Neither the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card come cheap, but if you’re looking for premium airline benefits with Delta Air Lines, both fit the bill.
In some ways, that makes the decision harder: You win either way. So choosing which card is best for you depends on whether you’ll use enough of the Reserve’s added perks to justify its extra cost.
Choose the Delta Platinum for its lower $350 annual fee (see rates and fees) and better everyday earning. For travelers more focused on Sky Club access, faster Medallion status earning and a companion certificate valid in premium cabins, the $650-per-year Delta Reserve (see rates and fees) makes more sense.
Delta Platinum vs. Delta Reserve: At a glance
| Delta Platinum | Delta Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| <strong>Welcome offer</strong> | Apply and find out if your welcome offer is as high as 90,000 bonus miles, plus earn a $300 statement credit after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. You may not be eligible for the maximum offer amount. Offer ends Nov. 4 | Earn two domestic round-trip Delta Comfort Flight Certificates (valid for travel to the U.S. 48, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands) and 50,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. A 21+ day advance purchase is required; up to $80 per person in taxes and fees apply. Other restrictions apply. Offer ends Nov. 4. |
| <strong>Annual fee</strong> | $350 | $650 |
| <strong>Authorized user fee</strong> | $0 | $175 for each additional Delta Reserve card |
Quick picks by traveler type
| Best for | Card |
|---|---|
| Cardholders who want bonus miles on hotels, dining and U.S. supermarket purchases | Delta Platinum |
| Frequent Delta flyers looking for a lower annual fee | Delta Platinum |
| Frequent Delta flyers who want Sky Club access | Delta Reserve |
| Travelers who want more premium-cabin flexibility from a companion certificate | Delta Reserve |
Delta Platinum vs. Delta Reserve: Welcome offer
Since American Express only allows you to earn a welcome offer on each of its credit cards once in a lifetime, you want to apply when the bonus is high.
Luckily, both cards currently have compelling offers:
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum: Apply and find out if your welcome offer is as high as 90,000 bonus miles, plus earn a $300 statement credit after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. You may not be eligible for the maximum offer amount. Offer ends Nov. 4.
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve: Earn two domestic round-trip Delta Comfort Flight Certificates (valid for travel to the U.S. 48, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands) and 50,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. A 21+ day advance purchase is required; up to $80 per person in taxes and fees apply. Other restrictions apply. Offer ends Nov. 4.
TPG’s October 2026 valuations place Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents each, putting the Delta Platinum welcome offer at up to $1,380 (including the statement credit) and the Delta Reserve welcome miles at $600. The Reserve’s Comfort Flight Certificates could add considerable value, but their restrictions and expiration dates make that value less predictable.
Winner: Delta Platinum. Though the Reserve’s offer is valuable, it’s less flexible than miles and the offer requires more card spending.
Delta Platinum vs. Delta Reserve: Benefits
| Delta Platinum | Delta Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| <strong>Shared Delta benefits</strong> | <ul> <li>First checked bag free for the cardmember (and up to eight companions) traveling on the same reservation and a second checked bag free for the cardmember (and up to eight eligible Delta card-carrying companions) traveling on the same reservation on a domestic Delta-operated flight</li> <li>Earn 2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) toward status qualification at the start of the Medallion Qualification year</li> <li>20% off inflight purchases in the form of statement credits</li> <li>15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card)</li> </ul> |
<ul> <li>First checked bag free for the cardmember (and up to eight companions) traveling on the same reservation and a second checked bag free for the cardmember (and up to eight eligible Delta card-carrying companions) traveling on the same reservation on a domestic Delta-operated flight</li> <li>Earn 2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars toward status qualification at the start of the Medallion Qualification year</li> <li>20% off inflight purchases in the form of statement credits</li> <li>15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card)</li> </ul> |
| <strong>Companion certificate</strong> | Receive a companion certificate each year after you renew your card for a Delta Main round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America | <span style=”color: #000000;”>Receive a companion certificate each year after you renew your card for a Delta First, Delta Comfort or Delta Main round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America </span> |
| <strong>Lounge access</strong><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong><br> </strong></span> |
N/A | <ul> <li>Access to Amex Centurion Lounges (when flying Delta and booking your flight with the Delta Reserve)</li> <li>Access to Delta Sky Club lounges (15 visits each Medallion year, unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year to unlock unlimited access)</li> <li>Four one-time guest passes for the Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta) each Medallion year, then $50 per person per visit</li> </ul> |
| <strong>Statement credits</strong> | <ul> <li>Up to $150 in Delta Stays credits per calendar year</li> <li>Up to $120 annual Resy statement credit each calendar year (up to $10 monthly) for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants</li> <li>Up to $120 ride-hailing statement credit each calendar year (up to $10 monthly) with select U.S. providers</li> <li>A $120 statement credit for Global Entry or an up to $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck once every four years</li> </ul> |
<ul> <li>Up to $200 in Delta Stays credits per calendar year</li> <li>Up to $240 annual Resy statement credit each calendar year (up to $20 monthly) for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants</li> <li>Up to $120 ride-hailing statement credit each calendar year (up to $10 monthly) with select U.S. providers<br> A $120 statement credit for Global Entry or an up to $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck once every four years</li> </ul> |
| <strong>Hertz status</strong> | <span style=”color: #000000;”>Complimentary Hertz Five Star status*<br> </span> |
<span style=”color: #000000;”>Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status*</span> |
Enrollment is required for select benefits.
