There are a lot of differences between regular Amex Plat vs. DL Amex Plat.

Regular Amex Plat is best suited for people who are high-end travelers/consumers. They offer free companion tickets on many international business-class tickets, concierge service, reserved/preferred tables at fine restaurants and a nice upgrade/amenity package at many high end hotels (including 4pm late checkout and free continental bkfst). (For example, Valentine's dinner at Picholine in Manhattan - my wife and I had the only table in the house where we could sit next to each other - instead of across - definitely via Amex Plat. Dinner was not, however, inexpensive.) Also gets you access to DL, CO and NW airport lounges and several lounges overseas. Visit americanexpress.com/platinum for all details. Also important is the $395 annual fee + $175 for extra cards. They enforce, I believe fairly strictly, a $100k annual income min for this card.

The regular Plat card now offers "double miles on everyday purchases" like the DL card (gas station, post office, cell phone bill, etc - no double miles on DL tickets, though). With the regular card, you can bank your points at Amex and transfer them to many (but not all) major carriers when you need them (the list of carriers is on the Amex web site cited above). This is good - this way you don't have to leave all your miles at DL - if DL goes under - you can transfer from Amex to someone else.

The Amex DL Plat card is more akin to a traditional credit card - other than miles/companion tickets, it doesn't offer any extras. It does offer double miles on certain purchases (like regular Plat - but this card includes DL tickets for double miles). You get a free companion ticket each year good on Delta. Plus, if you spend $25,000 in a year, Amex DL Plat gives you an extra 10,000 bonus miles each year (which used to count as base miles (read: status miles) and now are generally expected to give MQMs (I saw this in writing on the web, can't find it any longer; DL and Amex sites still say base miles - but many FT posters have said they've gotten them as MQMs already this year). Annual fee is [$135] (not 100% sure), you get a [$50] discount if you have another fee paying Amex card - and additional cards are always free.

One thing I really like in these days of economic uncertainty is banking the miles at Amex instead of a particular airline. Amex is a A1/A+ rated company - not impossible that they'd go under, but much less likely than any individual airline - making it less likely you'd lose accumulated points (now - in many cases, successor airlines have honored defunct airlines miles (AA and TWA for example), but you never know.

I carry both cards. I charge just about $25k per year on the DL card (to make sure I get the bonus) and always charge my DL tickets to the DL card. I use the regular Amex Plat for everything else.

I pay about $650 per year to Amex just in fees (Amex Plat + extra card and Amex DL Plat + free extra card) - but I definitely feel I get enough value out of the cards. But it all depends how you travel.

Have a good time on your trip!

[This message has been edited by NYBanker (edited 02-16-2003).]