Delta SkyMiles Gold vs Platinum, and when the companion ticket pays off
Both give the same free bags. The Platinum costs $200 more a year and mainly buys a yearly companion ticket, which arrives only after your first renewal.
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Choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold if what you want from a Delta card is free checked bags; choose the Platinum only if you will use its yearly companion ticket. Both cards give the same free first bag to up to nine people on your reservation, the same new free second bag on US domestic trips and the same Zone 5 boarding. The Platinum costs $200 a year more after the first year, and $350 more in the first year, because the Gold’s fee is waived. What that extra money mainly buys is a round-trip companion ticket in Delta Main each year, and it only arrives after your first renewal.
- The bags are the same. If bags are the reason you want a Delta card, the Gold does the job for less.
- The companion ticket is the Platinum’s case. If you would buy a second Main ticket for someone once a year, it usually outweighs the $200 difference.
- Year one favours the Gold. Its fee is $0, and the Platinum’s companion ticket does not arrive until after renewal.
- Neither gets you into a Sky Club. For that you need the Reserve at $650.
Side by side
Every figure below was read on American Express’s card pages and terms on 27 September 2026.
| Delta SkyMiles Gold | Delta SkyMiles Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 in the first year, then $150 | $350 |
| Welcome offer (as high as) | 80,000 miles + $250 statement credit after $3,000 in 6 months | 90,000 miles + $300 statement credit after $4,000 in 6 months |
| Delta purchases | 2X | 3X |
| Hotels booked directly | 1X | 3X |
| Restaurants and US supermarkets | 2X | 2X |
| Everything else | 1X | 1X |
| First checked bag | Free for you and others on the same reservation, up to nine, on Delta-operated flights | |
| Second checked bag | Free for the cardholder only, on US domestic Delta itineraries | |
| Boarding | Zone 5 | |
| Companion ticket | None | Round trip in Delta Main each year after renewal |
| Resy credit | — | Up to $120 a year ($10 a month) |
| Rideshare credit | Up to $120 a year, from after the first renewal | Up to $120 a year |
| Delta Stays credit | Up to $100 a year | Up to $150 a year |
| Delta Flight Credit | $200 after $10,000 of spending in a year | — |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck | — | $120 or up to $85, every 4 years |
| Purchase APR | 19.74%–28.74% variable | |
What the extra $200 buys
After the first year the Platinum costs $200 more, and its extra credits cover most of that, if you use them. The Resy dining credit adds up to $120 a year and the Delta Stays hotel credit is $50 larger, so a traveller who eats at Resy restaurants and books a Delta Stays hotel gets about $170 of the difference back before the companion ticket. The Global Entry or PreCheck credit adds a little more if you need one. The Gold has one credit the Platinum does not list: $200 towards Delta flights once you spend $10,000 in a year.
If you would not use Resy or Delta Stays, count those credits as zero, and the full $200 has to be earned back by the companion ticket.
The companion ticket, and its conditions
Each year after your card renews, the Platinum gives a round-trip companion ticket in Delta Main within the US, or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America. You buy your own ticket; your companion pays only government taxes and fees, of no more than $80 on a domestic trip and no more than $250 on an international one. Basic Economy fares are excluded.
The certificate is worth the price of the second Main ticket you would otherwise have bought, which can be well over the $200 fee difference on a single trip, or nothing if you never fly with the same person. We do not put a dollar figure on it because the fare depends entirely on the route and date you choose. The honest question is whether you and a partner, friend or family member take at least one Delta round trip together each year.
In the first year the Gold costs $0 and the Platinum $350, and the Platinum’s companion ticket has not arrived yet. If you are unsure, starting with the Gold costs nothing for a year; you can see how much you fly Delta before paying for the bigger card.
The welcome offers
The Platinum offers up to 10,000 more miles and $50 more in statement credit, for $1,000 more spending in six months. Both are “as high as” offers: Amex shows your exact amount after you apply, and it may be lower. Both run until 4 November 2026 and can differ depending on where you apply. Before applying, check the rules that decide whether you get the bonus.
The verdict
For most Delta flyers the Gold is enough: it gives the whole family free bags for $150 a year, and nothing in the first. Choose the Platinum when you are sure you will fly Delta with a companion once a year and would use the Resy and Delta Stays credits; then the companion ticket makes it the better deal. If what you really want is the Sky Club, neither card helps, and the Reserve’s 15 visits a year come with a $650 fee.
For how these cards compare with United, Southwest, American and Alaska cards, see the best airline credit cards, and if you fly several airlines, a general travel card will likely serve you better than either.
If your miles are building towards a trip of a lifetime, Nepal is where the money on the ground goes furthest. Annapurna Base Camp is nine days at $920 USD solo and Everest Base Camp is twelve days at $1,700 USD solo, including permits, a government-registered guide, a porter, teahouses and meals.
See the Annapurna Base Camp trek →Is the Delta Platinum worth it over the Gold?
Only if you will use the yearly companion ticket, and ideally the Resy and Delta Stays credits. The free bags and boarding are identical, so for bags alone the Gold is the better value.
Does the Delta Gold card give free checked bags?
Yes. The first checked bag is free for you and others on the same reservation, up to nine, on Delta-operated flights, and since 2026 the cardholder also gets a free second bag on US domestic trips.
When do I get the Delta Platinum companion certificate?
Each year after your card renews, so not in your first year. It covers a round trip in Delta Main within the US or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America, with taxes and fees paid by the companion.
Do either of these cards get me into a Delta Sky Club?
No. Sky Club access comes with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve, which includes 15 visits a year.
Do the Delta Gold or Platinum charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Neither card has a foreign transaction fee.
Keep reading
The free bag maths for five airlines.
One free bag or two.
Who gets the bonus, and what spend counts.
If the Sky Club is what you want.
Sources: American Express, Delta SkyMiles Gold and Platinum card pages and their rates, fees and terms, read on 27 September 2026 for fees, welcome offers, earning rates, bag and boarding benefits, the companion certificate, statement credits and APRs. The credit arithmetic is our own. This is general information, not financial advice; card offers change, so confirm the current terms with the issuer before you apply. No card issuer pays us for placement on this page.
Written by
Bishnu AdhikariPokhara-based, NMA-certified trekking guides. We’ve led 5,000+ treks across the Annapurna and Everest regions since 1998 — every word here comes from the trail. More from this author →
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