TravelDiari matches your credit cards to every hotel booking — saving you points you'd otherwise miss.

Card vs Card Comparison

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum
vs
United Explorer.

Two cards, head-to-head. We break down earning rates, perks, transfer partners, and the actual scenarios where each one wins.

American Express

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum

Annual fee

$350

Points

Delta SkyMiles

Signup bonus

75K + 10K MQM after $4K in 6 months

Earning highlights

  • →3× on Delta + select hotels
  • →2× on dining + grocery (up to $5K)
  • →1× everywhere else

Perks highlights

  • →Companion certificate annually (Main Cabin, 48 contig. states)
  • →First checked bag free for the cardholder + 8 companions
  • →20% off in-flight Delta purchases
  • →$100 resort credit at Delta Vacations
See in browse cardsarrow_forward

Chase

United Explorer

Annual fee

$95

Points

United MileagePlus

Signup bonus

60K miles after $3K in 3 months

Earning highlights

  • →2× on United purchases + travel
  • →2× on dining + select streaming
  • →1× everywhere else

Perks highlights

  • →First checked bag free
  • →Priority boarding (Group 2)
  • →2× United Club one-time passes annually
  • →Global Entry credit
See in browse cardsarrow_forward

The verdict

When each card wins.

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum wins if

Delta flyers who don't need Sky Club but want the companion cert.

Weakness: Companion cert is Main Cabin only — far less valuable than the Reserve's First Class cert.

United Explorer wins if

Light-to-medium United flyers. Bag credit + priority boarding alone often offsets the $95 AF.

Weakness: No lounge access. Earn rate is mediocre.

At a glance

Side-by-side spec sheet.

SpecAmex Delta SkyMiles PlatinumUnited Explorer
Annual fee$350$95
Points currencyDelta SkyMilesUnited MileagePlus
Top earning rate3× on Delta + select hotels2× on United purchases + travel
Signup bonus75K + 10K MQM60K miles

Questions

Frequently asked.

Should I get the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum or the United Explorer?

expand_more

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum wins if delta flyers who don't need sky club but want the companion cert. United Explorer wins if light-to-medium united flyers. bag credit + priority boarding alone often offsets the $95 af.

Can I have both the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum and the United Explorer?

expand_more

Yes — these are issued by different banks (American Express and Chase), so they don't conflict on application rules. Many travelers carry both to stack the strongest benefits from each ecosystem.

Which has the higher annual fee?

expand_more

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum has the higher annual fee ($350 vs $95). Whether it's worth it depends on which perks you actually use — see the verdict section above.

Are points from Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum more valuable than points from United Explorer?

expand_more

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum earns Delta SkyMiles; United Explorer earns United MileagePlus. Different programs have different transfer partners and redemption ceilings — see TravelDiari's points valuation index for current cents-per-point values across both.