Is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card worth $350/yr?
The honest math on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card: which credits you'd actually use, what its points earn beyond a plain 2% card, and what its protections would cost to buy — against the $350 annual fee.
American Express · $350 annual fee · earns Delta SkyMiles
Earning rates
- 3x Delta purchases
- 3x Hotels booked directly
- 2x Restaurants (incl. takeout/delivery)
- 2x U.S. supermarkets
- 1x Everything else
Statement credits (4)
- $150 Delta Stays Credit — Up to $150 back per year as a statement credit on prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays on delta.com.
- $120 Rideshare Credit — Up to $10 back each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers — $120 a year.
- $120 Resy Dining Credit — Up to $10 per month in statement credits at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit — $120 Global Entry credit every 4 years (~$30/yr) or up to $85 TSA PreCheck credit every 4.5 years.
Certificates (1)
- Annual Companion Certificate — One companion travels free (plus taxes/fees) on a Delta Main round-trip within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America, issued each year after Card renewal.
Protections and perks (15)
- First Checked Bag Free — Your first standard checked bag flies free on Delta flights worldwide, for you and up to 8 companions on the same reservation.
- Second Checked Bag Free (Domestic) — Your second standard checked bag also flies free, but only on domestic Delta flights and only for the primary cardmember.
- Zone 5 Priority Boarding — Board Delta flights in Zone 5, ahead of general boarding, for you and up to 8 companions on the same reservation.
- TakeOff 15 — 15% off the miles price when you book Award Travel on Delta-operated flights through delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
- 20% Back on In-Flight Purchases — 20% statement credit rebate on eligible Delta in-flight food and beverage purchases charged to the card.
- Complimentary Upgrade List — Added to Delta's Complimentary Upgrade list on eligible tickets, after Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members; one companion on the same reservation and flight may also be upgraded.
- MQD Headstart & Boost — $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars deposited each Medallion Qualification Year, plus $1 MQD for every $20 of card purchases — both count toward Delta Medallion elite status.
- Hertz Five Star Status — Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status: expedited counter-free pickup and elite bonus rewards.
- Secondary Rental Car Coverage — Secondary collision/damage coverage up to $50,000 when you decline the counter waiver and pay for the full rental with the card.
- Trip Delay Insurance — Up to $300 per trip for reasonable additional expenses when a round trip paid with the card is delayed more than 12 hours.
- Purchase Protection — New purchases covered 90 days against damage or theft, up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per calendar year.
- Extended Warranty — Adds a year to eligible manufacturer warranties of 5 years or less, up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account per year.
- Baggage Insurance — Up to $1,250 for carry-on and $500 for checked baggage that's lost, damaged, or stolen, in excess of the carrier's coverage.
- Cell Phone Protection — Up to $800 per claim for damage or theft when you pay your phone bill with the card ($50 deductible).
- No Foreign Transaction Fees — No surcharge on purchases abroad.
Card data verified against American Express on 2026-08-21.
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