*Enrollment in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required.
Companion certificates
Both cards come with an annual companion certificate for flights to all 50 U.S. states, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. With the companion certificate, you can buy one ticket and get the second for the cost of government-imposed taxes and fees between $22 and $250. Flights can have up to four segments.
However, the cabins you’re eligible to book differ.
- Delta Platinum: Delta Main only
- Delta Reserve: Delta First, Delta Comfort or Delta Main
The ability to use your Reserve companion certificate for upgraded seats makes it more valuable in theory. TPG editor-in-chief Nick Ewen previously saved about $1,200 with a single Reserve companion certificate, though it required splurging on Delta First for the first passenger’s ticket. For travelers who can only justify booking Delta Main, both cards accomplish essentially the same thing.
And if you’re a solo traveler? A companion certificate in any cabin may not carry much weight.
Lounge access
Another prominent difference between the two cards is Delta Sky Club access, which is only offered by the Delta Reserve card:
- 15 visits to Sky Clubs each Medallion year when traveling on same-day Delta-marketed flights, unless the cardmember spends at least $75,000 in a calendar year, in which case they’ll get unlimited access
- Four one-time guest passes for Sky Clubs — after that, guests will be charged $50 per person per visit
- Unlimited access to Amex Centurion Lounges when flying Delta and booking your flight with the Delta Reserve
If lounge access is your primary reason for considering the Reserve and you use all 15 Sky Club visits, the $300 annual-fee difference works out to $20 per trip before accounting for any of the card’s other added benefits.
Other Delta travel benefits
These cards overlap in Delta benefits more than their annual fees suggest. Both cards provide the same checked bag benefits, award discounts, inflight savings and Medallion qualification dollars headstart. For travelers who mainly want to save on bags, stretch their SkyMiles and get an annual boost toward Medallion status, the Platinum delivers routine Delta value for a more palatable annual fee.
Winner: Delta Reserve, assuming you’re a traveler who consistently uses Sky Clubs and redeems the companion certificate for premium-cabin travel.
How to earn and redeem miles with the Delta Platinum vs. Delta Reserve
| Earning category | Delta Platinum | Delta Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| <strong>Eligible Delta purchases</strong> | 3 miles per dollar spent | 3 miles per dollar spent |
| <strong>Purchases made directly with hotels</strong> | 3 miles per dollar spent | 1 mile per dollar spent |
| <strong>Restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.</strong> | 2 miles per dollar spent | 1 mile per dollar spent |
| <strong>U.S. supermarkets</strong> | 2 miles per dollar spent | 1 mile per dollar spent |
| <strong>All other purchases</strong> | 1 mile per dollar spent | 1 mile per dollar spent |
Earning miles
Both cards earn 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases. That parity is one of the Delta Reserve’s biggest shortcomings: Despite charging a substantially higher annual fee, it won’t help you accumulate SkyMiles any faster when buying Delta airfare.
Similarly, both cards provide 2,500 MQDs through MQD Headstart at the start of the Medallion Qualification year.
The Delta Platinum actually earns miles faster because it rewards several everyday spending categories.
That leaves the Reserve as a better card for someone who wants travel benefits but isn’t focused on using it for everyday spending.
