Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card 2024 Review
When traveling for business, why not make your trip as comfortable as possible?
Having a premium travel rewards card on hand can help. The combines rewards on purchases with enticing travel extras that add major value.
Card benefits range from free checked bags and priority boarding to in-flight savings and discounts on Delta Sky Club access.
Now:
There's a $350 annual fee (see Rates & Fees; terms apply). But, if your business travel often means flying with Delta, you could easily make up for it with just the travel perks alone.
Our review of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card looks at what value you can get out of the rewards program and travel benefits.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Pros & Cons
See Rates & Fees. Terms apply.
Rewarding for Delta Loyalists
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card tiers its rewards structure, with the most miles going toward travel purchases.
Here's how each rewards tier breaks down:
- Earn 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases.
- Earn 3 miles per dollar on purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 1.5 miles per dollar on purchases over $5,000 (terms and mile cap apply)
- Earn 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.
What's great about this card is that miles are unlimited so it could be ideal for bigger spenders.
Redemption
When it's time to redeem miles, you can use them for Delta award flights, seat upgrades, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards and more.
Your miles don't expire so you can use them as needed to book business travel.
Miles can also be redeemed for flights with these Delta travel partners:
Note: Delta no longer publishes an award chart so it can be difficult to gauge what miles are worth.
But generally, depending on how you book you can get around 1 to 2 cents in value per mile.
Attractive Travel Perks
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card also comes with a few travel incentives to make flights more comfortable. Those include:
Companion certificate
Each year on your card anniversary and renewal, you can receive a free companion certificate for a domestic Main Cabin round-trip fare.
You are still responsible for paying taxes and fees but the fare itself is free.
Fee credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
If you're interested in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership, this card offers a fee credit toward either one.
The credit is good for up to $100 and can be earned every four years for Global Entry or four and a half years for TSA PreCheck.
Delta Sky Club discounts
While airport lounge access isn't a complimentary benefit, you do get a discounted rate for Sky Club visits (Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available).
The rate is $50 per person, for yourself and up to two companions while flying together on Delta.
First checked bag free
Your first checked bag aboard Delta flights is free, which can save you up to $60 per ticket on round-trip flights.
The first checked bag free benefit is available for up to nine passengers flying on the same reservation.
Priority boarding
Cardmembers also enjoy Main Cabin 1 priority boarding on Delta flights.
This benefit is good for up to nine passengers booked on the same reservation.
In-flight discounts
If you make qualifying in-flight purchases on Delta using your card you can get 20% savings. This savings shows up as a statement credit on your account and applies to things like food, beverages and audio headsets.
All of these benefits increase the card's value. And they help to offset the annual fee.
What Else Do You Get With the Card?
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card comes with a few other travel benefits that can come in handy:
- Car rental loss and damage insurance
- Baggage insurance plan
- Global Assist Hotline access
- Trip delay insurance
Aside from that you also get money-saving benefits such as:
Overall, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card comes with a good mix of travel perks and everyday benefits you can use for your business.
Fees
The most important fee to keep in mind is the $350 annual fee.
If you don't fly that often or you don't always fly Delta, then the fee may not be justified.
On the other hand, if you only fly Delta and you're interested in extra travel benefits, then you could probably earn it back pretty quickly.
Compared to Similar Business Credit Cards
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card isn't the only travel rewards card to consider for your business. Here are three other options:
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
The lets you earn miles on Delta flights, with a moderate annual fee (see Rates & Fees; terms apply).
With this card, you can earn two miles per dollar:
- on every dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases
- on every dollar spent on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising and select media
- on every dollar spent on eligible U.S. shipping purchases
- on every dollar spent at eligible restaurant purchases
Other eligible purchases earn one mile per dollar.
Other card benefits include a $100 Delta flight credit, your first checked bag free and priority boarding.
Read the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card editor's review.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
The is a top-tier travel rewards business credit card.
This card offers three miles per dollar on Delta purchases. Once you reach $150,000 in purchases for a calendar year, you earn 1.5 miles per dollar. Other eligible purchases earn one mile per dollar.
This card has a $650 annual fee (see Rates & Fees; terms apply) but you're getting more bang for your buck when it comes to benefits. For example, Delta Sky Club access (Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.), complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge, complimentary upgrades and status boost in the Delta SkyMiles program (MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights.*Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more.) are all included.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The is another premium travel rewards option. This card offers five Membership Rewards points per dollar on flights and hotels booked through amextravel.com. That means you can earn more points on any airline, not just Delta.
Purchases over $5,000 earn 1.5 points per dollar, up to 50,000 additional points per year. Other eligible purchases earn one point per dollar.
You can also get 50% more points on purchases of $5,000 or more and get 35% of your points back when you redeem them for travel. Card benefits include a $200 airline fee credit, American Express Global Lounge Collection access and fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
The annual fee is currently $695 (see Rates & Fees; terms apply).
Read the American Express Business Platinum Card editor's review.
Business Credit Cards vs. Personal Credit Cards
You may be wondering whether a business credit card and a personal credit card are the same. The answer is they differ in several ways.
First, business credit cards tailor rewards and perks to how businesses spend. Personal cards offer rewards and benefits that are designed to appeal to everyday spenders and travelers.
Second, business credit cards also don't have the same consumer protections as personal credit cards. For example, you may have a different level of fraud liability when a business card is stolen versus a personal card.
Business credit cards can show up on your business credit report, instead of your personal credit history. The exception is if you default on a business credit card that you applied for using your social security number.
In that case, the delinquency could be reported to the personal credit bureaus.
How to apply for a business credit card
You can apply for a business credit card online the same way you would a personal credit card. Here's what you'll need:
It's possible to get a business credit card for a new business. The credit card company can use your social security number and personal income to help approve you.
Note:
Applying for a business credit card using an employer identification number (EIN) doesn't necessarily mean your personal credit won't come into play.
You still need to provide a Social Security number to get an EIN from the IRS.
Final Verdict
The is best suited for business travelers who fly with Delta frequently.
The best part:
The card comes with more than enough features to offset the fee, especially the annual companion certificate.
On the other hand, you might prefer a more general travel rewards card if you fly with airlines other than Delta from time to time.
Or you may want a card with a lower annual fee if you're focused on saving money for your business. Just remember that a lower fee usually means fewer perks.
See the rates & fees for the mentioned American Express cards: The Business Platinum Card from American Express (Rates & Fees; terms apply), Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees; terms apply), Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees; terms apply), and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees; terms apply).
