American Express Platinum vs. American Express Delta Reserve: Which Is Right for You?

The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (see rates and fees) are two high-end card products from American Express, with annual fees of $695 and $650, respectively. And both pack a lot of benefits and features that could make those seemingly high annual fees well worth paying.

In this article, we'll take a side-by-side look at these two excellent cards to see which might be the better choice for you.

The Amex Platinum Card is a fantastic card for frequent travelers

Although it has a $695 annual fee, The Platinum Card® from American Express can pay for itself several times over in certain cases. While it isn't the highest-earning rewards card, with 1X points per $1 spent on everything other than flights and some hotel bookings, it makes up for it with its benefits (terms apply).

Here's a rundown of the biggest benefits (terms apply; enrollment may be required):

• Access to the American Express Centurion lounges, as well as Delta Sky Club access and a Priority Pass membership, among a few others.
• Complimentary Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton
• $200 in annual Uber Cash ($15 per month, with $20 extra in December)
• $200 in hotel credit toward certain prepaid bookings
• $20 per month ($240 per year) in digital entertainment credits towards Disney+, Hulu, or several others
• $155 to pay for a Walmart+ membership
• $200 toward airline incidentals at an airline of your choosing
• $300 toward an Equinox Club membership or Equinox+ digital subscription
• $100 in annual credits toward Saks Fifth Avenue purchases
• $189 per year to cover a CLEAR® membership

The spending credits of The Platinum Card® from American Express are a key differentiator from most other travel cards. It's not uncommon to see an airline incidental credit or something similar from a high-end card, but the unique assortment of about $1,500 in potential statement credits can make the card worthwhile all by themselves.

The Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card has some of the same perks and Delta-specific benefits

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is another premium card from American Express, and with a $650 annual fee (see rates and fees), the cost is comparable to the Amex Platinum Card.

It has some of the same benefits as the Amex Platinum Card, specifically when it comes to the airport lounge access benefit. And also like the Amex Platinum Card, it doesn't have a particularly strong rewards program, earning 1X miles per $1 on everything except Delta purchases. (Terms apply.)

However, for loyal Delta flyers, it has some benefits that could be quite appealing (terms apply, enrollment may be required):

• An annual companion certificate (essentially a buy-one-get-one flight) good for a round-trip domestic (or certain international) flight in First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin seating. If used strategically for a first-class flight, this benefit alone could be worth far more than the card's annual fee.
• Statement credit to cover a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership
• One free checked bag on Delta flights for you and as many as eight other people on the same reservation
• Earn 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar for every $10 spent, helping you earn elite status faster
• Complimentary upgrade priority. For example, if you have Gold status, you'd be a higher priority on the upgrade list than other Gold members, but would be behind Platinum and Diamond SkyMiles members.

Which is right for you?

Both of these are excellent card products that could deliver value that is much greater than their annual fees. To determine which could be the better fit for you, the basic question you need to answer is which is more valuable to you -- the numerous statement credits available from The Platinum Card® from American Express, or the Delta-specific benefits from the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card?