Delta Reserve Card

Ultimate Upgrade: A Review of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Delta has what feels like an insane amount of personal and business credit cards including the card_name. It’s nearly impossible to keep track of all of the cards American Express issues for Delta. The sheer number of Delta credit cards is great for consumers. It allows us, travelers, to find one or many cards that fit our spending and travel patterns.

While it’s relatively easy to earn SkyMiles, the downside arrives when it’s time to redeem your miles. Delta has made it a point to devalue its SkyMiles program into oblivion. Sure, there are spots where Delta SkyMiles can offer value. However, on the whole, cards like the card_name don’t have the wow factor these cards might otherwise have had before massive consecutive devaluations.

Delta Reserve Card Details

card_name earns 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. The card has a $650 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees.

Delta Reserve Card Credits

Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R): Receive $100 back for Global Entry or $85 back for TSA PreCheck(R) after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.

$240 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles(R) 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(R) Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required.

Eligible 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.

Not a Medallion Member? Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members. Ticket must be purchased on or after February 1, 2024, to be eligible to receive a complimentary upgrade.

$200 Delta Stays Statement Credit: Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card Members can earn up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.

Delta Reserve Card Benefits

Cardmembers receive 20% back on in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit. Qualifying purchases include pre-purchased meals, and in-flight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets, on Delta-operated flights. In-flight Wi-Fi is not an eligible purchase. Statement credits show up on your account 8-12 weeks after the transaction posts to your account.

Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion(R) Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.

Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+(R), 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). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.

Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club(R) when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. You will receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. 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.

Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.

Trip Delay Insurance can be a lifesaver. Speaking from personal experience, this insurance has the potential to save a ton of money in the event of a delay. This card reimburses the cardmember and travelers on the same reservation for travel-delay-related expenses incurred like meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal items. When you are delayed at least six hours, you can be reimbursed up to $500 per traveler on your reservation up to twice per year.

Receive $2,500 Medallion(R) Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.

The card offers a 15% discount when using miles to book Delta award flights through delta.com or on the Delta app. Partner flights, taxes, and fees are excluded from the discount.

Transform your car rental experience with Hertz President’s Circle Status, compliments of your Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program is required. To receive the benefit, you must add your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Account number to your SkyMiles Account associated with your Eligible Card, register at delta.com/mypromos/eligible, and “Enroll in Promotion” at delta.com/hertz.

Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.

How to Earn Miles with the Delta Reserve Card

Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Also, earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases and earn $1 Medallion(R) Qualification Dollar for each $10 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving elevated Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.

How to Redeem Miles with the Delta Reserve Card

Delta SkyMiles has consistently lost value, as with some other airline miles, over time. Generally speaking, Delta is pushing to value is SkyMiles at no more than 1 cent per mile. This drastically reduces the upside you could once find when booking an international business-class flight with SkyMiles. However, a devaluation in its SkyMiles program does not mean you can’t still find value.

Some of the best ways to redeem SkyMiles for top value include:

  • 39,000-72,000 SkyMiles to fly Delta business class between the US and northern South America
  • 85,000 SkyMiles to fly SkyTeam business class between the US and the Middle East
  • 95,000 SkyMiles to fly SkyTeam business class between the US and South Africa
  • 32,000 SkyMiles to fly Delta economy between the US and southern South America
  • 35,000 SkyMiles to fly SkyTeam economy between the US and Europe

Conclusion on the Delta Reserve Card

New cardmembers earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first six months. In addition, the card_name offers benefits like 20% back on in-flight purchases, The Centurion Lounge access, an annual Companion Certificate, Delta Sky Club Access, First Checked Bag for Free, and/or Trip Delay Insurance. All in all, this card can make sense if you value the card’s benefits.

Disclaimer: If you click and/or sign up for a credit card through certain links on this site or any of my related social media platforms, I may make a commission from that click-through.  The editorial content on this page and the user comments are not provided by any of the companies mentioned and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. The opinions expressed here are mine alone.