Delta Reserve Credit Card Review: Amazing Perks

Link: Apply now for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

American Express and Delta have had a close relationship for many years. As part of that, they issue seven co-branded Delta Amex cards, including the Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards (except for the Blue product, all the others have both a personal and business version).

In this post I wanted to take a look at the most premium of these cards, as this is the card to have if you’re a frequent flyer with Delta.

Delta Reserve American Express Card Basics For November 2024

In this post, I wanted to look at the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. This is the most premium of Amex’s four co-branded personal Delta cards. While it has a high annual fee, it also comes with lots of perks.

Delta Reserve Amex Bonus Of 70,000 SkyMiles

The Delta Reserve Card has a welcome offer of 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months. I value SkyMiles at 1.1 cents each, so to me, the bonus is worth $770.

Card Eligibility

The welcome bonus offer on the card is “once in a lifetime,” so it’s not available to you if you currently have the card, or if you’ve had the card in the past. However, you can get each version of the Delta Amex, so you are eligible for the Reserve if you’ve only had the Gold or Platinum before, or if you’ve had any of the business versions of the cards.

You can read more about Amex’s general application restrictions here.

Delta Reserve Credit Card Annual Fee

The Delta Reserve Card has a $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees).

Earning Miles With Delta Reserve Card

The Delta Reserve Card has fairly limited bonus categories for spending. You can earn:

• 3x SkyMiles for purchases directly with Delta (including flights and Delta Vacations)
• 1x SkyMiles on all other eligible purchases

Ironically other Delta cards with lower annual fees have more robust bonus categories. The logic is probably that there’s another huge incentive to spend on this card (which I’ll get into below), so they don’t feel they have to offer great bonuses to get people to spend.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

If you spend on the Delta Reserve Card, the good news is that there are no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees), so you can efficiently use the card abroad.

Earning Status With The Delta Reserve Card

If you’re looking to earn Delta SkyMiles Medallion elite status with credit cards, then the Delta Reserve Credit Card is the product that’s for you. Nowadays earning Medallion elite status is based on how many Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) you rack up. That’s an area where the card can help you:

• The card offers an annual MQD boost, whereby you get a head start of 2,500 MQDs just for having the card
• The card offers one MQD for every $10 spent on purchases on the card

For context, below are the standard elite requirements with SkyMiles. There’s not another card that can help you qualify for status with Delta so quickly. Just to put this into perspective:

• You could earn Medallion Silver elite status by spending $25,000 on the card (you get a head start of 2,500 MQDs, plus you’d earn 2,500 MQDs for spending $25,000)
• You could earn Medallion Gold elite status by spending $75,000 on the card (you get a head start of 2,500 MQDs, plus you’d earn 7,500 MQDs for spending $75,000)
• You could earn Medallion Platinum elite status by spending $125,000 on the card (you get a head start of 2,500 MQDs, plus you’d earn 12,500 MQDs for spending $125,000)
• You could earn Medallion Diamond elite status by spending $255,000 on the card (you get a head start of 2,500 MQDs, plus you’d earn 25,500 MQDs for spending $255,000)

Lounge Access With The Delta Reserve Card

One of the primary things that sets the Delta Reserve Credit Card apart from other Delta Amex cards is the lounge access perks that it offers. The card offers Sky Club access, Centurion Lounge access, and even a couple of Sky Club passes. 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. Once all 15 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits (including Grab and Go) at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card.

How does that work?

Complimentary Delta Sky Club Access

Just for having the Delta Reserve Card, you receive complimentary Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta the same day. You can buy access for guests at the rate of $50 per person. Getting complimentary Delta Sky Club access with this card is a great perk.

Four Delta Sky Club Guest Passes Annually

In addition to the primary cardmember getting Sky Club access when flying Delta the same day, they also receive four Sky Club guest passes annually.

These can be used by the primary cardmember to guest others into the lounge, allowing you to skip the $50 guesting fee twice.

Complimentary Centurion Lounge Access

The Delta Reserve Card also offers complimentary Centurion Lounge access when traveling on Delta on the same day. The primary cardmember is entitled to access, and bringing additional guests costs $50 each.

Centurion Lounges, for the most part, offer a significantly improved food and beverage offering compared to most domestic airline lounges in the United States, so this is a nice option to have.

Delta Reserve Card Perks & Benefits

The Delta Reserve Credit Card has a huge bonus, though if I were just looking for the best welcome bonus offer I would go for the Gold or Platinum version of the card, since the cards have significantly lower annual fees.

