The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is for Delta frequent flyers who want to level up their flying experience with Delta.
This premium co-branded airline card comes with complimentary access to Delta SkyClub lounges when flying Delta and access to American Express Centurion lounges.
You can also earn valuable Medallion Qualification Miles, bringing you closer to top-tier Medallion status.
We’ll discuss the benefits and perks of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card to help you decide if it’s a good fit for you.
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- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines Purchases
- First Checked Bag Free
- Lounge Access to Delta Sky Club, Centurion Lounge, and Escape Lounges When Flying Delta
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $550 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
Welcome Bonus
The Delta Reserve Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning SkyMiles
The Delta Reserve Amex earns the following points for spending:
- 3 SkyMiles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases.
- 1 SkyMiles per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Spending on Delta includes flight reservations, seat upgrades and selection, Delta Vacation packages, Delta Sky Club memberships or passes, inflight meals and beverages, and audio headsets. However, it does not include spending on in-flight WiFi.
Annual Fee
The Delta Reserve Amex has an annual fee of $550 (rates & fees), which you can offset the annual fee by taking advantage of the airport lounge access, annual companion certificate, free checked bags, priority boarding, and travel and purchase protections.
Benefits When Flying Delta
There are many valuable benefits of the Delta Reserve Amex when you fly Delta Air Lines:
Access to Delta SkyClub Lounges
Delta Reserve cardholders and additional card members will enjoy complimentary Delta Sky Club memberships when flying on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
An individual Delta Sky Club membership typically costs $695 each year. This means having the Delta Reserve card at $550 with lounge access and other travel perks is a money-saving deal.
Plus, cardmembers get two free one-time guest passes each year. After that, the guest fee is $50 per person.
Delta Sky Clubs offer free Wi-Fi, light meals, snacks, and refreshments, and provide a quiet, comfortable place for relaxation before take-off.
Related Article: How To Access the Delta SkyClub.
Access to American Express Centurion Lounges
You’ll also have complimentary access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you use your Delta Reserve American Express card to book your Delta flight.
You can invite up to two guests at $50 per person.
Annual Companion Certificate at Renewal
As the primary cardholder, you’ll get a companion certificate every year for a round-trip flight in Main Cabin, Delta Comfort+, or first class upon renewing your Delta Reserve card.
There are some things you need to be aware of for the Annual Companion Certificate:
- It is only valid for roundtrip travel within the 48 contiguous United States, unless you live in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- It’s only valid for travel in the I and Z fare classes in first class, the W fare class in Comfort+, and the L, U, T, X, and V fare classes in economy.
- You have to pay the government taxes and fees for your companion, which are capped at $75.
- You must complete the travel by the expiration date of the certificate.
This is better than the companion certificate with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (review) and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express (review) because this certificate allows you to book Comfort+ and first class, in addition to the Main Cabin.
Earn Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs)
The Delta Reserve Amex allows you to earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) towards elite status by spending on this card.
With this Status Boost, you can:
- Earn 15,000 bonus MQMs after spending $30,000 in a calendar year
- Earn an additional 15,000 bonus MQMs after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
- Earn an additional 15,000 bonus MQMs after spending $90,000 in a calendar year
- Earn an additional 15,000 bonus MQMs after spending $120,000 in a calendar year
Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) Waiver
Delta elite status also requires you to meet certain spending requirements on Delta flights to obtain status called Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs).
Delta allows you to waive this MQD requirement by spending on the Delta Reserve card. To meet this MQD waiver, you need to:
- Spend $25,000 on the card within the qualification year to get an MQD waiver for Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medallion status.
- Spend $250,000 on the card within the qualification year to get an MQD waiver for Diamond Medallion status.
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases
You can get 20% back as a statement credit for eligible prepurchased meals and inflight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights. However, it does not apply to Wi-Fi purchases.
Upgrade Priority
If you have Medallion status, you’ll receive upgrade priority over other Medallion members of the same elite status level and fare class grouping.
Having priority over other Medallion members can make a difference, especially when access to upgrades gets competitive.
Access to Complimentary Upgrades
You can still qualify for the Delta SkyMiles Complimentary Upgrade Program with your card, even if you’re not a SkyMiles Medallion member.
You’ll be part of the complimentary upgrade list, but you’ll be lower on the list than Medallion members. Still, you have the chance to score a Comfort+ seat or even a first-class seat.
Free First Checked Bag
This Delta card gets you a first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions traveling with you on your reservation on a Delta or Delta Connection flight.
This helps save you $30 per person one-way or $60 round-trip for a single traveler, or $240 for a family of four round-trip.
You also don’t have to pay for your flight with your Delta Amex, unlike United co-branded credit cards. All you need is your SkyMiles number your reservation.
Priority Boarding on Delta Flights
You can enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights, which is Group 5 in the boarding process.
This allows you to board before most of the main cabin customers and secure a overhead bin for your carry-on bag.
This benefit also applies to up to eight travel companions on the same reservation.
