Delta annual companion ticket: How you can earn it and save money

also contributed to this story

July 09, 2025

•

10 min read

The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Editor's Note

This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

New

Quick summary

Who doesn't love a good buy one, get one deal? If you have the right credit cards, these BOGO deals even exist on airline tickets.

We keep several credit cards in our wallets because they offer some form of an airline companion certificate for when we need to buy tickets with cash and want to ensure a good deal.

For example, the lineup of Delta American Express cards includes several that come with an annual companion certificate at each renewal. These cards also offer elevated welcome bonuses, making this the perfect time to learn what they can do to help you travel more for less.

Related: Best Delta credit cards

Which Delta cards offer a companion ticket?

Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve consumer and business cardholders receive an annual Delta companion ticket with each annual card renewal.

Delta First Class Airbus A321neo LAX-SEA — KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Here's the full lineup of cards and their current welcome bonuses.

CREDIT CARD	ANNUAL FEE	WELCOME BONUS	NOTABLE PERKS
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	$350 (see rates and fees)	Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends July 16.	Receive an annual companion certificate each renewal anniversary for Main Cabin, round-trip travel A statement credit to cover the membership fee for Global Entry ($120, every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85, every 4 1/2 years) up to a $120 Resy credit in the U.S. (earn up to $10 each month in statement credits)* up to a $120 ride-hailing credit with select U.S. providers (earn up to $10 each month in statement credits)* up to a $150 Delta Stays statement credit; Hertz Five Star status** 2,500 bonus Medallion Qualification Dollars; and 1 MQD for every $20 spent
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. This offer ends July 16.	15 annual visits to Delta Sky Club lounges when traveling on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight, with unlimited annual visits after spending $75,000 in a calendar year. Cardmembers can also pay a fee of $50 per person per location for Sky Club access when traveling on a Delta partner airline flight not marketed or operated by Delta Unlimited visits to the American Express Centurion Lounge when you book your Delta flight with the card Four one-time Sky Club guest passes An annual companion certificate each year upon card renewal for round-trip travel in first class, Comfort+, Premium Select or Main Cabin Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members; up to a $240 Resy credit in the U.S. (earn up to $20 each month in statement credits)* Up to a $120 ride-hailing credit with select U.S. providers (earn up to $10 each month in statement credits)* Up to a $200 annually Delta Stays statement credit Hertz President's Circle status** 2,500 bonus MQDs and 1 MQD for every $10 spent
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card	$350 (see rates and fees)	Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months from card membership. This offer ends July 16.	An annual companion certificate for each renewal anniversary for Main Cabin, round-trip travel a statement credit to cover the membership fee for Global Entry ($120 every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85, every 4 1/2 years) Up to a $120 Resy credit in the U.S. (earn up to $10 each month in statement credits)* up to a $120 ride-hailing credit with select U.S. providers (earn up to $10 each month in statement credits)* Up to a $200 annual Delta Stays statement credit 2,500 bonus MQDs and 1 MQD for every $20 spent
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends July 16.	15 annual visits to Delta Sky Club lounges when traveling on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight, with unlimited annual visits after spending $75,000 in a calendar year. Unlimited visits to the American Express Centurion Lounge when you book your Delta flight with the card Four one-time Sky Club guest passes An annual companion certificate each year upon card renewal for round-trip travel in first class, Comfort+, Premium Select or Main Cabin; complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members Up to a $240 Resy credit in the U.S. (earn up to $20 each month in statement credits)* Up to a $120 ride-hailing credit with select U.S. providers (earn up to $10 each month in statement credits)* Up to a $250 Delta Stays statement credit Hertz President's Circle status** 2,500 bonus MQDs and 1 MQD for every $10 spent

*Enrollment is required.
**Enrollment in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required.

It's possible to earn multiple companion vouchers if you have multiple eligible Delta cards.

However, it's worth noting that these companion tickets are not granted in the first year. You must renew your card (and pay the annual fee) to get the perk.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Delta companion ticket rules

Companion tickets can only be used on select round-trip tickets within the contiguous U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.

To use the vouchers in that way, you must have an eligible address on file with Delta SkyMiles in those locations.

If you have the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex, the companion ticket is only eligible for Main Cabin flights, while the Reserve companion ticket can be used for first-class, Premium Select, Comfort+ or Main Cabin tickets.

This annual award is automatically deposited into your SkyMiles account the month you pay the card's annual fee, and it's typically valid for a year from the date it was issued. The ticket must be booked and the trip must be taken before the certificate expires. You still need to pay the taxes and fees on the second ticket, but otherwise, it's a buy one, get one flight deal.

How to use the Delta companion ticket

Using a Delta companion ticket is very simple.

First, log in to your online Delta SkyMiles account, and after you select "Profile" (located as a drop-down option when you click on your name on the upper right-hand side), you'll find your companion certificates listed in the "Certificates, eCredits & Vouchers" section.

Screenshot courtesy of Delta.com — DELTA.COM

From there, you can select a certificate to use and then proceed to search for eligible Delta flights by hitting "Continue" at the bottom of the page.

You can only search for flights for the two people on the trip who are using the certificate, so any additional children or travelers may have to be booked separately. You can then have their itineraries linked to yours by calling Delta at 1-800-221-1212.

Saving hundreds with the Delta companion ticket

To show you the real value of the Delta companion ticket, let's use a real-world example of a recent national parks-focused trip to Utah.

The round-trip, nonstop flights from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) cost about $466 on Delta. That wasn't a great deal, but it was during a school break, so deals were hard to come by.

The Delta companion certificate was a great way to save money when prices were high. One round-trip ticket cost $466, but a second ticket could be reserved for only an additional $20 in taxes and fees when using the companion certificate.

Traveling from Houston to Salt Lake City for two passengers for $486 with the companion voucher was a much better deal than one ticket for $466. Multiply that number by two for the other two family members on the reservation (because two eligible vouchers were available at the time) to get around $900 in savings for the trip, thanks to these Delta companion vouchers from Amex cards.

If you use the Delta companion ticket in a similar manner, it can easily be worth more than the annual fee for keeping the Delta Platinum Amex in your wallet.

Know, though, that the primary (paid) ticket on the reservation using the Delta companion ticket will accrue SkyMiles, but the companion ticket won't. Therefore, the tickets are eligible for upgrades consistent with the SkyMiles program. If you cancel your itinerary after purchasing your ticket, you usually won't be able to reuse your companion certificate, so be sure of your plans before applying your companion certificate.

Bottom line

Delta's annual companion ticket, which comes with the Delta Platinum and Reserve family of SkyMiles cards, is an excellent perk that can make flying on Delta much more affordable, especially for families. If you're looking to save money when flying Delta, consider applying for one of Delta's Amex cards to take advantage of this and other benefits available to cardholders.

Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Platinum
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex, click here.

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.