The reason you want to get the Reserve version of the card is because of the valuable long-term perks that it offers. Above I’ve talked about how the Reserve Card can help you earn status and can help you access lounges, though there are lots of perks beyond that.

Let’s take a look at some of those benefits.

Annual Companion Certificate

Every year upon renewal of your card you receive a roundtrip companion certificate valid within the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), and to select destinations in the Caribbean and Central America. This can be used for fares ranging from first class to economy, so the flexibility offered by that is pretty awesome, and for many will more than justify the annual fee.

You just have to pay the government-imposed taxes and fees for the companion. If redeeming the certificate there are some things to be aware of, including:

• It’s valid for roundtrip travel within the United States and to select destinations in the Caribbean and Central America
• You have to pay the government taxes for the second traveler on the reservation
• Companion certificates are 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
• Travel has to be completed by the expiration date of the certificate

$200 Annual Delta Stays Credit

Just for having the card, you receive a $200 Delta Stays Credit annually. The way this works, you receive $200 in statement credits per calendar year when you use your card to pay for a new Delta Stays prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.

While I’m not usually a fan of using airline portals to book hotel stays and vacation rentals, this could prove worthwhile, as you can use it for a hotel stay costing right around $200, if you wanted to. If used right, the value here is considerable.

$240 Annual Resy Credit

Just for having the card, you receive up to $240 in Resy credits annually (enrollment required). The way this works, you can receive up to $20 in statement credits each month after using your card on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants. You’ll need to create a Resy account on resy.com or on the Resy app, and book a reservation there.

$120 Annual Rideshare Credit

Just for having the card, you receive up to $120 in rideshare credits annually (enrollment required). The way this works, you can receive up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.

First Checked Bag Free

Just for having the Delta Reserve card you get a first checked bag free. With the ever-increasing cost of a checked bag with Delta, this can really add up.

• This benefit is limited to the primary cardmember and anyone traveling on the same reservation with them (up to nine people)
• You don’t have to pay for your flight with your Delta Amex, though you do need to have your SkyMiles number in the reservation.

Depending on how many bags you’re checking, a single trip could pay for the card annual fee.

Priority Boarding

You receive priority boarding just for having the Delta Reserve. This helps maximize your odds of finding space for your carry-on and getting to your seat sooner. To receive this benefit, you must ensure the primary cardmember’s SkyMiles number is linked to the reservation.

20% Delta Inflight Savings

If you have the Reserve Delta Amex then you can save 20% in the form of a statement credit for eligible pre-purchased meals, and in-flight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets, on Delta flights. Allow 8-12 weeks for the statement credit to post.

Pay With Miles

Delta has a Pay With Miles feature, where if you have a Delta co-branded credit card you can redeem miles for one cent each toward a Delta flight purchase (in increments of 5,000 miles per $50). That’s not the best deal in the world, though this is a feature that’s exclusively available to those with an eligible card.

Some people find this to be useful since they can redeem their miles toward flights, and then they still earn elite miles for taking those flights.

15% Savings On SkyMiles Award Flights

With the TakeOff 15 perk (exclusively for those with select Delta Amex cards), you can save 15% on the cost of a SkyMiles award ticket when traveling exclusively on Delta. Delta SkyMiles award pricing is dynamic, and generally you’ll find that each mile gets you a bit over a cent toward the cost of a ticket.

Saving 15% on these awards is valuable, and means that you’ll generally get somewhere around 1.2-1.3 cents of value per mile (or sometimes even more). In many cases this will end up being a better value than using the Pay With Miles option, so it’s a real perk of the card.

Upgrade Priority

Having the Delta Reserve Card gets you priority for complimentary upgrades, assuming you have Medallion status. That’s because the card acts as a tiebreaker.

If you have the Reserve Card you get upgrade priority over other Medallion members within the same Medallion level and fare class. Given how competitive upgrades are, this can make a material difference in terms of whether you clear or not.

Upgrades To First Class & Comfort+ For Non-Elite Members

The Reserve Card offers complimentary first class and Comfort+ upgrades on eligible flights for non-elite members. You will be toward the bottom of the upgrade list, but there are lots of situations where this could help you score a good Comfort+ seat, or in some cases even a first class seat.

