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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in o...
Juan has extensive experience in writing and editing content related to credit cards, loyalty programs, and travel. He has been honing his expertise in this field for over a decade. His work has been ...
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...
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The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
4.25
60,000 Bonus Miles
$650
20.99%-29.99% Variable
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta loyalists will love the fast track to Delta elite status, lounge access, baggage benefits, and upgrade priority with the Delta Reserve card.
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a stellar option for frequent travelers who always fly with Delta thanks to its MQD Headstart towards status boost, lounge access, annual companion certificate, and many other great benefits.
Here is a full look at everything the Delta Reserve card can offer to you to help you decide whether the card deserves a place in your wallet.
Card Snapshot
Welcome Bonus & Info
Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club® and bring up to two guests or immediate family members at a rate of $50 per person per visit when flying Delta. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
Receive four Delta Sky Club® One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location.
Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $10 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving elevated Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
$240 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
$120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
With your Card receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion level and fare class.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members.
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights.
Receive $2,500 MQM each year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations each year after renewal.
$240 Resy Credit: Earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases upon enrollment.
$120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers upon enrollment.
Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
$200 Delta Stays Statement Credit: Earn up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
Access to Complimentary Upgrades and Upgrade Priority
If you’re a frequent Delta flyer, the Delta Reserve card might just be a must-have card for you.
Thanks to its status boost ability, the card is a great option for those looking to qualify or re-qualify for high levels of Delta elite status. Plus, it offers complimentary Delta Sky Club and Amex Centurion Lounge access –– a huge benefit for frequent travelers.*
When you factor in the rest of the card’s benefits including the annual companion certificate, free checked bags, access to complimentary upgrades, and more, it’s easy to see how much value the card can offer to Delta flyers.
*Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
Delta Reserve Card Top Benefits
Delta Travel Benefits
The Delta Reserve card is loaded up with benefits that Delta flyers will love.
Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) Headstart: Beginning February 2024, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card will receive an MQD Headstart of $2,500 MQDs for the current Medallion Qualification Year.
MQD Boost: Cardholders will earn $1 MQD for every $10 spent on the card.
Annual Companion Certificate: Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments).
Complimentary Upgrades: You’ll be added to the upgrade list on flights, even if you don’t have Delta status.
Upgrade Priority: Receive priority on the upgrade list for holding the Delta Reserve card over other flyers with the same status level as you.
Free Checked Bag: Get your first checked bag free for you and up to 8 traveling companions on the same flight.
Get 20% Back on Inflight Purchases: Applies to food, beverages, and audio headsets.
Card Protections
Trip Delay Insurance: If your flight is delayed by more than 6 hours, you can receive up to $500 in coverage towards items including food and lodging.
Trip Cancellation Insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short for a covered reason, you can receive up to $10,000 per trip, up to $20,000 per year, in coverage for non-refundable expenses.
Rental Car Insurance: The card’s secondary insurance coverage covers accidental damage or theft of your rental car.
Baggage Insurance: If a carrier loses your luggage, you’re covered for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.
Return Protection: If the merchant you purchased an item from won’t accept a return within 90 days, you can receive coverage of up to $300 per item, up to $1,000 per year.
Purchase Protection: If an item is lost or damaged within 90 days of purchase, you can receive up to $10,000 in coverage per occurrence, up to $50,000 per calendar year.
Extended Warranty: Adds 1 year of warranty coverage to warranties of 5 years or less.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points
$1,760
$695
See Pay Over Time APR
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
Pros
The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges,Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$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®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
$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 Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
If you’re not totally committed to Delta, but still want a card that offers premium perks, then the Amex Platinum card could be the one for you.
It still offers access to Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, but also takes that a step further by offering you access to several other airport lounge networks including Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Lounges.
Sure, the card has a steep annual fee of $695, but when you consider the amount of value you can get from the annual credits, it’s easy to see how you might come out way ahead by holding the card (rates & fees).
For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Delta Reserve card worth it?
If you’re a frequent Delta traveler, then the card can be well worth it, even with the annual fee.
One of the key reasons for this is that you receive a status boost with MQD Headstart. Not to mention the card’s airport lounge access and annual companion certificate.
On top of that, you can save money while traveling by receiving free checked bags and 20% savings on your inflight purchases of food and other items.
But the perks don’t end there! If you purchase an item and you want or need extra protection, your card can offer that, too. For example, purchase protection and extended warranty are also available to cardmembers.
Do the points on a Delta credit card ever expire or go away?
Because the SkyMiles earned will be transferred to Delta SkyMiles right away, the points on the card will not ever expire or go away, even if you cancel your card.
How does the Delta Reserve card compare to the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card?
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is better for earning SkyMiles on everyday purchases such as restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and purchases booked directly with hotels.
On the other hand, the Delta Reserve card is a much more benefits-focused card since it offers lounge access, upgrade priority, and the better annual companion certificate of the 2 cards.
What is a good card to use in conjunction with the Delta Reserve card?
You can use any of the other Membership Rewards cards, such as the Amex Platinum card or the American Express® Gold Card, and then transfer your Membership Rewards points to your Delta SkyMiles account.
What is the Delta Reserve card upgrade priority?
You will receive upgrades according to your current ticket and status. If you are an elite status member, you will get priority. Cardmembers get priority over regular customers.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
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