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Delta's co-brand cards come from American Express and earn SkyMiles; Southwest's come from Chase and earn Rapid Rewards points. Both families waive the first checked bag on their mid-tier cards, but they split on who else flies free with a bag, how boarding works, and what kind of companion perk sits at the top of the lineup.
This comparison covers each lineup by tier, annual fees and earn rates, checked-bag and boarding terms, the Delta Companion Certificate versus the Southwest Companion Pass, how each program prices awards, one hypothetical spend example, welcome offers, and who each card fits. Which one fits depends on your home airport and how you travel, not on a single winner.
Our own free tracker, RewardTracker.io, lets you track two cards free; a one-time $10 unlock adds the rest of the catalog on that account.
At a Glance
- Tiers: As of Oct 12, 2026, the entry pair is Delta SkyMiles Blue and Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, and the mid-tier pair is Delta SkyMiles Gold and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier. Delta Reserve and Southwest Priority are the premium tiers, shown for context.
- Currency: Delta cards earn miles and Southwest cards earn points; they are not the same currency.
- Bags: Delta Gold and Platinum waive the first checked bag on Delta flights worldwide and the second on domestic Delta flights. Southwest Plus, Premier, and Priority waive the first checked bag for the Cardmember and up to 8 more passengers on the same reservation.
- Companion perks: Of the Delta cards, Platinum and Reserve come with an annual Companion Certificate. Southwest offers the Companion Pass, which members qualify for through flights or qualifying points, with a yearly points boost for cardmembers.
- Awards: Southwest says the points needed for reward flights vary with demand and other factors; Delta says award availability depends on expected demand, the season and other factors.
Card fees, earn rates, bag and boarding terms, companion rules and welcome offers can change, so check the American Express, Chase, Delta and Southwest pages before you apply.
Real-World Examples
Per Chase as of Oct 12, 2026, the Southwest Plus card’s free first checked bag saves up to $90 round trip ($45 per bag per trip) for each eligible passenger, and up to 8 passengers on the Cardmember’s reservation qualify. On Delta, Gold and Platinum add a free second bag on domestic Delta flights, per American Express.
The Delta and Southwest Card Lineups by Tier
| Tier | Delta SkyMiles card (American Express) | Annual fee | Southwest Rapid Rewards card (Chase) | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card | $0 | Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card | $99 |
| Mid | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | $0 first year, then $150 | Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card | $149 |
| Also listed | Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card | $350 | — | — |
| Premium (context) | Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card | $650 | Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card | $229 |
- Per American Express, the personal Delta lineup is Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve; Reserve is named only as the premium tier for context.
- Per Chase, the personal Southwest lineup is Plus, Premier, and Priority.
For the top Delta card next to another premium card, see our Delta Reserve and Delta Platinum comparison.
Annual Fees and Earn Rates on Each Card
- Delta Gold (per American Express’s Gold page, as of Oct 12, 2026): 2X miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta, at restaurants including U.S. takeout and delivery, and at U.S. supermarkets; 1X on other eligible purchases.
- Delta Platinum (per American Express’s Platinum page): 3X miles on Delta purchases and on purchases made directly with hotels; 2X on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets; 1X other.
- Southwest Plus (per Chase’s Plus page): 2X points on Southwest Airlines purchases; 2X on the first $5,000 in combined gas station and grocery store purchases per anniversary year; 1X other; plus 3,000 anniversary points.
- Southwest Premier (per Chase’s Premier page): 3X on Southwest Airlines purchases; 2X on the first $8,000 in combined grocery store and restaurant purchases per anniversary year; 1X other; plus 6,000 anniversary points.
The annual fees are in the lineup table above. For the full Southwest lineup card by card, see our Southwest personal cards comparison.
Checked-Bag Terms on Each Card
- Delta Gold and Platinum, per American Express as of Oct 12, 2026: first checked bag free on Delta flights worldwide and second bag free on domestic Delta flights.
- Southwest Plus, Premier, and Priority, per Chase: first checked bag free for the Cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation when the primary Cardmember includes their Rapid Rewards number; the benefit doesn't apply to flights booked with a partner carrier.
Boarding and In-Flight Perks
- Delta Gold and Platinum receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights, per American Express as of Oct 12, 2026. Gold also offers 20% back on eligible Delta in-flight purchases as a statement credit.
