Card terms, credits and lounge rules change often — confirm on the issuer's page before you apply.
The Amex Platinum is for people who fly whichever airline is cheapest and want the widest lounge access plus transferable points. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve is for people who already fly Delta most of the time and care about Sky Club visits, a premium companion certificate and Medallion status. Verdict: if more than three-quarters of your flights are on Delta, the Reserve usually costs less and does more for you. If not, get the Platinum.
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Quick answer
- Pick the Amex Platinum if: you fly several airlines, want Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass at any airport, and want points that transfer to 20-plus programs.
- Pick the Delta Reserve if: you're loyal to Delta, will use the yearly companion certificate, and want spending to count toward Medallion status.
- Winner for lounges: Platinum for breadth (Centurion on any airline, Priority Pass, 10 Sky Club visits). Reserve for Delta flyers (15 Sky Club visits, works on Delta-marketed flights, 4 guest passes).
- Winner for everyday earning: Platinum. Its 1x is a 2.0¢ point; the Reserve's 1x is a 1.2¢ SkyMile. Even on Delta tickets, 5x Membership Rewards beats 3x SkyMiles.
- Winner on net cost: Delta Reserve. It costs $245 less up front, nets about $370 against the Platinum's $425 on credits alone, and drops to about −$30 if you use the companion certificate.
Free tool: find the credit card that earns the most for how you spend, and track every statement credit at kritdeals.com/points-path, or in the free KritDeals app for iPhone and Android.
Side by side
| Amex Platinum | Delta SkyMiles Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $895 | $650 |
| Welcome offer | As high as 175,000 points after $12,000 in 6 months (personalized) | Two round-trip Delta Comfort certificates + 50,000 miles after $10,000 in 6 months (ends 4 Nov 2026) |
| Earning | 5x flights booked direct or via Amex Travel, 5x prepaid Amex Travel hotels, 1x else | 3x Delta purchases, 1x most else |
| Points worth | ~2.0¢ (Membership Rewards) | ~1.2¢ (SkyMiles) |
| Lounge access | Centurion (any airline), Priority Pass, 10 Sky Club visits/yr on Delta-operated flights | 15 Sky Club visits/yr, Centurion when flying Delta on a ticket bought with the card |
| Key credits | Hotel (FHR/THC), Resy, Uber, airline fee, digital entertainment, more | Delta Stays $200, dining and rideshare credits, companion certificate |
| Authorized users | Fee per Platinum AU; AUs get their own lounge access | Each Reserve AU gets their own 15 Sky Club visits; fee applies |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
Annual fee and real cost
Face value on both cards is inflated by credits most people only half use. Here's a conservative read for a regular traveler.
Amex Platinum ($895):
- Resy dining (up to $400, $100 a quarter): $200
- Digital entertainment (up to $300): $120 if you already pay for an eligible service
- Uber Cash (up to $200): $100
- Airline fee credit (up to $200, one airline, incidentals only): $50
- Hotel credit (up to $600, prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts / Hotel Collection): $0 unless you book those stays; one stay adds $300
- Lululemon ($300), Oura ($200), CLEAR ($219), Walmart+ ($155), Uber One ($120): $0 unless you'd buy them anyway
That's $470 used, so $895 − $470 = $425 net before lounges or points, or $125 with one prepaid hotel stay.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve ($650):
- Dining credit (about $240 a year in monthly pieces): $120
- Delta Stays credit (up to $200, prepaid hotel via delta.com): $100
- Rideshare benefit (about $120 a year): $60
That's $280 used, so $650 − $280 = $370 net before lounges.
- Companion certificate (Delta First, Comfort or Main round trip; you pay taxes of roughly $22–$250): about $400 on a typical domestic First or Comfort trip
Use the certificate and the Reserve nets $370 − $400 = −$30: you come out $30 ahead before lounges.
The certificate widens the gap. On credits alone the Reserve is about $55 cheaper than the Platinum ($370 vs. $425); if you'll book one domestic round trip a year for two on Delta, it's about $455 cheaper. Only a Platinum holder who takes a prepaid hotel stay ($125) beats a Reserve holder who skips the certificate.
Earning
This is where the Platinum pulls ahead, even for Delta flyers.
- Delta tickets: Platinum earns 5x Membership Rewards on flights booked directly with the airline. At 2.0¢ that's 10% back. The Reserve's 3x SkyMiles at 1.2¢ is 3.6%.
- Everything else: Platinum 1x = 2%; Reserve 1x = 1.2%. Neither is a good everyday card. Pair either with an Amex Gold for dining and groceries.
