Overview
The Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card is a unique and beneficial combination of a great credit card and an excellent frequent flyer program that awards miles with every single dollar spent on purchases. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. Also earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Also, upon the card renewal, receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. This benefit alone justifies the annual fee, which is $250, and a Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
Before you balk, remember that every year you have the Platinum Skymiles Card, your fee will be paid for by the companion certificate. (For your first year, it is more than paid for by the sign up offer.) Then you get the checked bag perk and Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) opportunities for free!
FYI, your companion certificate may require payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required.* In addition, enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
How This Card Works
When the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is used for purchases and even booking flights with Delta, the amount of SkyMiles that are earned will be equivalent to the dollar amount that is spent.
Redeeming the Delta SkyMiles is expediently done by booking your flight online with American Express Travel or going to the Delta.com website and using your SkyMiles identification number. This number is conveniently printed right on the front of the card for easy access.
The Delta SkyMiles Rewards Program
The SkyMiles card earns you 2 miles per $1 on Delta purchases and 1 mile per $1 on everything else.
Don’t forget: you still earn miles from your regular SkyMiles frequent flyer membership. That means when you buy airline tickets through Delta with your Platinum SkyMiles card, you will earn at least 7 miles per $1 — 5 from your general membership and 2 from the card. You can potentially earn up to 13 miles per $1 if you already have Diamond Medallion status.
And, of course, there all the bonus miles offered as part of the Platinum SkyMiles cards rewards program.
SkyMiles can be redeemed for flights, flight upgrades, and shopping through SkyMiles Marketplace. This online marketplace has merchandise and you can book hotels or rental cars, or just buy gift cards. You do not get a good value when you redeem for gift cards, with a $100 American Express gift card costing 21,500 miles ($0.46 per mile).
When you redeem miles, there are no blackout dates on Delta flights and you can redeem points for one-way tickets beginning at 10,000 miles. Some Delta partners do have blackout dates and Delta does limit the number of award seats per flight, however. Your miles will never expire.
One of the biggest benefits of the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is the ability to redeem miles for the partial cost of a flight if you don’t have enough for a full Award Ticket and cover the rest with cash. With the Pay With Miles benefit, your redemption is flexible based on the cost of the ticket.
To learn more about the rewards program and travel benefits of your card, check out the details from our review of the Gold SkyMiles Card.
Verdict
The Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card is my favorite way to earn Delta SkyMiles for business or personal flights on Delta Air Lines or any of their airline partners.
As a signup bonus, you can earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
SkyMiles can be valued at anywhere from 1 cent each to 3 cents each, so the 35,000 bonus SkyMiles have a value of at least $350. Add the $100 statement credit to the mix, and that is a whopping 45% yield on your bonus award. A very nice return on a very low minimum spending threshold!
