6 Credit Cards That Offer Companion Certificates

by Daniel | Last Updated May 17th, 2022

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If you’re interested in credit cards and have seen some of my recent reviews, you may know that The Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Platinum cards offer a companion certificate for each card anniversary, but there are also quite a few other credit cards that offer a companion certificate.

In this article, I’m going to review both the Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Platinum cards and 4 other credit cards that have the ability to earn a companion certificate.

Basically, I’ll go over all of the benefits and perks that come with these cards, and then at the end of this article, I will give you my opinion on which card is the best value for money and which card offers the most overall value.

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1. British Airways Visa Signature Card

Read my full review of the British Airways Visa Signature Card here.

So the first card on this list that offers a companion certificate is the British Airways Visa Signature Card.
And besides being a relatively cheap card to maintain on an annual basis ($95), it also has some pretty decent perks.

Companion Ticket Offer

To receive the Travel Together Ticket with the British Airways Visa Signature card you will need to have spent $30,000 over a calendar year.
The ticket will be valid for British Airways mainline flights that originate from and return to the United States and will be valid for up to 2 years.
Also, they can be used in any cabin class
The only thing you will have to pay for is any related taxes and fees.

Sign-up Bonus

The current sign-up bonus with the British Airways Visa Signature card is 100,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months of card ownership, and as each Avios is worth approximately 0.8 cents per Avios, this sign-up bonus is worth about $800.

Earning Miles

When it comes to earning miles with the British Airways Visa Signature card there are a few options.
For the first 18 months of card ownership, you will earn 5 Avios per $1 spent on purchases made on British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia flights.
After the 18-month period is up, you will then earn 3 Avios.
Also, during the first 18 months, hotel accommodations will earn 3 Avios per dollar spent and then revert to 2 Avios afterward.
And then all other purchases will earn 1 Avios per dollar spent. 

Benefits and Perks

Now besides the travel together ticket, the British Airways Visa Signature card also comes with some petty decent perks.
There is the ability to earn up to $600 in Reward Flight Statement credits each year when booking flights to London on British Airways.
For Economy and Premium Economy you can receive up to $100  in statement credits, and for Business and First Class seats you can earn up to $200.
Then, when you use the card to book flights from the US to London on British Airways through the website https://www.britishairways.com/Chase10/ you can save 10%.

Insurance Coverage

Finally, there is also a few insurance-related options.
The first is Baggage Delay Insurance which comes into effect if you are delayed for more than 6 hours, and this covers up to $100 per day for a total of 3 days.
Then there is Lost Luggage Reimbursement that covers you and a family member for checked luggage or carry-on luggage that is accidentally lost or damaged and covers up to $3,000 per passenger.
You will also be covered by Purchase Protection, and this covers new purchases for up to 120 days against damage or theft up to a total of $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
And finally, there is Extended Warranty Protection of one additional year on US warranties that are 3 years or less. 

2. Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card

Read my full review of the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card here.

Next up, the Alaska Airlines Visa card is the cheapest card on this list, but it offers quite a lot of value and is well worth considering as a first credit card or even an additional card that you can add to your wallet.

Companion Certificate Offer

For every card anniversary, you will receive a companion fare that is valid on all Alaska Airlines flights, and this will cost $121 ($99 for the fare and then $22 for taxes and fees.
Also, when using the certificate you will still earn Alaska Miles and will be eligible for upgrades.

Sign-up Bonus

Now the current sign-up bonus with the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card is 40,000 bonus miles and a $100 statement credit.
And to receive this you will need to spend $2,000 within the first 90 days of opening your account.
And with Alaska Miles being worth approximately 1.5 cents per mile, the 40,000 miles are worth about $600.
So with the $100 statement credit you are looking at about $700 in value just from the sign-up bonus.

Earning Miles

Earning Miles with the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card is as follows:
Eligible purchases made with Alaska Airlines will receive 3x miles, and then all other purchases will earn 1 mile per $1 spent.
So not a huge range of options for earning miles, but for a card that only costs $75 per year and has a sign-up bonus worth about $700, it’s not too bad.

Benefits and Perks

Now there are a couple of nice benefits that come with this card.
The first is a Free Checked Bag for you and up to 6 guests that are on the same reservation as you on an Alaska Airlines flight.
You will also receive 20% back on Inflight purchases made on all Alaska flights, and 50% off day passes to the Alaska Lounge when using the card to pay.

