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For Delta loyalists who want a VIP experience, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is your best option. I’m a huge fan of Delta and I fly them almost exclusively when I’m traveling around the United States. I find them to have the best in-flight experience, food, entertainment, and seats.
If you’re a Delta fan and fly them a lot, then I really think the Reserve card is must to have. While it has the highest annual fee, it also has most comprehensive set of benefits, including Sky Club access, upgrade priority, and faster elite status earning. It’s very much worth the cost and I have gotten way more value out of it than the fee.
Here’s my review of the card!
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Overview
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is Delta’s premium card that offers frequent travelers a host of benefits and perks and is meant for people who fly a lot on the airline and want more perks as well as faster elite status earning. The annual fee is $650 but I think the perks of the card outweigh the cost.
This card offers:
- 70,000 Bonus Miles after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
- 3x on Delta purchases
- 1x on all other spending
- 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and unlimited visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- Free checked bag on Delta flights
- Earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent on the card
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year
- A domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- $240 Resy credit
- $200 Delta Stays credit
- $120 rideshare credit
- 15% off award flight redemptions
- 20% back on eligible in-flight purchases
In short, there’s a lot of perks with this card and I find that, unlike a lot of other premium cards, they are useful perks! I love the the MQD boost, the hotel credit, the the 15% back on award redemptions, and especially the lounge access. I tend to use the majority of the perks on this card, making the value of it well worth the fee.
Using Your Delta Points
Delta uses dynamic pricing for their rewards. That means that the number of points it takes to book a flight isn’t a set number. Instead, the rate varies based on the cash price of a flight. You can also redeem your points as cash at checkout at the rate of 1 cent per mile but I never find that a good redemption and only rarely ever do that. I only ever do this if I am low on points and don’t have enough to redeem a flight but want to save money off the cash price.
The 15% off on award redemptions makes flights a lot more affordable so be sure to have your card connected to your SkyMiles account. If you are flexible with your dates, you can use their award calendar to see the best points fare as mixing and matching your dates can lead to better deals.
Additionally, Delta offers a lot of award sales so keep an eye out for them. Thrifty Traveler and Point.me are two good websites that can send you alerts. I find Delta miles to be the best for U.S. domestic economy and comfort plus redemptions. Unless there’s a sale, I never book for business or international flights. The redemption value is terrible.
Is the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Worth It?
If you’re a frequent Delta flyer who values lounge access, wants to earn elite status quickly, and appreciates upgrade priority, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can be worth every penny. For casual travelers, however, the $650 fee will be hard to justify, especially with limited category bonuses.
Pros:
- Sky Club access and Centurion Lounge access with Delta flights
- Companion certificate
- MQDs at double the Platinum earning rate
- Upgrade priority
- Free checked bag and priority boarding
- 15% off award flights
Cons:
- High annual fee
- Few bonus categories for everyday spending
- Lounge access has visit limits
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is for the most dedicated Delta travelers who want the best experience possible. Between lounge access, upgrade priority, and rapid MQD earning, it offers elite-level travel without having to fly your way there entirely. If you’re in airports and on Delta planes regularly, the Reserve delivers unmatched perks.
If the fee is too high or you don’t fly Delta enough, check out the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card which may better suit your needs at a lower cost.
Stop paying full price for travel!
Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! It’s how all the pros travel so much! In this guide, I’ll show you:
- How to Pick a Credit Card
- How to Earn Up to 10x Miles on Your Spending
- How to Redeem Your Points
- And a Ton of Other Money Saving Tips!
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.
Need a Rental Car?
Discover Cars is a budget-friendly international car rental website. No matter where you’re headed, they’ll be able to find the best — and cheapest — rental for your trip!
Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip?
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.
Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.
