The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is a great choice for frequent Delta travelers who enjoy a bit of luxury. It’s similar to the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express, but with a bonus: a loyalty program that helps big spenders reach Delta’s sought-after Medallion status tiers faster. The Medallion benefit can be a real game-changer, making this card a worthwhile investment. Besides the rewards program, this card offers a bunch of cool perks that outdo many other cards.
But, there’s a catch. All these travel rewards come with a $350 annual fee, starting from the first year. If you don’t make the most of the card’s rewards and benefits, it might end up costing more than it’s worth. But if you use it right, you’ll be swimming in rewards.
Here’s the lowdown on the card’s main features. It has a generous welcome offer, a solid rewards program, and ongoing benefits for frequent flyers. You can earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 on your new card in the first 6 months.
Now, let’s talk about the Delta Medallion Program. It has four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Each tier offers benefits like priority boarding, waived fees, free class and seating upgrades, and faster MQM and SkyMiles earnings. The higher the tier, the better the benefits. Diamond members even get free Delta Sky Club membership and two Global Entry application vouchers.
To reach these tiers, you need to earn a certain combination of MQMs (based on flight distance), Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs, or Delta flight segments), and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs, or certain fare dollars spent with Delta) within a year. Once you earn a status, it stays valid for the rest of the current year and all of the next year.
Here’s what you need for each status level:
- Silver: 25,000 MQMs or 30 MQSs and $3,000 MQDs
- Gold: 50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs and $6,000 MQDs
- Platinum: 75,000 MQMs or 100 MQSs and $9,000 MQDs
- Diamond: 125,000 MQMs or 140 MQSs and $15,000 MQDs
You can earn SkyMiles on all eligible Delta purchases, like airfare, in-flight purchases, Sky Club airport lounge passes, and other incidental expenses. The best way to use your SkyMiles is for Delta airfare. But you can also use them at the Delta SkyMiles MarketPlace for merchandise, special experiences, and gift cards.
Every year your card account stays open and in good standing, you get a companion certificate. This can be used for one domestic economy round-trip fare, as long as the flyer travels with the primary cardholder and both tickets are purchased with the primary cardholder’s Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card.
You can also get a $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars bonus each Medallion Qualification Year, plus earn $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar after you spend $20 on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card. Eligible cardholders can get a 15% discount on Delta award fares with TakeOff15.
The card also offers other Delta travel benefits, like one free checked bag for the cardholder, 20% off all in-flight purchases when you pay with your American Express Delta card, and Main Cabin 1 priority boarding.
For business owners, the card offers digital receipt storage, the flexibility to designate an employee as your account manager, and category-based expense tagging and tracking.
The card has a $350 annual fee. Cash advances cost the greater of $5 or 3%. Late and returned payments both cost up to $39. You need good to excellent credit to get this card.
The top advantages of the card include MQD bonuses and free companion airfare every year. But it also has some drawbacks, like a high annual fee, limitations on SkyMile redemptions, and slow rewards earnings on most non-airfare spending.
In conclusion, if you live near a Delta airport and can make the most of the card’s benefits, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card could be a great choice. But if you don’t live near a Delta airport, or if you’re not sure you’ll earn rewards fast enough to offset the card’s annual fee, you might want to consider other options.