Insurance Coverage

For insurance coverage, there are a couple of options with this card.
First of all, there is a $0 Liability Guarantee for any fraudulent transactions that are made to your card. 

With Overdraft Protection you can prevent any declined purchases or returned checks, all you need to do is link your Bank of America Checking account to the credit card.

3. AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard

Read my full review of the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard here.

The next card on this list is the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard.
And this card is best suited to anyone who prefers to fly on American Airlines, as that is where a bulk of its benefits and perks come from.
This card has an annual fee of $99 and comes with a few nice perks.

Companion Certificate Offer

To receive a companion certificate with the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard you will need to spend $20,000 on purchases, then after your account anniversary, you must keep your account open for a minimum of 45 days.
You will then receive 1 domestic economy fare for a companion, and this will cost $99 and will also incur a fee of between $21.60 and $43.20.
The fare must be used within 12 months of the date of issue.

Sign-up Bonus

So the sign-up bonus that currently comes with this card is 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after you make your first purchase within the first 90 days of opening the account.
And seeing that the AAdvantage miles are worth approximately 1.2 cents per mile, this sign-up bonus is worth about $600.

Earning Miles

Now when it comes to earning miles, there are 2 options.
The first is 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, and then all other purchases will earn 1 mile per $1 spent.

Benefits and Perks

As for benefits, this card has a few nice options.
When flying on American Airlines, you and up to 4 travel companions will get your first checked bags free.
Along with this, you will also receive Preferred boarding.

You will receive 25% back in the way of a statement credit for inflight purchases of food and beverages on American Airline flights.
Each account anniversary you will receive a $25 WiFi credit that can be used on American Airline flights.
And finally, you will receive a 10% discount on a non-flight purchase that is made through the website aavacations.com/aviator 

Insurance Coverage

Now there are a few options for insurance coverage.
The first is $0 Fraud Liability protection for unauthorized purchases that are made to your card.
You will also be eligible for Travel Accident Insurance, Trip Cancellation/ Interruption Coverage, Baggage Delay Insurance, and an Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.

4. Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard

Now the next card on this list is the Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard.
And whilst it is most suited to people who travel internationally to Europe, it still has some interesting perks that are worth looking into.
Also, it currently has an annual fee of $89 and a very generous sign-up bonus.

Companion Certificate Offer

To receive the Companion Certificate with the Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard, you will need to make a purchase on the card, and then the following year, after your card anniversary, you will receive an economy class companion certificate, the only thing you will need to pay for is any related taxes and fees that are associated with the ticket.

Sign-up Bonus

Now the sign-up bonus that is currently offered with this card is 60,000 award miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of card ownership.
And with Lufthansa Miles being worth approximately 1.5 cents per mile, this sign up bonus is worth about $900

Earning Miles

So for earning miles with this card, there are only two options.
Basically, you will earn 2x miles for purchases made directly from Miles & More integrated airline partners which include the following airlines:

• AirDolomiti
• Austrian Airlines Group
• Brussels Airlines
• Croatia Airlines
• Eurowings
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Luxair
• SWISS

And then all other purchases will earn 1 mile per dollar spent

Benefits and Perks

Now along with the companion certificate, you will also receive 2 one-time Lufthansa business lounge vouchers after each account anniversary, and these vouchers will be valid for 12 months from the date of issuance.

And then one time per year, you will be able to use Status Miles Conversion.
This gives you the ability to convert anywhere from 5,000 to 25,000 award miles into status miles (which is a ratio of 5:1)
And Status Miles can be used to help you achieve or maintain Miles & More members’ status.

Insurance Coverage

Now seeing that this is a World Elite Mastercard you will get some of the following insurance-related benefits: 

Zero Liability Protection in the event that someone makes an unauthorized purchase with your card.
Mastercard ID Theft Protection, this basically monitors your credit file for any potential fraud, and if anything unusual does come up, you will receive an alert notification and get assistance from a resolution specialist.
And then finally there is Global Emergency Services that will help you out if you need to report or replace a stolen card.

5. Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

Read my full review of the delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card here.

So the next card on this list is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card.
And this card offers some great value and benefits.
Although it costs a fair bit more than the previous cards on this list with an annual fee of $250.

Companion Certificate Offer

Now the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card gives you the ability to book a round trip on domestic Main cabin fares, which is basically an Economy ticket.
And this is available to you once you have renewed your card following your account anniversary.

Sign-up Bonus

Currently, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card is offering 50,000 bonus Miles and 5,000 MQMs after you spend $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account.