15% Award Discount
This card offers a 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights.
To get the discount:
- Search for Award Travel by selecting “Shop with Miles” in the search criteria on delta.com or in the Fly Delta app. Be sure to log into your SkyMiles account before searching for best results.
- Select an eligible flight. When you get to check out, you will see the miles savings applied for your itinerary.
- Use your Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card to earn miles with your Card on any taxes and fees for your itinerary.
Pay With Miles
Delta SkyMiles credit cards unlock the ability to ability to “Pay with Miles” allowing cardmembers to pay for flights with SkyMiles at a rate of 1.0 cents per mile (in increments of 5,000 miles per $50).
It’s not the best deal for your SkyMiles, but it does allow you to earn elite miles for those flights.
Travel and Purchase Protections
The Delta Reserve Amex offers the following travel and purchase protections:
Trip Delay Insurance *
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance*
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Baggage Insurance Plan*
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Secondary Car Rental Insurance*
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Extended Warranty*
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 5 years.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
90-Day Return Protection*
American Express offers return protection which allows you to return an item purchased in total with an eligible card when the retailer refuses to accept the item under its return policy.
Some items are excluded, such as jewelry, plants, perishable items, software, books, formal wear, tickets, and seasonal items.
This coverage is up to $300 per item with a maximum of $1,000 per cardmember year.
90-Day Purchase Protection*
Purchase protection could save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 90-days.
For example, if you accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if the item was purchased within the last 90 days.
*(Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/
Other Delta Reserve Benefits
The Delta Reserve Amex also offers these other benefits:
Global Entry Fee Credit or TSA PreCheck
This card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit like many other travel cards.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Complimentary ShopRunner Membership
This card offers a complimentary membership to ShopRunner, giving you free two-day shipping and free returns at 100+ online retailers.
Eligible stores include Bloomingdales, Under Armour, American Eagle, Saks Off 5th, Cole Hann, Fanatics, Vera Bradley, Jockey, Kate Spade, NFL Shop, NBA Store, MLB Shop, and Coach.
Access to Amex Offers
This card has access to Amex Offers, which are deals that are linked to your card, allowing you to save money or earn extra points on shopping, dining, and travel.
For example, there could be an offer such as spending $200+ at Marriott Hotels and Resorts and receiving $50 cash back as a statement credit.
You can find all of your Amex Offers by signing into your American Express account. You will need to “Add to Card” each offer to be eligible for the special offer.
Redeeming Miles
Delta no longer publishes an award chart for its SkyMiles program.
Award flights are instead priced dynamically based on many factors, including routes, travel dates, airline partners, and how far in advance you book the flight.
It is generally very difficult for people to get outsized value when using SkyMiles for business class, like many other points programs.
The best ways to redeem SkyMiles is typically:
- Domestic economy flights starting as low as 4,500 SkyMiles.
- Booking one of Delta’s occasional flash sales.
- Flights to Canada on WestJet starting as low as 4,500 SkyMiles.
- Virgin Atlantic to London in Upper Class for 120,000 SkyMiles each way.
- Air France Business Class to Paris for 120,000 SkyMiles each way.
- LATAM Economy Class from the U.S. to South America starting at 25,000 SkyMiles each way.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
- Airport lounge access.
- Easier to earn elite status with spending.
- Free checked bags and priority boarding for you and up to 8 travel companions.
- Travel and purchase protections.
Cons
- No extra earning categories like dining, groceries, gas, etc.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) offers more credits and better airport lounge access.
Alternatives to the Delta Reserve
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is a great premium travel rewards card for travelers who want airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges.
The American Express Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but you receive many annual statement credits when you enroll your card to offset the fee, including:
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash Credit: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Benefit renews annually.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
You also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when booking flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 5x Membership Rewards points when booking prepaid hotels with American Express Travel.
On top of that, you automatically earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses, which offer points bonuses, room upgrades, late check-out, and other premier benefits.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
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- 2X SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines, U.S. Supermarkets, and Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- Free First Checked Bag
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, Then $99 Per Year (Rates and Fees)
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (review) is a cost-effective card with solid perks for Delta flyers, offering a free first checked bag, a $100 Delta flight credit, and a 20% statement credit on Delta in-flight food and drink purchases.
For a $0 introductory annual fee followed by $99 per year, this card earns 2x SkyMiles at at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets and 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by an easy-to-use travel credit of up to $300 back annually as statement credits for Bookings via Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Is the Delta Reserve Worth It?
The Delta Reserve Card is a good option if you are a Delta Medallion elite member for lounge access, higher upgrade priority, annual companion certificate, and priority boarding.
But if you don’t have elite status with Delta, I recommend the combination of the American Express Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Gold, which would get you free checked bags and priority boarding with the Delta SkyMiles Gold while getting you better lounge access with the American Express Platinum.
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- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines Purchases
- First Checked Bag Free
- Lounge Access to Delta Sky Club, Centurion Lounge, and Escape Lounges When Flying Delta
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $550 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.
