Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card provides complimentary Sky Club access when flying on Delta, as well as the ability to earn Medallion Qualification Miles and a Medallion Qualification Dollar waiver through spending on the card. It’s best suited for frequent flyers who want Delta-specific perks, including lounge access, a boost toward elite status and a domestic companion certificate after each account anniversary. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Whether traveling for work or leisure, having airport lounge access allows you to be more productive while traveling and provides a place to relax before or between flights (and grab a quick drink or snack).
While plenty of travel credit cards provide airport lounge access, if you mainly fly with Delta, you’ll want to get into its Delta Sky Club lounges. Luckily, one of the primary benefits of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card is complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta.
So, if you were thinking about springing for a Sky Club membership, you’ll probably be better off paying the Delta Reserve’s $550 annual fee (see rates and fees) instead and enjoying both lounge access as well as other advantages to boot.
Here is a closer look at the Delta Reserve Amex and its benefits so you can decide whether it’s the right card for you.
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Delta Reserve Amex welcome offer
The Delta Reserve Amex is currently offering 85,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of account opening.
TPG’s valuations peg Delta SkyMiles at 1.41 cents each, making 85,000 bonus miles worth a considerable $1,198.
THE POINTS GUY
Some applicants won’t be eligible for this welcome offer. Specifically, due to Amex’s one-bonus-per-card-per-lifetime rule, you typically won’t qualify if you currently have this card or had previous versions in the past. Amex may also consider the number of American Express cards you’ve opened and closed, as well as other factors, when determining whether to offer you a welcome bonus.
Thankfully, Amex will tell you if you aren’t eligible for the welcome offer after submitting your application but before Amex pulls your credit. So if you’re hoping to snag the welcome bonus, pay attention to any messages or warnings that show up after you apply.
Related: What credit score do you need to get Delta SkyMiles cards?
Earning miles on the Delta Reserve Amex
As you might assume from its name, the Delta Reserve Amex earns Delta SkyMiles as follows when you make eligible purchases with the card:
3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
MY AGENCY/SHUTTERSHOCK
But even with 3 miles per dollar on airfare, you may not want to spend much on the Delta Reserve Amex after you’ve earned the welcome bonus (unless you’re trying to hit a threshold for bonus MQMs or a MQD waiver). That’s because, based on TPG’s valuation of Delta miles at 1.41 cents each, you’ll get about a 4.7% return on Delta purchases and a 1.6% return on everything else.
You can do better, especially if you consider other American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points that you can then transfer to Delta.
Related: 4 reasons why the Amex Platinum might be the ideal credit card for Delta flyers
Redeeming miles on the Delta Reserve Amex
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Delta’s use of dynamic pricing can make it frustrating to redeem Delta SkyMiles. The effects of variable pricing can be mild in some cases, like this month of round-trip flights between New York (JFK) and Chicago-O’Hare (ORD). Delta highlights the lowest economy class fare of 15,000 miles in this example, but many other dates have significantly higher pricing.
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The price fluctuation gets more intense when you start to look at holiday travel, such as these one-way, economy awards between Los Angeles (LAX) and Cancun (CUN) around the holidays.
DELTA.COM
And when you start talking about premium-cabin awards, prices can skyrocket. You can almost certainly do better than these one-way awards between LAX and London-Heathrow (LHR) when booking through other loyalty programs.
DELTA.COM
If you have the flexibility to do so, you’d be better off saving your Delta miles for one of the carrier’s frequent flash award sales. In the past, we’ve seen deals for domestic awards from 2,000 SkyMiles each way and New York to Bogota, Colombia, in business class from 12,000 SkyMiles each way.
You can also use your SkyMiles to fly on international SkyTeam partner airlines such as Air France and Korean Air, as well as select non-alliance partners like Virgin Atlantic and WestJet.
You can redeem Delta SkyMiles for many things other than flights, too — including premium alcoholic beverages in Sky Clubs as well as hotels and rental cars. However, note that some redemption options provide relatively low value.
Related: 9 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for
Delta Reserve Amex benefits
The Delta Reserve Amex offers several useful perks for frequent Delta flyers. However, Delta loyalists who want lounge access when flying Delta will benefit most.
Lounge access
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Quite simply, lounge access is the main reason to have the Delta Reserve Amex instead of another Delta credit card.
With the Delta Reserve Amex, primary and additional cardmembers get complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges when traveling on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. Cardmembers can also pay a fee of $50 per person per location for Sky Club access when traveling on a Delta partner airline flight not marketed or operated by Delta.