- Status: the Reserve's edge is Medallion Qualifying Dollars. It gives a $2,500 MQD headstart each year and earns more MQDs as you spend (verify the current rate on Amex's page). Platinum spending earns no MQDs.
If you're chasing Medallion status, the Reserve's MQDs are worth more than the extra points. If you're not, the Platinum earns more on the same spend.
Redeeming and transfer partners
Membership Rewards transfer to Delta 1:1, plus Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, British Airways, Singapore, Hilton (1:2), Marriott and more. You can still fly Delta with Platinum points, and you can also book Delta One through Virgin Atlantic or Air France-KLM partners when Delta's own pricing is high. Amex charges a small excise-tax fee on transfers to U.S. airlines. See the transfer partners chart.
SkyMiles stay in Delta. Pricing is dynamic, so value comes from flash sales; the Reserve takes 15% off Delta-operated award flights (TakeOff 15). SkyMiles don't expire.
Flexibility goes to the Platinum by a wide margin. Our points valuations put MR at 2.0¢ and SkyMiles at 1.2¢.
Lounge access
Platinum: free Centurion Lounge entry on any airline. Guests must be on your flight and cost $50 per adult and $30 per child, free after $75,000 in calendar-year spending. You also get Priority Pass Select (lounges only), Plaza Premium and Escape lounges, and 10 Delta Sky Club visits per Medallion Year (February 1 to January 31) on Delta-operated flights. A visit covers 24 hours of entries. Platinum lost its Lufthansa lounge benefit on October 1, 2026. See Centurion Lounge locations.
Delta Reserve: 15 Sky Club visits per Medallion Year, plus four guest passes a year (up to two per visit); other guests are $50. It works on Delta-marketed flights, not only Delta-operated ones. You get Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta on a ticket bought with the card, with up to two guests at $50 each.
Both cards unlock unlimited Sky Club visits after $75,000 of spending in a calendar year. Basic Economy never gets you into a Sky Club. Holding both cards stacks your visits to 25. Full rules: Delta Sky Club access.
If you fly Delta twice a month, 10 visits runs out by summer and 15 by fall. If you fly Delta four times a year, either is plenty, and the Platinum's Centurion and Priority Pass coverage matters more.
Travel perks and protections
- Platinum: Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold status (enroll), Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, trip delay and cancellation coverage, no foreign transaction fees.
- Delta Reserve: free first checked bag on Delta for you and companions on the reservation, Sky Priority boarding, 20% back on inflight purchases, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, no foreign transaction fees.
The free checked bag alone is worth $70-plus per round trip for a family on the Reserve. The Platinum has no airline-specific perks beyond its fee credit.
Who should get which
- Mostly Delta, one home airport, wants status: Delta Reserve.
- Mixed airlines, travels internationally, wants transferable points: Amex Platinum.
- Heavy Delta flyer who also wants Centurion and Priority Pass everywhere: some people hold both for 25 Sky Club visits. That's $1,545 in fees, so only do it if you'd use both sets of credits.
- Delta flyer who wants a companion pass but no lounge: the Delta SkyMiles Platinum at $350 has a Main Cabin certificate and no Sky Club access.
FAQ
Which card gets more Delta Sky Club visits? The Delta Reserve: 15 per Medallion Year versus 10 on the Amex Platinum. Both become unlimited after $75,000 in calendar-year spending, and the Reserve's visits also work on Delta-marketed flights operated by partners.
Does the Delta Reserve get me into Centurion Lounges? Yes, when you're flying Delta that day on a ticket bought with the Reserve card. You can bring up to two guests at $50 each. The Platinum gets you in on any airline.
Can I earn Medallion status with the Amex Platinum? No. Platinum spending earns no Medallion Qualifying Dollars. The Delta Reserve gives a $2,500 MQD headstart each year and earns MQDs on spending.
Is the Delta Reserve companion certificate worth it? For most Delta flyers, yes. It covers a second round-trip ticket in First, Comfort or Main on select routes; you pay taxes and fees of roughly $22 to $250. On a domestic First trip it can easily be worth $400 or more, which takes the Reserve's net cost from about $370 to about −$30.
Should I hold both cards? Only if you fly Delta heavily and also use Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass elsewhere. Visits stack to 25 a year, but the combined fee is $1,545.
Related guides
- Amex Platinum card page · Delta SkyMiles Reserve card page
- Amex Platinum guide · Delta Amex cards guide
- Is the Amex Platinum worth it? · Delta Reserve vs Citi AAdvantage Executive · United Club card vs Delta Reserve
- Delta Sky Club access · ATL airport lounges
- Best premium credit cards
Card terms, fees and offers change — check the issuer's page before you apply.