Complimentary TSA PreCheck & Global Entry

Those with the Delta Reserve Card receive a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit. This benefit applies once every 4.5 years for the application of TSA PreCheck, or once every four years for the application of Global Entry. This can save you big time both at security and immigration, and is something I highly recommend signing up for if eligible.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle Status

Just for having the card you receive Hertz President’s Circle elite status, which is Hertz’s top-tier status. Status is valid for as long as you’re a cardmember. This should take the pain out of renting cars, and offers the following perks:

• Guaranteed car upgrades, a minimum of one-class, at participating locations
• Freedom to choose any vehicle in the President’s Circle section of the Hertz Ultimate Choice lot on the spot at no extra charge
• No additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner in the United States
• 50% bonus on Gold Plus Rewards points on all qualified rentals
• Expedited vehicle pick-up at over 1,000 locations worldwide
• No stopping at the counter at over 50 airports
• eReturn, whereby you don’t have to wait when returning your car
• Hertz Valet, whereby you can take advantage of a terminal drive-back service at participating locations up to four times per year
• A dedicated President’s Circle call center line

Amex Offers

One of the great features of Amex cards is access to Amex Offers, which offers savings or bonus points on purchases with all kinds of retailers. There’s huge value to be had in getting as many Amex cards as possible, so that you can get these offers on multiple cards.

Amex Offers could save you hundreds of dollars per year. You can access these offers by logging into your account and scrolling down to the bottom of your account summary page.

ShopRunner Membership

For having the Delta Reserve Amex you get a ShopRunner membership, which gets you free two-day shipping on eligible items at a network of 100+ online stores. You just have to enroll in your complimentary membership and can then start taking advantage of it.

Is The Delta Reserve Amex Worth It?

The Delta Reserve Credit Card has a steep annual fee, but the card also offers great benefits. The card offers perks ranging from lounge access, to a first checked bag free, to upgrade priority, to all kinds of credits, to the ability to spend your way to elite status.

This card isn’t for the casual Delta flyer, but for someone who flies Delta moderately or often, I’d say this card is well worth considering.

Looking For A Business Credit Card Instead?

If the Delta Reserve Amex sounds interesting to you but you are instead looking for a card for your small business, consider the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card.

Most of the benefits of the card are the same. One significant difference is that the business card earns 1.5x miles on all purchases after spending $150,000 annually, which could be useful for big spenders. Furthermore, the business card offers a $250 annual Delta Stays credit, rather than a $200 annual credit.

Amex Platinum Vs. Delta Reserve Card

Many people might be trying to decide between The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) and the Delta Reserve Card. The cards have some overlapping benefits:

• Both give you access to the Delta Sky Club when flying Delta same day
• The Amex Platinum gives you Centurion Lounge access no matter what airline you’re flying, and the Delta Reserve will give you access to Centurion Lounges when flying Delta same day

But that’s largely where the similarities end:

• While the Amex Platinum Card has a $695 annual fee (Rates & Fees), it offers lots of perks that help offset it, including up to $300 in statement credits each year on a digital or club membership at Equinox, $240 annual digital entertainment credit, $200 annual Uber credit, $200 annual airline fee credit, $100 annual Saks credit, up to $199 back on a CLEAR Plus membership every year, Priority Pass membership, and much more; this is one of the best cards out there for lounge access (Enrollment is required for select benefits)
• The Delta Reserve Card is worth getting specifically if you’re a Delta flyer, since having the card can help you earn status with Delta, and it also offers lots of Delta specific perks that you don’t get with other cards

Delta Reserve Card Vs. Delta Platinum Amex

The Delta Reserve Credit Card is Delta’s most premium credit card, though is it worth it compared to the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card (review), which has a $350 annual fee (Rates & Fees)?

• The cards are similar in that they both offer a first checked bag free, 20% savings on inflight purchases, priority boarding, and more
• While both cards allow you to earn elite status with spending, you earn MQDs a lot faster with the Reserve than with the Platinum
• The upgrade priority offered with the Reserve is a major incentive to get that card over the Platinum
• While both cards offer a companion certificate, the Platinum one is only valid for economy, while the Reserve one is even valid for first class
• The Reserve offers complimentary lounge access, while the Platinum doesn’t

Bottom Line

The Delta Reserve Card is Delta’s most premium credit card. While the card isn’t for everyone, I do think it’s well worth considering if you’re a frequent Delta flyer, and could benefit from lounge access, the companion ticket, improved upgrade priority, all of the credits, and the ability to earn status through credit card spending.

If you want to learn more about the Delta Reserve Amex Card or apply, follow this link.

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees).