Here's the pitch for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card: you get an annual companion certificate that can save you $200-$500+ on a single domestic ticket, and the card costs $350 per year. If you fly Delta with another human being even once a year, the math basically does itself.

Sitting in the middle of the Delta/Amex lineup between the Gold ($150) and Reserve ($650), the Platinum is the sweet spot card. It bumps your earning to 3X on Delta and hotels, gives your whole travel party free checked bags, tosses in a $2,500 MQD head start for Medallion status chasers, and — most importantly — hands you that companion cert every anniversary. For couples, travel buddies, and families who fly Delta, this is the card that actually saves real, tangible money.

• Annual Companion Certificate — Buy one round-trip domestic, Caribbean, or Central American ticket and get a companion ticket for just taxes and fees ($22-$250). Valid in Main Cabin or above. This is the headline act.
• First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation — yes, eight people.
• Priority boarding on Delta flights
• $2,500 MQD Head Start deposited into your SkyMiles account each Medallion Qualification Year — a real boost toward Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medallion status.
• 20% back on Delta in-flight purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit (up to $100 every 4 years)

Annual Fee: $350 per year.

Foreign Transaction Fees: None.

Other Fees: Standard Amex fee structure — late payment fees up to $40, cash advance fee of $10 or 5%, balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%.

$350 sounds like a lot until you use the companion cert on a $400 round-trip ticket and basically fly your partner for free. Add the free checked bags for up to 9 people and the MQD head start, and most frequent Delta flyers aren't just breaking even — they're coming out well ahead.

Earn 80,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months, plus an additional 20,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending an additional $2,000 in the first 6 months — for a total of 100,000 miles after $6,000 in spending.

At roughly 1.2 cents per SkyMile, this bonus is worth approximately $1,200. That's one of the highest welcome offers this card has ever had. These elevated offers on Delta Amex cards come and go, so if you're seeing 100K miles, don't wait around for it to get better — it probably won't.

The jump from the Gold's 2X to 3X on Delta and hotels is meaningful if you're booking flights and hotel stays regularly. Dining and supermarkets stay at 2X — identical to the Gold. The 1X on everything else is still just okay, but let's be honest: you're not carrying this card for its earning rates. You're carrying it for that companion cert.

SkyMiles redemption options are the same across all Delta Amex cards — no special perks here for being Platinum:

• Delta flights: Book award flights through delta.com — best value, especially with the 15% SkyMiles discount
• Delta Vacations: Use miles toward flight + hotel packages
• Seat upgrades: Upgrade to Comfort+ or First Class with miles
• Delta Sky Club day passes: Purchase lounge access with miles
• SkyMiles Marketplace: Gift cards and merchandise — avoid this like airport sushi

SkyMiles are not transferable to partner airlines. Your best move is always redeeming directly for Delta flights, where dynamic pricing occasionally serves up solid domestic deals.

• Companion Certificate: The reason this card exists. Earned on each card anniversary, it covers one companion on a round-trip domestic, Caribbean, or Central American flight for just taxes and fees ($22-$250). Main Cabin and above.
• Free checked bags: First bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation. Traveling with a group? That's potentially hundreds in saved bag fees.
• $2,500 MQD Head Start: Applied automatically each qualification year. If you're grinding toward Medallion status, this shortcut is real.
• 20% in-flight savings: Statement credit on food, beverages, and audio headsets
• Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit: Up to $100 every 4 years

At $350, the Delta Platinum and United Quest go head-to-head — and it comes down to one question: companion cert or travel credit? The Platinum's companion cert can be worth $200-$500+ in a single use. The Quest's $200 United credit is guaranteed but smaller. If you travel with a partner, the Platinum wins. If you fly solo and want a sure-thing credit, the Quest has the edge. The Citi Executive at $595 gives you lounge access but no companion cert and costs nearly twice as much.

• Couples and travel partners who fly Delta domestically — the companion cert was literally designed for you.
• Families and groups who benefit from free checked bags for up to 9 travelers on the same itinerary. That's a lot of saved baggage fees.
• Delta loyalists chasing Medallion status who want the $2,500 MQD head start to close the gap.
• Frequent Delta flyers who want the 3X bump on Delta and hotel purchases.

Who should skip it: solo travelers who rarely fly with companions (the companion cert just sits there unused), anyone who needs lounge access (step up to the Reserve), or travelers who don't fly Delta enough to justify $350/year. If you're solo, the Gold at $150 gives you most of the same everyday earning and costs $200 less.