And seeing that Delta Miles are worth approximately 1 cent per mile, this signup bonus is worth about $500.

Earning Miles

Now the Platinum card actually has better points earning options than the more expensive Reserve card.
To begin with, you will earn 3x miles for purchases made directly with Delta and for purchases made directly with hotels.
Then from here, it is possible to earn 2x miles on dining out at restaurants or getting takeout or home delivery. And then all other purchases will receive 1 mile per dollar spent. 

Benefits and Perks

So when it comes to benefits, the Platinum card has quite a bit to offer
First of all, you will receive a $100 credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
You and up to 9 people per reservation will receive their 1st checked bag free.
Then there is the ability to gain access to the Delta Sky Club for you and up to 2 guests if you are traveling on a Delta flight for $39 per person.
In-flight purchases that are made on Delta flights will receive a 20% saving in the form of a statement credit, and this covers purchases such as food, beverages, and audio headsets.

Insurance Coverage

And finally, there are quite a lot of insurance-related benefits that come with this card.
The first is Trip Delay Insurance of up to $300 per trip if your trip is delayed for more than 12 hours.

And this comes with a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period.

There is also a Baggage Insurance Plan that provides coverage of up to $500 for checked bags and $1,250 for carry-on luggage that is lost, damaged, or stolen.
With Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, you will receive secondary coverage of up to $50,000 in the event of damage or theft of a rental vehicle.

Cell Phone Protection is also included and covers up to $800 per claim, with a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period.

Purchase Protection provides you with 90 days of coverage on new purchases if they are accidentally damaged or stolen and will cover up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per calendar year.

And finally, an Extended Warranty will give you an additional year of coverage on US warranties that are 5 years or less.

6. Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

Read my full review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card here.

Now the last card on this list is the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card, and although this is the most expensive card on this list with an annual fee of $550, it does offer some pretty fantastic benefits and perks.

Companion Certificate Offer

So with the Delta Skymiles Reserve Card, you will be able to book a domestic First class, Comfort+, or Main cabin fare, which is the most valuable companion certificate offered in this review.
And just like the Platinum card, this is available to you once you renew your card for the following year.

Sign-up Bonus

Now with the Reserve card, you can currently earn the same 50,000 bonus miles, but 10,000 MQMs.
So the miles are worth the same $500 as the Platinum cards bonus.

Earning Miles

Now when it comes to earning miles with the Reserve card there are only 2 options.
The first is 3x miles on Delta Purchases that are made directly with Delta.
And then all other purchases will receive 1 mile per dollar spent.

Benefits and Perks

Now seeing that this is the most expensive card on this list it’s not surprising that it offers the most valuable benefits.
The first is complimentary access to both the Delta Sky Club and the Amex Centurion Lounge.
Along with this, you will also receive 2 one-time guest passes each year for the Delta SkyClub. 
But just note that you will need to be flying on a Delta-marked flight to gain access to either of these lounges.

There is the same $100 credit as the Platinum card for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
On Delta flights, you will receive Upgrade Priority, your first check bag free for you and up to 9 people on the same flight, and 20% back on inflight purchases such as food, beverages, and audio headsets. 

Insurance Coverage

Now the insurance provided with the Reserve card is similar to what the Platinum card offers.
Trip Delay insurance is provided after a delay of just 6 hours and covers up to $500 per trip with a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period, whereas the Platinum card covers only $300 and will need a delay of 12 hours.
The Baggage Insurance Plan is the same as the Platinum card.
With the Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, you will be covered up to a total of $75,000, versus the platinum cards $50,000.

The Cell Phone Protection is the same as the Platinum card.

Purchase Protection is for the same 90 days but covers up to $10,000 per occurrence versus $1,000 per occurrence for the Platinum card.
The Extended Warranty is the same as the Platinum card.
And then finally you will get a Return Protection that provides 90 days of coverage on items that a merchant won’t take back, and this covers up to $300 per item and a maximum of $1,000 per year.

Final Thoughts

So depending on your budget and which airline you prefer to fly with will ultimately affect your choice of credit card.
In terms of value for money, the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card is the most cost-effective card on an annual basis and offers an easy way to get a companion certificate without breaking the bank

And if you want to go all out and get the best card on this list, I would recommend getting the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card as it has the most benefits and user perks, and has the ability to get a First Class companion certificate each card anniversary.  

Now if you would like to learn more about 3 of the best top-tier credit card, why not watch my review and comparison of the Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Capital One Venture X cards here.