The Platinum Card from American Express suits you if you fly several airlines and want flexible points and Amex's Global Lounge Collection. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card suits you if you fly Delta most of the time and want help toward Medallion status, more Sky Club visits and Delta perks. Both are premium Amex cards with lounge access and statement credits, at $895 and $650 a year.

This comparison uses the fees, credits and benefits on American Express's own card pages and Delta's Medallion page, all read on September 29, 2026.

The Fees

  • The Platinum Card: $895 annual fee.
  • Delta SkyMiles Reserve: $650 annual fee.

Don't pick on the fee alone. The question is which card's benefits you'd actually use.

What You Earn

The Platinum earns Membership Rewards points:

  • 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year
  • 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
  • 1X points on other purchases

Amex says you can "transfer points to 20 airline and hotel travel partners," or use them for flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com.

The Delta Reserve earns Delta SkyMiles:

  • 3X miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta
  • 1X miles on other eligible purchases

This is the core difference. Platinum points can move to 20 airline and hotel partners, while the Delta Reserve earns Delta SkyMiles.

Lounge Access

The Platinum comes with Amex's Global Lounge Collection, which Amex puts at "over 1,550 airport lounges." It includes Centurion Lounges, "10 Delta Sky Club visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight," Priority Pass membership (enrollment required) and other select partner lounges.

The Delta Reserve gives "15 Visits each Medallion Year to the Delta Sky Club when flying Delta." You unlock unlimited Sky Club access after spending $75,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year. It also includes "complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book your Delta flight with your Reserve Card."

The Reserve's page lists 15 Sky Club visits a Medallion Year and the Platinum's lists 10. The Platinum's collection also includes Priority Pass and other partner lounges.

The Statement Credits

Credits only count if you'd use them. Here's what each page lists.

The Platinum:

  • $600 hotel credit: up to $300 back semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel
  • $400 Resy credit: up to $100 each quarter on eligible Resy purchases (enrollment required)
  • $300 digital entertainment credit: up to $25 each month at participating partners (enrollment required)
  • $300 lululemon credit: up to $75 each quarter at U.S. lululemon stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com (enrollment required)
  • $300 Equinox credit: each calendar year for an Equinox club membership or Equinox+ subscription (enrollment required)
  • $219 CLEAR+ credit: each calendar year for a CLEAR+ membership
  • $200 airline fee credit: incidental fees on your one selected airline, per calendar year
  • $200 Uber Cash: $15 each month plus a bonus $20 in December, for U.S. rides and orders
  • $200 Oura Ring credit: each calendar year for an Oura Ring bought at ouraring.com (enrollment required)
  • $155 Walmart+ credit: up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes each month for a Walmart+ membership
  • $120 Uber One credit: each calendar year for an auto-renewing Uber One membership

The Delta Reserve:

  • $240 Resy credit: up to $20 each month at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants
  • $200 Delta Stays credit: each year for prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays on delta.com
  • $120 rideshare credit: up to $10 each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers (enrollment required)
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: a $120 Global Entry credit every 4 years, or a TSA PreCheck credit of up to $85

Several of the Platinum's credits need enrollment or a specific merchant, so check which ones fit what you already spend.

Delta-Specific Benefits: Where the Reserve Pulls Ahead

Medallion status. Delta's Medallion page sets 2027 status by Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) earned in 2026: $5,000 for Silver, $10,000 for Gold, $15,000 for Platinum and $28,000 for Diamond. The Reserve helps in two ways:

  • MQD Headstart: "$2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year."
  • MQD Boost: "$1 Medallion Qualification Dollar for each $10 in purchases" on the card in a calendar year.

The Companion Certificate. Each year after you renew, you get a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort or Delta Main round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America. You pay government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250.

TakeOff 15. You get 15% off award travel booked with miles on Delta flights on delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Amex says it doesn't apply to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.

Bags. Your first checked bag is free on Delta flights worldwide, and on domestic Delta flights, your second bag is free too.

Other Delta perks. Reserve cardmembers are added to the complimentary upgrade list after Medallion members, and get Hertz President's Circle status (enrollment in Hertz Gold+ required).

The Platinum's Delta benefit is lounge access: 10 Sky Club visits on eligible Delta flights. MQD Headstart, MQD Boost, the Companion Certificate and TakeOff 15 are on the Delta Reserve's page, not the Platinum's.

Where the Platinum Pulls Ahead

Flexible points. Membership Rewards points transfer to 20 airline and hotel partners.

The largest lounge network. Amex calls the Global Lounge Collection its largest global lounge network, with over 1,550 airport lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass and partner lounges.

5X on flights. 5X on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, up to $500,000 a year, and 5X on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel.

Hotel status. Platinum Card Members get Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, can enroll in complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, and can receive complimentary Leaders Club Sterling status from The Leading Hotels of the World. They also get complimentary premium status with Avis, Hertz and National (enrollment required).

No foreign transaction fees.

Which One Fits You

You fly Delta most of the time and want Medallion status. The Delta Reserve. MQD Headstart and MQD Boost, 15 Sky Club visits, TakeOff 15, free bags and the Companion Certificate all line up with how you fly.

You fly several airlines and want your points to go further. The Platinum. Transferable points and the broader lounge network are the reasons to hold it.

You fly Delta a lot but also want flexibility. One route is the Platinum plus a lower-fee Delta card: Amex's page shows the Delta SkyMiles Platinum at $350, with its own MQD Headstart and TakeOff 15.

You fly only a few times a year. At these fees, both cards reward people who use the credits and lounges heavily. If you won't, a lower-fee card is likely the better fit.

Before You Apply

Amex's pages show current offers that change often. The Platinum page says welcome offers "vary and you may not be eligible for an offer." The Delta Reserve's offer, which has an end date of November 4, 2026, is two round-trip Delta Comfort Flight Certificates plus 50,000 bonus miles after $10,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Check each card's page on the day you apply.

If you fly multiple airlines, look at the Amex Platinum. If you fly Delta, look at the Delta SkyMiles Reserve.

Updated September 29, 2026: Every fee, credit and benefit refreshed from American Express's Platinum and Delta Reserve pages and Delta's Medallion page. The Platinum's credit list, its 10 Delta Sky Club visits, and the Delta Reserve's bag, Delta Stays, rideshare and TakeOff 15 details now match those pages.

Sources

  1. American Express: The Platinum Card page (browser read 2026-09-29): $895 fee, earning, Global Lounge Collection with 10 Delta Sky Club visits, credits, hotel and car rental status, transfer partners
  2. American Express: Delta SkyMiles Reserve card page (browser read 2026-09-29): $650 fee, earning, Companion Certificate, MQD Headstart and Boost, Sky Club and Centurion access, credits, TakeOff 15, bags, offer
  3. Delta: How to Get Medallion Status (browser read 2026-09-29): MQD thresholds for 2027 status

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