Delta and American Express offer a wide portfolio of co-branded credit cards, each with a different look, benefits, bonus, and annual fee. With so many cards to choose from, it's not a question of whether or not Delta has a credit card that's right for you – it's which one.
But many travelers aren't just deciding on the perfect card for themselves – they're also trying to pick the right card for their favorite travel buddy. And while you can add an authorized user to any of the Delta SkyMiles cards, exactly what that person gets in terms of benefits will vary wildly depending on which card you have.
From checked bags to priority boarding and lounge access, here's what authorized users can expect with a Delta SkyMiles credit card.
What Is An Authorized User?
Authorized users occupy a quirky, confusing space in the world of credit cards.
Adding someone as an authorized user to your credit card means they'll get their own physical card, which they can use to make purchases on your behalf. But be warned. Any charges made by the authorized user will ultimately be the responsibility of the primary cardholder. That means if charges are made from the authorized user that you can't pay, both the primary cardholder and the authorized user will take a hit to their credit score.
Make sure to pick your authorized users wisely as they ultimately become an extension of your card's spending power.
Being an authorized user on somebody else's credit card will allow you to build a credit history. Assuming all payments are made on time and in full, it will have a positive impact on the authorized user's credit score. For this reason, adding a teen with little to no credit history, or somebody with bad credit who can't get approved for their own card might be a good option to help them build or rebuild their score.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Credit Card Authorized Users
How Much Do Authorized Users Cost?
Before we get too far into what benefits Delta SkyMiles authorized users get, let's take a look at what it costs to add someone else to your account.
- *delta blue*: No fee
- *delta skymiles gold card*: No fee
- *delta skymiles platinum card*: No fee
- *delta reserve card*: $175 per year
Looking at that list, you'll see that it's free to add an authorized user with most SkyMiles cards. While that probably seems like great news, the downside is that means authorized users on most of the Delta cards don't get much in the way of travel benefits.
Aside from the top-dollar Delta Reserve card, authorized users on the rest of Delta's co-branded cards are almost exclusively limited to earning additional SkyMiles and Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) – on some of the cards at least – for the main cardholder.
Delta SkyMiles Authorized User Benefits
Alright, now that we've covered the basics about what an authorized user is and how much it costs to add one to your SkyMiles card, let's get into the reasons why adding one to your account can make sense.
Delta Sky Club Access
For Delta loyalists, there's a lot to love about the *delta reserve card* – but at a whopping $650 per year (see rates & fees), it doesn't come cheap. One of the card's biggest selling points is that it's the best (and only) SkyMiles card for getting into Delta's long list of Sky Clubs. That's a benefit that authorized users get as well.
The Reserve Card currently comes with unlimited complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs for both the main card member and authorized users. This is the single best benefit for authorized users and can easily justify the extra $175 per year it costs to add them. Beginning Feb. 1, 2025, Reserve cardholders and their authorized users will be limited to just 15 Sky Club visits each year, unless they spend $75,000 or more on their card in a calendar year.
Spending across all cards (including authorized users) counts towards the $75,000 threshold and once it's met, unlimited complimentary Sky Club access is unlocked for both the main cardholder and any authorized users for the remainder of the year and all of the next.
In addition to Sky Clubs, authorized users get access to Amex Centurion Lounges when flying Delta, too, just like the main cardholder does.
Critically, authorized users can access Sky Clubs (and Centurion Lounges) regardless of whether or not they're traveling with the main card member. This is a great way to share lounge access with a friend or family member who travels for work or with a group. Delta Reserve card authorized users don't get guest passes like the main cardholder does, though.
Earning SkyMiles and MQDs
When it comes to making purchases, authorized user cards earn SkyMiles at the same rate as the main cardholder. This means you'll be earning bonus SkyMiles on your Delta purchases, as well as when you're spending in any of the card's other bonus categories.
But here's the kicker: The main cardholder gets all of the SkyMiles earned through spending, regardless of which card it's done on. Since the primary account owner is the one responsible for paying off all the charges made, it's only fair.
While that might initially seem like a negative, it's probably not. For couples who often travel together, having one big pool of Delta SkyMiles actually makes more sense than having two smaller batches. Since Delta doesn't allow family pooling, like other airlines do, having one big pile of SkyMiles will make your life easier when you go to book travel.
Both the *delta skymiles platinum card* and the *delta reserve card* earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) towards elite status through spending on the cards. Like the SkyMiles earned through spending, these MQDs are credited to the main account holder.
But once again, this may be a positive thing. Putting the spending power of two people together makes it easier for one person to earn elite status. And so long as you travel together, those elite benefits will also be extended to your travel companion.
Read more: Did Delta Actually Make Earning Elite Status … Easier in 2024?