Cardmembers also get two one-time Sky Club guest passes upon account opening and each year upon account renewal. These guest passes will appear in your Wallet in the Fly Delta app. You can also pay $50 per person per location to bring up to two guests or immediate family (spouse or domestic partner and children under 21 years of age) with you into the Sky Club.
What’s more, the Delta Reserve Amex will also get you into American Express Centurion Lounges for free when flying Delta with a ticket purchased on a U.S.-issued American Express card. You can bring up to two guests into the Centurion Lounge with you for a fee of $50 per person per location.
Annual companion certificate
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Another major benefit of the Delta Reserve Amex is the companion certificate that cardmembers receive each year after their account anniversary. The companion certificate is valid for one round-trip ticket in first class, Delta Comfort+ or Main Cabin for a companion when you purchase one adult round-trip. You just have to pay the taxes and fees (no more than $80) on the second ticket.
Travel must occur within the 48 contiguous United States, unless you live in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can only book tickets in the following fare classes, too:
First class: I and Z.
Comfort+: W and S, but only when L, U, T, X or V classes of service are available in the main cabin.
Main Cabin: L, U, T, X and V.
Depending on what you redeem your companion ticket for, you could use it to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year, especially if you fly first class.
Earn MQMs and an MQD waiver
New cardholders are given Status Boosts which can help you earn 15,000 MQMs after spending $30,000 on your card in a calendar year and an additional 15,000 bonus MQMs after spending $60,000, $90,000 and $120,000 in a calendar year. So you can take home up to 60,000 MQMs each calendar year by spending $120,000 on your card.
Delta Reserve Amex cardmembers can also earn an MQD waiver based on their spending activity. Those who make $25,000 or more in purchases on their card in a calendar year get an MQD waiver for Silver, Gold or Platinum Medallion status (Diamond requires $250,000 in a calendar year). This can really come in handy if you fly enough to meet the airline’s MQM or Medallion Qualification Segment requirements, but not the MQD one — especially since Delta rolled over all MQMs earned in 2021 to 2022.
Related: The ultimate guide to getting upgraded on Delta
Other perks
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
The Delta Reserve Amex extends many other travel-related perks, including:
First checked bag free: First checked bag free for you and up to eight companions traveling with you on your reservation when you check in with Delta for both a Delta-marketed and Delta-operated flight (codeshare flights are not eligible).
Priority boarding: Main Cabin 1 priority boarding for you and up to eight companions traveling with you on the same reservation when flying on Delta- and Delta Connection-operated flights.
15% discount on award flights: 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card).
20% back on inflight purchases: 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.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit: Get a statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee charged to your card (up to $100), or every 4½ years for a TSA PreCheck application fee charged to your card (up to $85).
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).
The Delta Reserve also includes extensive shopping protections and travel coverage when you use your card for certain purchases.
Which cards compete with the Delta Reserve Amex?
Most Delta Reserve Amex cardmembers carry it for two reasons: Delta Sky Club access and an extra boost toward earning Delta elite status. When it comes to these perks, the Delta Reserve Amex has three primary competitors:
If you want stronger earnings rates: The Platinum Card from American Express offers 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on airfare purchased through American Express Travel or directly with the airline (a 10% return based on TPG’s valuations) compared to the Delta Reserve Amex’s 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases (a 4.7% return). And you can still transfer Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Platinum.
If you want a lower annual fee: Try the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card, which offers the same MQD waiver options, first checked bag free and priority boarding as the Delta Reserve Amex. It also has a lower annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees) that may be easier to justify for some consumers. For more information, read our full review of the Delta Platinum Amex.
If you’re eligible for a business card: You might prefer the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card. It has a lot of similarities to the consumer version but with the option to (obviously) put your business expenses on the card and potentially rack up more miles. For more information, read our full review of the Delta Reserve Business Amex card.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel cards.
Read more: Delta elite status match offered to targeted Amex cardholders
Is the Delta Reserve Amex worth it?
This card is best for Delta loyalists who want complimentary Delta Sky Club access and a solid elite qualification boost. If you fit that bill, this card could be worth it for you. However, if you want to maximize your frequent flyer miles earning, you’d be better off getting a card that earns transferable points, like the Amex Platinum.
Bottom line
If you don’t need a ton of Delta-specific perks, another card might be better for you. And you’ll definitely want to make sure you fly enough to justify the gaudy annual fee. If you fly often, however, and if you’re a Delta loyalist, then the Reserve is a tough proposition to beat, especially with complimentary Sky Club access when flying Delta.
Apply for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Business Amex, click here.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox, Ethan Steinberg, Eric Rosen and Christina Ly.