How to best maximize perks as a frequent traveler

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For frequent travelers, a premium credit card offers elite-level benefits that can help justify a hefty annual fee. Two of the best premium travel credit cards from Amex today are the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

These cards offer airport lounge access, bonus points on eligible flights, travel protections, and more. Learn about the pros and cons of each credit card, who they’re best for, and how you can get rewarded on your travel spending.

Both of these premium travel cards have steep annual fees. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card charges an annual fee of $650 (see rates & fees), while the Platinum Card’s annual fee is an even higher $895 (see rates & fees).

Given the $245 difference each year, the Delta Reserve is the winner in this category. But with either card, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to make up the cost with valuable benefits and rewards.

Both the Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum offer incredible value for new cardholders:

Delta Reserve Card: Earn 125,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 within the first six months of account opening (offer ends 10/29/2025)

Amex Platinum Card: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 in the first six months (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer); apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact (if you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted)

Though it has a higher spending threshold, the Amex Platinum also offers a potentially higher bonus — along with the same extended time period to meet the minimum spend. The Platinum Card’s bonus offers some added flexibility with Membership Rewards. Membership Rewards points have numerous redemption options, including statement credits, travel, gift cards, online shopping and more. Amex also partners with 21 airlines and hotels (including Delta SkyMiles), allowing you to transfer points to those loyalty programs.

While the Delta Reserve welcome bonus is still great, earning your bonus points as Delta SkyMiles can be more limiting for redemptions.

The Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum are both designed for frequent travelers, and their bonus rewards categories reflect that.

With the Delta Reserve card, you’ll earn 3x miles on Delta purchases. But any other purchase will earn just 1x mile per dollar spent.

The Amex Platinum’s rewards are similarly focused on travel. You can earn 5x points when booking flights directly with airlines or through Amex Travel. This bonus applies to the first $500,000 you spend each year. You’ll also earn 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. Everything else earns 1x point per dollar.

Both cards lack everyday bonus categories like groceries, gas, and dining, which you might use to earn extra rewards on regular monthly expenses. But with a higher 5x rewards rate on eligible travel spending, the Amex Platinum is our winner in this category.

Read more: Best travel rewards credit cards

Both of these premium travel cards shine when it comes to annual benefits. You’ll get a long list of annual perks with either card that can offer a ton of value for your spending each year:

One of the most important things to consider when comparing these card benefits is how importantly you value Delta loyalty benefits. The majority of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card’s benefits are restricted to flying on Delta Air Lines. If you fly another airline, you won’t be able to use benefits like airport lounge access, free checked bags, and priority boarding.

You can easily make up the annual fee cost with either card if you travel enough to use their ample perks, but the Amex Platinum is our winner. It has a broader range of more flexible benefits that you can use for travel expenses or on purchases you make when you’re not traveling.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card is ideal for travelers who fly often and prefer flying Delta Air Lines. The card provides complimentary access to the Delta SkyClub airport lounges when flying Delta, and it provides an accelerated path toward Medallion elite status with both the MQD Headstart and MQD Boost earned on spending with the card.

This card can be especially valuable if you take advantage of its annual companion certificate. Depending on your travel plans, you could more than make up the card’s annual fee with your companion ticket alone. But you’ll also get valuable perks when flying Delta, including upgrade priority, free checked bags, and a 15% discount on award flights.

The Delta Reserve can make a great choice for frequent Delta travelers who want the simplicity of earning SkyMiles on their Delta purchases and want to stick with a single loyalty program.

The American Express Platinum Card is the ultimate luxury travel credit card and can work best if you don’t have a single preferred airline or you want to keep your options open. You’ll earn bonus rewards when you book airfare with airlines or through Amex Travel and you can access more than 1,550 airport lounges across the globe (including Delta Sky Clubs when you fly Delta).

It’s also tough to beat Amex Platinum’s long list of added perks and credits, from credits toward eligible hotel stays and CLEAR Plus membership to non-travel purchases like dining at Resy restaurants and digital entertainment subscriptions.

Unlike the Delta Reserve Card, benefits apply to a range of travel expenses and include Marriott and Hilton elite status and special benefits through Fine Hotel & Resorts. However, you do have to select one airline each year before you receive the card’s $200 airline fee credit reimbursement.

The Membership Rewards points you’ll earn also carry a lot of flexibility, with numerous redemption options — a clear advantage over the Delta Reserve Card. You’ll generally get the best redemption value for travel via Amex Travel or when you transfer points to airline and hotel partners (including Delta), but you can also redeem for statement credits, gift cards, and more.

With both of these cards in your wallet, you’re committing to an incredibly high $1,545 in annual fees. Though you can potentially make up that value in benefits, it’s still a significant amount to pay each year.

You should also consider the potential overlap in rewards categories. Both cards earn rewards on travel spending, so you could be missing out on rewards that could help you maximize the other things in your budget, like groceries or public transit.

But if your budget allows, having both cards gives you the best of both worlds. The Delta Reserve Card provides extra benefits when flying on Delta. Plus, your spending accelerates elite status qualification. Then, you’ll get benefits when flying on any airline with the Amex Platinum. It also offers complimentary hotel elite status perks to extend the luxury when you get off the plane.

Amex Membership Rewards points provide redemption flexibility, including the ability to transfer to Delta to combine with miles earned from flying and spending on your Delta Reserve Card.

Why we like it: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Card offers premium travel benefits at a lower price than other luxury travel cards. One of its main benefits is complimentary access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Group locations for cardholders and up to two guests. The Venture X Card earns 2x miles on every purchase (plus more for eligible Capital One Travel purchases) and includes a $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary points each year.

Read our full Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review.

Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve is another luxury travel card with plenty of benefits to help you maximize frequent travel. For its high annual fee, you’ll earn points on travel and dining, and boost your points rewards when you book through Chase Travel℠. Benefits include a flexible $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select membership (plus access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations), $300 in annual dining credits ($150 semi-annually), IHG One Rewards Platinum elite status, and much more. This card excels in protections, too; when your travel plans go awry, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers unparalleled travel protection to minimize the damage.

Read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve review.

Why we like it: Travelers who prefer Delta but aren’t ready to commit to the huge annual fee of the Delta Reserve Card should look at the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card. This card includes numerous benefits when flying Delta, including free checked bags, priority boarding, and inflight discounts. Additionally, you’ll save 15% when booking award flights with your miles. The Delta Gold Card also offers an intro $0 annual fee the first year and costs $150 thereafter (see rates & fees), so you can try out its benefits before paying an annual fee.

Read our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.

This article was edited by Kendall Little

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