The offer mentioned below for the Delta cards mentioned below are no longer available.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
When Delta Airlines made sweeping changes to its loyalty program in September 2023, cutting Sky Club lounge access benefits from American Express cards, the public didn't remain quiet. In fact, the reaction was so loud and strong that the airline walked back some of the changes citing customer feedback.
CNBC Select breaks down the latest changes and explains how they will affect American Express cardholders — as well as how to still receive access to lounges when you travel.
How access to Delta lounges changed — again
For many Delta SkyMiles cardholders, as well as Delta loyalists with other eligible American Express cards, Delta Sky Club access (or the ability to purchase it) is an essential benefit. It's no wonder that the prospect of losing this perk caused such a negative response from the airline's customers.
Delta acknowledged the response and softened the updated policies. However, some of the initial changes stayed intact.
Which changes were altered?
A few premium American Express credit cards currently offer unlimited access to Sky Club lounges. Unfortunately, once the changes take place in February 2025, Delta will enforce an annual limit to lounge visits. To soften the blow, the airline increased the number of visits from previously announced caps.
- The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card will offer complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club. 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. Once all 15 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card.
- *American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express will offer 10 visits per year subject to visit limitations. (up from 6).
*With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. *As of 01/2026.
The American Express Platinum Card® is a premium card loaded with annual statement credits, entertainment benefits, extensive airport lounge access, elite status perks and more. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Access to 1,550+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass™ lounges (enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Statement credit offers worth up to twice what the annual fee costs
- Elite status perks for hotels and rental cars (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High annual fee
- Many statement credit offers are complicated and are earned in increments or limited to specific purchases
- Not as rewarding for purchases as other lower-fee travel cards
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 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.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits (subject to visit limitations) when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass™ membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. *As of 01/2026
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights™ by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. As a Platinum Card® Member you have special access to reservations on select nights at participating sought after Resy restaurants in select cities through Platinum Nights™ by Resy. Simply add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to book your reservation.
- $219 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM late check-out.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Get up to a $12.95* statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Delta is also redefining what it considers a single lounge visit. Initially, each visit would count against the annual cap. For example, if you had a connecting flight and stopped at two Delta lounges along the way, you'd be out of two visits.
Now, the airline will count each visit in day increments. This means all lounge visits you make in a 24-hour period will count as one. Once you use all the stops available to you, you can purchase more. One visit costs $50 per guest. Alternatively, you can purchase an individual membership for $695 per year or get unlimited access after spending $75,000 on an eligible card in a calendar year.
Which changes remained?
Delta hasn't walked back all of its new policies — and the ones the airline is sticking with might still deal a significant blow to some cardholders.
- The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card no longer provide Sky Club lounge access. (As of Feb. 1, 2024)
- Cardholders flying in Basic Economy will no longer receive Sky Club access.
These policies will become active starting in 2024.
On the bright side, Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cardholders will receive a head start to earn elite status faster. In February 2024, the airline will award eligible frequent flyers $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) toward qualification and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart. Additionally, cardholders will be able to earn MQDs on everyday purchases. Delta SkyMiles Platinum cards will earn $1 MQD per $20 spent, and Reserve cards will earn 1$ MQD per $10 spent.
Should you stick to your Delta and Amex cards?
If you're keeping your Delta SkyMiles or Amex Platinum card exclusively for airport lounge access, you might consider whether paying annual fees is still worth it. This is especially true if your strategy is to save on flights by booking economy tickets while enjoying the premium perks your card gives you.
If Delta is your preferred airline and Sky Club lounge access is crucial, keeping a Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Reserve card might still make sense. You can opt to buy a membership and you'll need Delta Medallion elite status of any level to do it. Your credit card can help you earn it faster, especially with the new boost offer.
On the other hand, the Amex Platinum provides plenty of value outside of Delta lounge access. Besides, you'll still have plenty of lounges where this card will open the doors for you, such as Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (after enrollment), Plaza Premium lounges and more.
That said, if you don't mind exploring lounges outside of Delta Sky Club network, you can also look into cards with lower annual fees, For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card charges $395 per year and offers unlimited access to Priority Pass™, Plaza Premium and Capital One lounges. Plus, it's easy to offset the card's annual fee, thanks to the $300 annual travel credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (worth $100 in travel).
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
$0
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) is another excellent option to consider. At $795 per year in annual fees, it also offers a $300 annual travel credit that automatically applies to all eligible purchases. Cardholders get a complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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Bottom line
While Delta Airlines softened some of its policy changes, it's hard to argue the airport lounge benefits on the affected American Express cards will lose a significant portion of their value. This is especially true for Basic Economy flyers who will lose lounge access altogether. There's still time before these changes kick in and it might be a good idea to evaluate whether keeping your card is worth it — or a different card can possibly offer more bang for your buck.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best products.
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For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, click here.
