What is the Delta Companion Pass?
The Delta Companion Pass, (officially called the companion certificate) is a perk of the Chase Delta Skymiles card. Of the four personal Delta Skymiles credit cards, only two offer the Delta Companion Certificate. This certificate enables you to book a round trip ticket for a traveling companion for taxes and fees, not to exceed $75.
How to get a Companion Pass
Upon annual renewal of either your Delta Skymiles Platinum Amex Card or the Delta Skymiles Reserve Amex card, a Delta Companion Pass will be added to “My Profile – Certificates, ecredits and vouchers” on the Delta website and app. At first glance, these Skymiles credit cards appear to be extremely expensive, at $250 and $550 respectively but they include a host of benefits.
Benefits of the Delta Skymiles Platinum and Reserve cards.
I almost had a heart attack when I looked at the annual fees. However, when you consider that for $250 you get an (almost) free roundtrip ticket for a companion in Domestic Main Cabin, along with a reduced $39 cost for the Delta Skyclub access plus credits for Global Entry or TSA pre, it’s easy to see the card more than pays for itself. You can see the full list of benefits here.
The Delta Reserve Card provides a free roundtrip companion fare for either Domestic Main Cabin, Comfort or First Class. Try flying anywhere first class for $550 (cost of the card) and you’ll quickly see its value. You also receive complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club and 2 Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes each year. Here is a quick comparison of the various Delta Skymiles Cards.
Cons of the Delta Companion Pass
Go onto any blog post that talks about the Delta Companion fares, and you’ll see a host of complaints. Cardholders go online to Delta months in advance to book flights, using their companion fare to no avail. Why? Because the Pass is only good on limited class of seats, which apparently fill up rapidly. Since the Companion fare is only good for a year, it can get pretty frustrating when you can’t use it. One reader commented he had 5 Companion fares expire from non-use. Not from lack of trying, mind you!
I have the Delta Reserve card because we like to fly first class. Plus, we live in Hawaii and the pass is good for roundtrip FROM the Island but not To the Islands. So, keep that in mind if you are hoping for a bonus trip to Hawaii.
Still, I experienced the same frustrating issues as everyone else. I tried endlessly to book a variety of different flights to no avail. I finally got one to MSP for my father-in-laws birthday party but that was from PHX. I still had another pass to use, left over from Covid when passes were extended.
My simple Delta Companion Pass Solution
Over the years, I’ve corresponded with Delta about a variety of things, and have a number of emails from customer service. Believe it or not, they do respond to you. Not immediately, but within a few days.
I used those emails then went to Elliot.org, my fav consumer advocacy organization. Their tagline is “We’re here to help” and their mission is to “empower consumers to solve their service problems and help those who can’t.” You can read their full mission statement here.
If you go to Elliot.org and look across the top, you’ll see Company Contacts. Click on that, then choose Airline and scroll down to Delta. There you will see several contacts in customer service as well as the CEO.
I chose a couple of emails of the executive customer service reps, included them in my email, and politely explained my problem. I concluded by saying there was no point in holding the Sapphire Reserve card if I couldn’t use the greatest benefit – the companion certification.
My end result with Delta
Surprisingly, and happily so, I received an email with directions to call a particular person to resolve my issue. Before I could make the call, Lisa Anderson, part of the Delta correspondence team, called me. She stayed on the phone with me and helped me get the flights I needed from Kauai to Florida which is not an easy task. Problem solved.
During our conversation, Lisa said that anyone who sends an email to the CEO (found on Elliot.org) or one of the customer service people, will get a call. Despite concerns to the contrary, Delta DOES care!
I never leave home without…..
Now that you know how to get your traveling companion a free fare, here are my favorite things to bring along when flying. As we all know, in the aftermath of Covid, airlines provide very few perks, even in First Class.
Favorite travel blanket
I never travel without a travel blanket. From cold early morning airports to freezing A/C airplanes, this travel blanket/pillow does the job. It’s big enough to be useful but is so easy to carry with its Hand Luggage Sleeve and Backpack Clip. We travel with carry-ons so this is a winner.
Quiet please!
My most favorite thing is my Bose noise cancelling headset. At first, it may seem like an extravagant expense, but once you experience flying with them, you’ll change your mind. They make a great gift for your companion or for yourself! Bose now has noise cancelling earbuds, which I haven’t tried yet. LMK how they work if you do buy them.
Comfort here, there and everywhere.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just can’t get comfortable. Either the side arm of the airplane pokes me in the ribs, or the seat is uncomfortable or there’s not enough support for my back. The Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat Ultralight Inflatable Seat Cushion comes to the rescue every time. I roll it up and secure it with a small bungee cord and stuff it in my backpack. Easy, lightweight and it has oh so many uses when traveling!
Suitcases
Weight is particularly important to me since I travel with a carry-on. This is especially true when traveling alone as I like to be able to easily place my carry-on in the overhead bin.
Therefore, my go to carry-on is the Samsonite Lite shock Black Label 20″ spinner. Weighing in at only 3.7 lbs., this 100% polypropylene fiber suitcase is 21″x15″x8″ and suitable for domestic and most all international flights. It’s not inexpensive by any means, but if you’re looking for the ultimate in lightweight travel, this is the ticket. I’ve had mine for several years now and am still quite happy with it.
Many manufacturers advertise their luggage as lightweight, so when you start looking at purchasing a suitcase, pay attention to the weight. You’d be surprised at how heavy some of them are.
Travelpro, the choice of airline professionals, has a Maxlite 5 Softside that weighs in at 6.3 lbs.
On the more affordable end of things, is this well rated Kenneth Cole Reaction spinner at only 6.25 lbs.
Truly, luggage choices are endless, as you can see by clicking here.
Neck Pillows have changed!
Back in the day, my go to neck pillow was one I pulled out of my backpack and inflated. It sorta did the job but was not all that comfortable. Now, the gold standard is the memory foam neck pillow, which is far superior to my old inflatable one. My current neck pillow packs down into a small compression bag, easily placed into my backpack. The cover is washable, soft and comfortable. I love this neck pillow. If you don’t have one like it, I highly recommend it.
“No hands” Cell Phone.
Nowadays, it’s a juggling act as you board the plane. Most likely, your cell is in one hand showing your boarding pass while your other holds onto children / your carry-ons / purse / neck pillow etc. Here’s a simple solution. The cell phone tether. Clip your phone to it, slip the cord around your neck, and you’re hands free.
The cord is long enough to slip the cell into your pocket when needed but can also be readily retrieved. There are several different types. One requires a cell phone cover as the anchor goes in-between the phone and case. There is also a phone harness and even one that clips to your belt with a retractable leash. A very inexpensive option to secure your phone when your hands are busy!
If you’d like some other ideas about travel goodies, please check our “Travel Tips / Shop” page on our blog where you’ll find several other posts about travel tips and shopping tips.
A Final Note about when you need help.
If you ever need an advocate for any bad or lack of service you’ve received, Elliott.Org is the place to go. They will help to mediate disputes between companies and consumers. As noted earlier, they also have Company Contact for 37 different categories, which encompasses most everything. Take a look.
I’ve been following the Chief Advocacy Officer, Chris Elliott, for some time now. He travels the world with his teenagers in tow, so his advice is first hand. He sends out an daily email with helpful consumer stories of issues and how they were resolved. Highly recommend!
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