Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card review: Delta’s top-tier travel card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card looks to reward Delta enthusiasts with strong perks and rewards. It provides cardholders with time-and-money saving perks and offers extra comfort to travelers with its coveted airport lounge access. 

Additionally, the card offers a number of other travel benefits, including access to Delta Sky Clubs, an annual companion ticket, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and a myriad of travel protections.

But because of its high annual fee ($550), it should only be considered by consumers who find themselves on a Delta flight often enough to get the most from the card’s benefits.

Things to consider

• Rewards rate: This card offers 3x miles per dollar, but only on Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other eligible purchases. If you don’t fly often, you won’t earn much. However, you can earn up to 14x miles for Delta airfare by reaching Medallion Status and progressing through the membership tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
• High annual fee: The annual fee is $550, so be sure to take advantage of all of its perks to get the most value for your money.
• Global Entry/TSA Application fee credit: Sign up for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) every four years. It’ll get you through TSA faster, and if you opt for Global Entry, it’ll expedite the customs process when returning to or leaving the country. Plus, the $100 or $85 fee credit will help lessen the blow of the annual fee for the year you apply.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve card benefits

While the annual fee might be intimating, cardholders get a wide array of benefits that offer plenty of value.

• Status Boost to Medallion Status: For every $30,000 you spend on your card, you’ll earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles up to four times in a calendar year (up to 60,000 MQMs).
• Medallion Qualification Dollar Waiver: Make $25,000 worth of purchases on the card to waive the MQD requirement for Medallion Status’ Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier.
• The Centurion Lounge Access: Book with your Delta card to gain access to any of the 14 luxury Centurion Lounges around the world.
• Delta Sky Club access: Access Delta’s Sky Club airport lounges, plus get two Delta Sky Club One-Time guest passes per year.
• Delta Annual Companion Certificate: Every year you renew your card, you’ll receive a companion certificate for any domestic first class, Delta comfort+, or main cabin round-trip.
• Upgrade priority: Get upgrade priority over other Medallion Status members who aren’t Reserve cardholders.
• Complimentary upgrades: If you aren’t yet a Medallion Status member, you’ll still have priority access to upgrades behind Medallion Members.
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Every four years get an application fee credit for either Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85).
• Free first checked bag: Save up to $60 on a round-trip flight by having the fee for your first checked bag waived.
• 20% in-flight purchase discount: Save 20% on in-flight purchases like food, drink, or headsets.
• Premium Global Assist Hotline: 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial, or other help when traveling 100 miles or more from home.
• Baggage Insurance Plan: If your luggage is damaged, stolen, or lost on a common carrier, you’re covered by up to $1,250 for carry-on luggage and $500 for checked baggage. Be sure to charge the airfare to your card to get covered.
• Trip Delay Insurance: If your trip is delayed for six hours or more for a covered reason, you could be reimbursed by up to $500 for necessary purchases like food and toiletries. Maximum of two claims per year.
• Trip Cancelation Insurance: If your trip is canceled or delayed for a covered reason, you could be reimbursed by up to $10,000 per trip, with a maximum of $20,000 in a year.
• Rental car insurance: Decline the rental car providers insurance offer and charge the full amount to your card. Your rental will be covered against damage and theft.
• Return Protection: If the merchant won’t take back a purchase within 90 days of buying it, AmEx may refund you the cost. Up to $300 per item, with a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year.
• Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are protected against damage and theft for 90 days. Up to $10,000 per claim, with a maximum of $50,000 per calendar year.
• Extended Warranty: Get up to one extra year under a manufacture’s warranty if it’s five years or less.

Enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.

Travel rewards and Medallion Status

Although the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card allows you to earn a high reward rate on flights, it’s not the best choice for everyday spending. 

You’ll earn 3x miles on eligible Delta purchases, including flights and trips booked through Delta Vacations, but you’ll only earn 1x miles on everything else. Combine it with another card, like the Blue Cash Preferred from American Express for your grocery and gas purchases, or get a flat-rate card like the Citi Double Cash Card that earns rewards for everything.

Additionally, this card earns Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM), which helps you reach Delta Medallion Status. Medallion Members get perks like priority boarding, complimentary upgrades, and waived baggage fees, among others. For every $30,000 you spend on your card, you’ll earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles up to four times a year (up to 60,000 MQMs). Silver Status starts at 25,000 Medallion Qualification Miles, however, so you may not be able to reach it unless you spend a lot of money on the card each year.

But if you can reach Medallion Status, the card will become even more rewarding. Each Medallion Membership tier offers additional miles for Delta flights. Silver tier offers 7x miles per dollar, Gold offers 8x miles, Platinum offers 9x, and Diamond offers 11x miles.

By reaching Diamond tier of Medallion Status, cardholders would earn a total of 14x miles per dollar for Delta flights. 3x miles from the card, and 11x miles from Medallion Status. But that would take a fair bit of spending to reach. 

To reach Diamond tier, cardholders need to earn 125,000 MQMs or 140 Medallion Qualification Segments (MQS; the number of flights you take excluding basic economy) and $15,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD; money spent on Delta tickets) in a calendar year. However, the MQD requirement can be waived for Diamond by spending $250,000 or more in a calendar year with your Reserve card.

Fee details

The biggest fee the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has is the $550 annual fee. But it also offers unique travel benefits to help make up for it, such as free access to the exclusive Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Club, the latter of which costs $39 per person per visit with other American Express Delta cards. The annual companion certificate for a round-trip domestic flight, worth hundreds of dollars or more, can also justify the cost. If you plan on taking full advantage of these benefits, then the card may be worth it for you.

How does it compare to other travel rewards cards?

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is ideal for frequent flyers who want to earn miles on Delta flights and get complimentary access to airport lounges. Travelers who prefer to earn rewards on both flights and hotels may want to go with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. 

Looking for a card with a lower annual fee but still want to fly Delta? The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. This card also allows you to earn a high rewards rate on everyday spending at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.

If you don’t prefer flying with just one airline, consider a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Or, if you’re looking for a high-tier card, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Both cards offer good benefits and lucrative point transfer deals to Chase’s travel partners. 

The Platinum Card from American Express is also a popular choice. It has an incredible selection of benefits including the largest airport lounge access of any card and a slew of travel credits to help mitigate its high annual fee.

[This article was first published on The Simple Dollar in 2020. It was updated in March 2022.]