- Southwest Plus and Premier board the Cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation with Group 5, and Priority boards them no later than Group 5, per Chase.
- Per Chase’s Priority page, the Southwest Priority card adds complimentary Preferred seat selection at booking when available and unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours prior to departure when available.
Delta Companion Certificate and Southwest Companion Pass
Delta Companion Certificate. Per Delta and American Express, as of Oct 12, 2026:
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card Members receive a Delta Main round-trip Companion Certificate for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American destinations each year after Card renewal.
- The companion pays government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 for itineraries with up to four flight segments; Delta Basic experiences are not eligible.
- Reserve Members receive a version valid for Delta First, Comfort, or Main.
Southwest Companion Pass. Per Southwest, as of Oct 12, 2026:
- A Member qualifies by flying 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a calendar year.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Cardmembers receive one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year, and credit card points count toward qualification when posted to the Rapid Rewards account in the same calendar year.
- The Pass is valid for the remainder of the year earned plus the entire following calendar year. The Companion flies free of airline charges, with taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way applying.
For how the certificate can be used, see our Delta Companion Certificate rules guide.
How Delta Miles and Southwest Points Are Priced
- Per Delta, as of Oct 12, 2026, award availability depends on the flight, the date of travel, expected demand, the season, the destination and other factors.
- Per Southwest’s Rapid Rewards terms, the number of points required for reward flights may vary based on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare class, point redemption rate, and other factors.
For value context, see our Delta SkyMiles value guide and our Southwest Rapid Rewards value guide.
A Hypothetical Spend Example from the Stated Rates
This is a single hypothetical built only from the earn rates printed as of Oct 12, 2026: $1,000 in annual spending, split equally between two bonus categories on each card.
| Card | Spending | Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Gold | $500 on Delta purchases + $500 at restaurants (both 2X) | 2,000 miles |
| Southwest Plus | $500 on Southwest purchases + $500 at grocery stores, within the $5,000 cap (both 2X) | 2,000 points |
Miles and points are different currencies, so the two results are not equivalent.
Welcome Offers as Each Issuer Prints Them
- Delta Gold, per Delta as of Oct 12, 2026: a welcome offer as high as 80,000 Bonus Miles plus a $250 Statement Credit after $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible; the offer ends November 4, 2026.
- Southwest Plus, per Chase: 50,000 bonus points after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, for applicants without a current Southwest Rapid Rewards card who haven't received a new Cardmember bonus in the last 24 months.
Who Each Card Fits
- Delta cards fit a traveler who mostly flies Delta and values free checked bags, plus, at the Platinum or Reserve level, an annual Companion Certificate.
- Southwest cards fit a traveler who mostly flies Southwest, who needs free first bags for a party of up to nine, or who prefers qualifying for the Companion Pass through card spend and flights over a single annual certificate.
If you are weighing a different airline's program as well, see our Atmos Rewards status match guide.
TL;DR – Verdict
As of Oct 12, 2026, Delta cards fit travelers who mostly fly Delta and value free checked bags and, on Platinum or Reserve, an annual Companion Certificate. Southwest cards fit travelers who mostly fly Southwest, families needing free first bags for up to nine people, or those working toward the Companion Pass.
FAQ
Which Delta and Southwest cards are compared here?
The personal Delta SkyMiles American Express cards (Blue, Gold, Platinum, Reserve) and the personal Southwest Rapid Rewards cards from Chase (Plus, Premier, Priority), as of Oct 12, 2026.
Do both cards include a free checked bag?
Yes, on the cards named. Delta Gold and Platinum waive the first checked bag on Delta flights worldwide and the second on domestic Delta flights; Southwest Plus, Premier, and Priority waive the first checked bag for the Cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation, as of Oct 12, 2026.
Which Delta card comes with a Companion Certificate?
Platinum Card Members receive a Delta Main round-trip Companion Certificate, and Reserve Members receive a version valid for Delta First, Comfort, or Main, as of Oct 12, 2026.
How do you qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass?
By flying 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a calendar year. Cardmembers get a 10,000-point qualifying boost each calendar year, as of Oct 12, 2026.
Do Delta and Southwest award costs change?
Southwest says the points needed for reward flights may vary based on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare class and other factors. Delta says award availability depends on the flight, the date, expected demand, the season and the destination, as of Oct 12, 2026.