Delta loyalists tend to gravitate toward two premium cards: the American Express Platinum and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve. They cost different amounts and suit different travellers, so here's how the showdown shakes out.

The headline numbers first. The Amex Platinum carries a $895 annual fee; the Delta Reserve sits at $650. Both are expensive, and how quickly you claw that back matters more than the fee itself.

On welcome offers, the Platinum can go as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after $12,000 of spend in six months — which The Points Guy values at up to $3,500. The Reserve's offer is two domestic round-trip Delta Comfort certificates plus 50,000 miles after $10,000 of spend (offer ends Nov. 4, 21-day advance purchase required). Solid if you genuinely fly Delta domestically with a companion; much less flexible otherwise.

Statement credits are where the Platinum pulls clear. Between up to $600 a year in hotel credits (Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection), $400 at Resy restaurants, $300 at Lululemon, $200 in Uber Cash and a $200 airline fee credit, maximising even a few of these covers the fee. The Reserve's Resy, Delta Stays and ride-hailing credits top out around $560 combined — still short of breaking even unless you factor in the Delta perks.

Those Delta perks are the Reserve's real selling point: an annual companion certificate after renewal, a free first checked bag globally (plus a second domestically), priority boarding and complimentary upgrade eligibility. For frequent Delta flyers who travel with a partner, that package can easily outvalue the Platinum's credits.

Lounge access is closer than you'd expect. The Platinum opens Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (10 visits a year on same-day Delta flights, unlimited after $75,000 in annual spend) and Priority Pass. The Reserve gets you 15 Sky Club visits a year plus Centurion access when flying Delta — unusually generous for an airline card. If you visit Sky Clubs more than ten times a year, the Reserve wins that specific stat.

Earning rates favour the Platinum too: 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, versus just 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases with the Reserve. Since Membership Rewards points transfer to SkyMiles, Platinum holders aren't locked out of Delta redemptions anyway. The Reserve's edge is status: it earns Medallion Qualification Dollars at $10 per dollar spent, plus a 2,500 MQD head start each qualification year.

The short version: almost-Delta-exclusive flyers who check bags, board early and bring a companion should look at the Reserve. Everyone else — especially anyone who also redeems points for hotels or flies other airlines — gets more from the Platinum. And if the goal is everyday earning, neither card is ideal; something like the Amex Gold pairs better with either as a companion card.