Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business
The welcome offer, the Companion Certificate and status boost, every credit and its catch, the insurance, and whether the $350 fee pays for itself.
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Business airline cards · American Express
Welcome offer
100,000 miles
Annual fee
$350
100,000 bonus miles after $8,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Limited time; ends November 4, 2026. Applicants who have or have had this card or an earlier version of it may not be eligible.
Employee cards: No fee listed by Amex; up to 99Foreign transaction fees: NoneRewards: Delta SkyMiles
The Atelier Take
Worth it for the companion fare and the Medallion boost; as an earning card for a business it is thin.
Who it suits
Business owners who fly Delta regularly, often with a colleague or partner, and want help toward Medallion status. Hotels booked directly earn 3x, and shipping and large single purchases a little extra.
Who should skip it
Anyone who won’t use the Companion Certificate: without it, the Gold Business covers bags for $150, and there is no bonus on restaurants, advertising or software.
Every credit, and the catch
The Companion Certificate is the reason to hold this card; the monthly credits are extras.
Companion Certificate
One companion round trip a year
Delta Main only, round trip from the U.S. within the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America. Taxes and fees of up to $80 within the U.S. or $250 to other eligible destinations apply, and Basic fares are excluded.
Delta Stays credit
Up to $200 a year
Prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays only.
Resy credit
Up to $120 a year
U.S. restaurants marked eligible on Resy or Tock only.
Rideshare credit
Up to $120 a year
U.S. rides with select providers (currently Uber, Lyft, Curb and Alto) only.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Up to $120 every 4 years
What it earns
Rewards: Delta SkyMiles, which can also go toward Delta fares at delta.com with Pay with Miles: 5,000 miles generally take $50 off.
3x
Delta purchases
Bought directly from Delta
3x
Hotels booked directly
Paid to the hotel, not prepaid through a travel agency
1.5x
Transit, U.S. shipping and single purchases of $5,000 or more
On up to $100,000 of these combined each calendar year, then 1x
1x
Everything else
TPG values SkyMiles at 1.2¢ each, below most airline and bank currencies. Delta prices awards dynamically, so value varies widely by route and date. There is no bonus on restaurants, advertising or software.
Status, bags and other Delta benefits
MQD Headstart
$2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion year.
MQD Boost
$1 MQD for every $20 spent on the card.
Complimentary upgrades
On Delta’s upgrade list when not a Medallion member, after Medallion members and Reserve cardholders.
Checked bags
First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation, on Delta flights worldwide. Second bag free on Delta flights within the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), once each way, for the cardholder and any other Delta cardholder on the booking, not for other companions. Employee cardholders traveling without the account holder don’t get either waiver. Without the card Delta charges $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, each way, in the U.S.
Priority boarding
Zone 5 on Delta flights, for the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation.
Hertz Five Star
Hertz status, after linking a U.S. Hertz Gold+ account to SkyMiles on delta.com and enrolling in the promotion.
TakeOff 15
15% off award flights on Delta booked at delta.com or in the Fly Delta app; not on partner flights, taxes or fees.
20% back on in-flight purchases
As a statement credit on food and drinks bought on Delta flights.
Will the $350 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
Advertising
1x
ShippingU.S. courier, postal and freight shippers; shares the $100,000 yearly limit
1.5x
Internet, cable and phone
1x
Office supplies
1x
Software and cloud services
1x
Delta purchasesBought directly from Delta; card miles only, the miles Delta awards for flying come with any card and are left out
3x
Other flights
1x
Hotels booked directlyPaid to the hotel, not prepaid through a travel agency
3x
Dining
1x
Gas
1x
TransitTrains, taxis, rideshare, tolls, parking; shares the $100,000 yearly limit
1.5x
Single purchases of $5,000 or more1.5x; shares the $100,000 yearly limit
1.5x
Everything else
1x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
The Companion Certificate arrives after each renewal, so it starts in year two; its value is an example. Not counted: MQD Headstart and Boost toward Medallion status, priority boarding, Hertz Five Star and the insurance.
Insurance and protections
Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered. Travel cover is secondary: it pays after any other insurance. Amex’s Guides to Benefits have the full terms and exclusions.
Trip delay
Up to $300 per trip, for up to 2 claims per 12 months, when the round trip is paid entirely with the card. Amex’s card page says it starts after a delay of more than 6 hours; the Guide to Benefits it points to says more than 12 hours. Secondary.
Cell phone protection
Up to $800 per claim for theft or damage, after a $50 deductible, for up to 2 claims per 12 months. The monthly phone bill must be paid with the card.
Baggage insurance
Up to $1,250 for carry-on bags and $500 for checked bags, on top of what the carrier pays, when the whole fare is paid with the card. Secondary.
Car rental loss and damage
Up to $50,000 for theft or damage to a rental car, for rentals up to 30 days, when the rental company’s damage waiver is declined. Not available in Australia, Italy or New Zealand, and no liability cover. Secondary.
Purchase protection
Theft or accidental damage within 90 days of purchase: up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Extended warranty
Adds up to one year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less: up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The Companion Certificate alone can exceed the fee
- $2,500 MQD Headstart plus MQD Boost toward Medallion status
- 3x on hotels booked directly, not only on Delta
- Cell phone protection and trip delay cover
Cons
- $350 fee for a single-airline card
- No bonus on restaurants, advertising or software
- SkyMiles value is low
- The certificate is for Delta Main only
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.