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases
With each of the Delta cards, you'll get a 20% rebate on any in-flight food and beverage purchases you make with your card. Given the relatively high prices airlines charge for a small snack box or beer and wine, this can be a nice perk of having a SkyMiles card.
Purchases made with both the primary card and any authorized user cards are eligible for this 20% kick back and you don't even need to be traveling together to take advantage.
What Benefits are Missing?
The list of perks that Delta SkyMiles authorized users do not get is a lot longer than the things they do. Unfortunately, most of the cards' biggest selling points are exclusively available to the main cardholder.
We'll break it down in further detail below but if you and your favorite travel buddy are often heading in different directions with Delta, it'll probably make more sense for you to each have your own SkyMiles credit card. On the flip side, if you primarily travel together, you'll still get access to many of the best benefits, even though it's not included on your authorized user card.
First Checked Bag Free
With Delta, you can expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $75 for your first checked bag, depending on the ticket you bought and the route you're flying. While $35 might not seem like much, it amounts to $70 roundtrip, which can add up fast if you're flying with a family.
It's easy to avoid paying these baggage fees altogether by having one of Delta's co-branded credit cards – and there are several to choose from. All but the no-annual-fee (see rates & fees) *delta blue* will get you a free 50-pound checked bag on any Delta-operated flight simply for having the card in your wallet; even if you don't pay for the flights with it. What's more, you'll also get a free checked bag for up to eight additional passengers booked on your same reservation.
Unfortunately, this benefit does not extend to authorized users no matter which version of the card you carry. The only way to get a free checked bag as an authorized user is by traveling with the main cardholder on the same itinerary.
TakeOff15
Last year, Delta and American Express added a new benefit to nearly all of the airline's co-branded credit cards, immediately becoming one of the cards' best perks: Cardholders get an automatic 15% discount on most SkyMiles award bookings.
This isn't available on the no-annual-fee Delta Blue Card, but all others have access to this discount.
Unfortunately, authorized users' SkyMiles accounts won't see the savings reflected. To take advantage of this 15% savings on your next SkyMiles award ticket, you'll need book through the main cardholder's account.
Delta Companion Certificate
What's a Delta companion certificate? Think of them as a buy-one, get-one benefit for flights each year: Use them wisely, and you can get plenty of value, often outweighing the annual fee you're paying on your Delta card.
You won't get your companion ticket right off the bat, it starts only after you've held either the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card for a full year.
Exactly what you can get depends on which card you've got. Let's go over some basics:
- The *delta skymiles platinum card*‘s companion certificate is good for one main cabin roundtrip fare
- The *delta reserve card*‘s companion ticket can also be used for Delta Comfort Plus, Delta Premium Select, and first class airfare.
Keep in mind: These Delta companion tickets are a use-it-or-lose-it benefit! Pay close attention to the expiration date on your certificate, and be sure to use it before then. It's not enough to book before it lapses – you have to actually take and return from the trip before that expiration date.
Many travelers wonder if this benefit is also available on authorized user cards – after all, that would make adding another card a no-brainer. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Only the main cardmember gets the annual companion certificate and it can be used on any travel buddies, not just authorized users.
MQD Headstart
Both the SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cards give cardholders a boost towards earning Delta elite status by giving them a 2,500 MQD Headstart each year.
This is a huge benefit as it means someone with both cards would automatically have Delta Silver status without even stepping foot on an airplane or swiping their card for purchases. Unfortunately, this benefit is limited to the primary cardholder only and doesn't get extended to authorized users, no matter which version of the card you have.
Statement Credits
Earlier this year, Delta and American Express raised annual fees on nearly all their cards while adding new monthly and annual statement credits to help ease the pain.
From the *delta skymiles gold card* to the *delta reserve card*, you'll now get an annual credit to use on hotels booked through Delta Stays. While the Platinum and Reserve Cards also come with monthly rideshare and dining credits at Resy restaurants. The Platinum and Reserve cards also come with a credit to cover the cost of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four to five years.
All of these statement credits can be used by spending on either the primary card or authorized user cards – but the benefits are limited to one credit per account.
So for example, if a Delta SkyMiles Platinum authorized user card made a $10 purchase with Uber, that would use up the monthly rideshare credit for the entire account. Similarly, if the main cardholder dined at a Resy restaurant at the beginning of the month and that purchased triggered the card's new dining credit, the authorized user wouldn't be able to double dip and use a credit of their own later on since it's one per account.
Related reading: From Dining to Hotels, How to Track & Maximize New Delta Amex Credits
Bottom Line
Adding an authorized user to your Delta SkyMiles credit card can be a great way to earn extra SkyMiles on everyday spending and in some cases, even help with your quest towards elite status.
Although the list of benefits that authorized users don't get certainly overshadows the list of perks they do, being able to get your favorite travel buddy into Delta Sky Clubs by adding them as an authorized user on your Delta Reserve card can easily outweigh the nominal fee.