Although the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card have a higher annual fee then the Gold version of the Delta credit card, there are some added benefits that you’ll receive on an annual basis. One benefit is the annual companion certificate that is only given to Delta Platinum credit card holders (both for the personal and business version of the card), and NOT to Delta Gold credit card holders. This companion certificate allows someone to fly with you on the exact same itinerary! Right now, there is also a limited time offer for these credit cards, so definitely a card worth looking into!
Delta Companion Certificate FAQs
- Do I receive the companion certificate immediately upon applying for the Platinum card? Unfortunately, no. You only receive the companion certificate upon account renewal. So you will have to wait about a year after receiving the card to take advantage of this benefit.
- Is this a one time benefit? No! You’ll receive the companion ticket every single year you renew your Delta Platinum card and pay annual fee.
- What routes are the companion certificates good for? The companion certificate will allow another person to fly with you on the exact same itinerary. It is valid for all roundtrip Delta, Delta Connection, and Delta Shuttle flights within the continental US. That means flights to/from Alaska and Hawaii are not eligible. Although, if you are a resident of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands, you can use the companion certificate, but only to fly from home (that being Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands) to the continental US and back.
- What are the limitations with the companion certificate? To use the companion certificate you need to purchase your ticket at least 14 days in advance with a minimum 3-night stay. Even though you are limited to just coach tickets, you are even more limited to the fare class. Eligible flights must be booked with fare class L, U, T, X and V. You also will not be eligible for an upgrade. Also, if you need to cancel a flight booked using the companion certificate, you will not get the certificate back to use on a future flight.
- Can someone really fly for free by using the companion certificate? Sorta. While the base fare is free, you’ll still be on the hook to pay the required taxes and fees which can vary depending on the route. The cost, however, will never be more than $75 roundtrip (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Keep in mind though that the person booked using the companion ticket (i.e., the free ticket) will not earn miles for their flight.
- How do I redeem the companion certificate? You can redeem the companion certificate quite easily. It is tied to your Delta SkyMiles account, so all you have to do is log in, go to “My Delta” and you’ll see it in the “Credits and Certificates” section under “My Wallet”. Or, if you know your 8-digit companion certificate number, you can redeem directly here. You also must use your Platinum Delta SkyMiles credit card to pay for the tickets.
- Can I gift the companion certificate to someone else? Yes! You are not required to be flying to use the companion ticket. You are able to give the certificate to anyone you desire so they can book a flight and have any one of their friends/family members use the certificate.
In theory, the companion certificate can save you money if you are a Delta flier and can offset the annual fee. However, some folks have complained about the difficult usage of the certificate due to the limitations of the certificate, i.e, fare class requirement, advance purchase, minimum night stay, etc. However, if you are one to plan in advance and have flexibility, you will most likely be able to get your moneys worth and save way more then the annual fee!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
For rates and fees on the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees on the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express, please click here.
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The restriction to certain fare classes is a deal breaker. If they would just do it like the Alaska Visa companion certificate that is good on any coach fare, I would happily get this card.
If you’ve closed the card account (as I have) you can’t use the certificate because it says payment is required with the card. 🙁
@Steven M – Correct.
I thought this changed and companion pass tickets are eligible for upgrades now?
Save your time. I have found the certificate to be essentially useless. Trip after trip I found that during a high fare season the designated fare classifications are not available and during low season the lower fare tickets make it cheaper to just buy two tickets.
While this was alluded to in the post the degree to which DL makes this a useless benefit.
@Donato – Thank you so much for sharing your personal experience!
Wow at least Alaska let’s you use the companion deal in all 50 states.
Is the companion pass good for all year on any number of flights like Southwest or just one flight per year?
@Rita – One time use per year.
Just get the Alaskan credit card and fly to Hawaii or Alaskan without hassle for 121 dollars