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Savvy shoppers all over the world instantly recognize the word BOGO — buy one, get one free. While the concept typically describes sales in your local retail store, the same idea extends to air travel. In particular, many airlines, including Delta, offer fliers the chance to earn companion certificates. In turn, this helps minimize the cost of a ticket for an additional traveler.
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on a Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Resy Credit: Get up to $10 in statement credits each month after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that's a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
- Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $350 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Not all companion certificates are created equal, though. Earning some requires considerable credit card spending, and others only reduce ticket costs to $99 rather than $0. Thankfully, a Delta companion certificate involves neither of those stipulations, making it much easier for travelers to use and enjoy.
Here's what you need to know about how to earn and redeem a Delta companion certificate — and then how to maximize it.
Page Contents
How To Earn a Delta Companion Certificate
The easiest thing about Delta's companion certificate is earning it. All you need to do is hold an eligible Delta credit card for a year. Then, on your cardmember anniversary, Delta will issue you a companion certificate — and on each anniversary after that. The following Delta credit cards offer companion certificates:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
The companion certificates from these cards have differences, however. Platinum-tier cards receive a companion certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flights to select destinations each year. Note that domestic now includes Hawaii and Alaska for non-residents, too.
Reserve-tier card members can book round-trip travel to the same destinations in any cabin. However, the Reserve cards also charge a higher annual fee.
- Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you'll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion tier and fare class grouping when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Delta SkyMiles
How To Locate Your Companion Certificates
Delta companion certificates are easy to earn and easily accessible — both online and in the airline's mobile app. To access companion certificates through Delta.com, log into your SkyMiles account and navigate to “My Profile.” From there, along the left-hand side of the screen, select “Certificates, eCredits & Vouchers.”
An alternative way to get to a similar landing point is to first log in. Then, you can hover over “SkyMiles” at the top of the screen and select “Certificates & eCredits” at the bottom left of the drop-down menu.
Those using the Delta app may access companion certificates just as easily. Certificates and eCredits are found on the “My Wallet” tab.
How To Use a Delta Companion Certificate
To book flights using a Delta companion certificate, check the box of the certificate you want to use and select “continue.” Conveniently, Delta displays expiry dates for each individual companion certificate, so members can specifically choose to use the certificate expiring soonest.
If you click the red drop-down arrow on the right-hand side, you'll see additional information about the companion certificate. Here, you can find the issue date, certificate number, and reference code. Most importantly, you'll also see eligible booking classes.
For certificates earned from a Platinum Delta Amex or Delta Business Platinum Amex, eligible fare classes include L, U, T, X, and V.
Certificates earned with a Delta Reserve or Business Delta Reserve enjoy additional eligible fare classes of I and Z for first class and W or S fares in Comfort+, provided the L, U, T, X, and V fares are available in Main Cabin.
How To Maximize a Delta Companion Certificate
Once you select a Delta companion certificate, you can search for and book a flight. The search process operates quite similarly to a normal flight search, complete with flexible date and price calendar options. These search options will help you to identify fare class availability and the greatest savings.
For example, companion certificates now work for flights to and from Hawaii. Delta happens to fly the longest scheduled domestic routing in the U.S. between Boston and Honolulu. The 5,095-mile flight doesn't come cheap, and if that travel is over a holiday weekend, the price climbs even more.
Thankfully, a companion certificate virtually halves the cost for two travelers. For a sample one-week trip between Boston (BOS) and Honolulu (HNL) spanning Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in January, Delta's direct flight offers the quickest possible trip:
Fortunately, there are eligible fare classes for using a companion certificate on these exact flights. As a result, would-be travelers save over $800!
Why are savings not exactly half of the cash price? This is because companion tickets require the payment of taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Applying the companion certificate eliminates the base fare and the $32 per passenger U.S. Transportation Tax.
Final Thoughts
When used optimally, the Delta companion certificate more than covers the card's annual fee. Thankfully, Delta makes these certificates easy to access and easy to redeem. Additionally, flexible flight search functionality lets certificate holders identify and book the flights that work best for them. Also, it can help them realize the most value.
Anyone who travels on Delta with at least one other companion stands to gain from these companion certificates. This includes those who live outside the United States but travel to the U.S. mainland at least once a year. Provided the fare class availability exists, Delta companion certificates unlock quality value for SkyMiles members. Plus, you're still eligible for complimentary upgrades if you have Delta Medallion elite status.
FAQ
What fare classes are eligible for Delta companion certificate use?
All certificates can book L, U, T, X, and V fares, while Reserve cardmembers also can book W, S, I, and Z fares.
Where can I fly with my Delta companion certificate?
The certificate now includes round-trip flights to Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and the continental United States.
Are there any blackout dates for my Delta companion certificate?
There are no blackout dates for these certificates. However, use depends on fare class availability.
Can I use my Delta companion certificate if I am not traveling?
Yes, companion certificates can be redeemed regardless of whether or not the certificate holder is a traveler.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
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