Medallion status earning
Both cards provide 2,500 MQDs through MQD Headstart at the start of the Medallion Qualification year, but they differ in how quickly you earn additional MQDs through spending.
- Delta Platinum: Earn 1 MQD for every $20 spent
- Delta Reserve: Earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent
That means the Delta Reserve earns MQDs twice as fast.
However, that faster status progress may require giving up redeemable miles. For example, $10,000 in restaurant or U.S. supermarket purchases would earn 20,000 SkyMiles and 500 MQDs on the Platinum but only 10,000 miles and 1,000 MQDs on the Reserve.
If you’re close to the next Medallion tier, that might be a fair trade. But if you’re far from the next threshold or can earn status without leaning on credit card spending, choosing the Reserve for your payments is much harder to justify.
Winner: The Delta Platinum offers a stronger range of earning opportunities, unless MQDs are a top priority.
Redeeming miles
SkyMiles earned from both the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve cards can be used toward travel on Delta flights or partner airlines. That includes SkyTeam members such as Air France-KLMand Virgin Atlantic, as well as nonalliance partners like WestJet.
Since Delta uses a dynamic award pricing system, redemption rates fluctuate greatly. More often than not, I find Main Cabin redemptions a better value than Delta’s premium awards, which can be priced well into six figures. Flash sales offer especially impressive discounts.
Though not luxurious, I love using Delta SkyMiles to book nonstop flights from Denver to Boston to visit family. These seats are often less than 8,000 miles each way, even when booking with only three or four weeks’ notice. They’re also usually ticketed in Delta Main rather than Delta Main Basic, so they can be changed or canceled without penalty.
Eligible award tickets booked and paid for using a Delta cobranded card receive a 15% discount on the required miles, further bringing down the redemption cost.
Winner: Tie, as both cards redeem miles in the same way.
Can I have both the Delta Platinum and the Delta Reserve?
You’re allowed to have both of these Delta credit cards, but they share many of the same benefits. Because of that, most Delta travelers will want to focus on just one or the other rather than paying $1,000 in combined annual fees.
If you expect to use enough of each card’s unique benefits to apply for both, keep in mind you may not qualify for two welcome offers even if you’re approved for both cards. The Delta Amex cards you currently hold (or have previously held) may affect your eligibility. If you think you’d eventually like both cards, you may have better luck starting with the Delta Platinum. Amex cardmembers who have or had the Reserve are usually not eligible for the Platinum’s welcome offer.
Eligible applicants may instead target one personal Delta card and one business Delta card. This lets you double up on valuable benefits, such as annual companion certificates and statement credits, while taking advantage of different earning categories.
Importantly, neither of these cards is designed for casual use. If you don’t need extensive Delta benefits, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card may suit you better. It’s a cheaper card that still includes numerous helpful airline perks. If your loyalty isn’t absolute, American Express Membership Rewards cards earn points that can be transferred to Delta, but with general travel benefits instead of Delta-specific ones.
Should I get the Delta Platinum or Delta Reserve?
Despite both offering premium Delta perks, these cards aren’t interchangeable. The Delta Platinum is a better fit for card spending thanks to its broader bonus categories. Plus, it has a lower annual fee, so it can be a good choice even if your travel patterns occasionally include different airlines.
The Delta Reserve makes more sense when Delta is your default airline and Medallion status is a deliberate goal. It includes lounge access (subject to limitations) that the Delta Platinum can’t compete with and premium benefits you’ll likely take advantage of on trips you already expect to take.
Upgrading or downgrading between the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve
To upgrade from the Delta Platinum to the Delta Reserve card, call the customer service number on the back of your card. By upgrading instead of applying for a new Reserve account, you will probably forgo the chance to earn a welcome offer on the Reserve, though some cardmembers may be targeted for an upgrade offer.
Similarly, you can downgrade your Delta Reserve to the Delta Platinum by calling the number on the back of your card.
Bottom line
Both of these Delta cards are a big step up in benefits compared to entry-level airline credit cards. Occasional Delta customers need not apply; a lower-tier Delta card or a general travel rewards card will likely serve you better.
The Delta Platinum earns its keep through a wide selection of benefits, while the Delta Reserve goes above and beyond by adding lounge access and a faster path to status. Travelers who prioritize premium travel experiences will get their money’s worth with the Reserve. For everyone else, the Platinum offers a more balanced entry point.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, click here.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: thepointsguy.com
