global Lounge Collection," American Express
4 For more on Offer and Benefit Terms for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card, click here.
5 For more on Rates and Fees for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card, click here.
Scott Drueding Hanson is a content writer and copywriter based in Brooklyn. His work focuses primarily on personal finance.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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