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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card review — Enjoy complimentary upgrades and lounge access
Frequent travelers who love to fly Delta and value elite status should consider the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. This premium travel credit card offers unparalleled benefits when flying Delta, including complimentary upgrades, lounge access, and free checked bags. Cardholders can also accelerate their path to elite status and enjoy a 15% discount on award tickets. Learn more about the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card to decide if it's the best airline credit card for your wallet.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card features
APR: 20.99% to 29.99% variable, based on your creditworthiness (see rates and fees)
Annual fee: $650
Welcome bonus: 60,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first 6 months
Rewards
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card earns rewards in two primary ways: a welcome bonus to new cardholders and miles on purchases. You'll earn a welcome bonus of 60,000 miles when you spend $5,000 within six months. Delta no longer publishes an award chart, but you can book multiple tickets with this bonus when domestic economy tickets start at just 4,000 miles.
Everyday purchases also earn miles when using the Delta SkyMiles Reserve. You'll earn 3x miles on Delta purchases and 1x miles on everything else. While the card doesn't offer many bonus categories, people who purchase Delta tickets regularly can maximize their rewards.
Benefits
As a premium travel credit card, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve is loaded with features that justify its $650 annual fee. A majority of these benefits can only be redeemed when flying Delta, so it's perfect if this is your preferred airline. When flying Delta, you'll receive complimentary access to Delta Sky Club and the Centurion Lounge*, priority boarding, the first checked bag for free, and 20% off inflight purchases. It also comes with an annual companion certificate for a domestic roundtrip flight.
*Beginning Feb. 1, 2025, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. To earn unlimited lounge visits each year, you must spend $75,000 or more on eligible purchases between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024, and each calendar year after that.
If you have elite status, you'll receive priority on upgrades. For those who don't, you'll be added to the complimentary upgrade list after elite members. The card also helps to earn and maintain elite status based on your annual purchases. You'll receive $2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) for holding the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card. Additionally, the card earns $1 MQD for every $10 spent on the card. This means Delta Reserve cardholders can earn entry-level Silver status by spending $25,000 and top-tier Diamond status by spending $255,000 in a calendar year (not counting MQDs earned from flying).
The card also includes travel and purchase protections at no extra charge*. Trips are protected against delay, cancellation, or interruption, and rental cars receive secondary coverage in case of damage or theft. Eligible purchases receive return and purchase protection, as well as an extended warranty.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card rewards program details
The welcome bonus and miles earned on purchases are deposited into your Delta SkyMiles loyalty program account. Typically, miles from purchases post after the close of each statement, and the welcome bonus is deposited a few weeks after it is earned. These miles combine with miles earned from flying or any of Delta's other partnerships toward booking award travel.
Redeeming miles is quick and easy through the Delta website or its mobile app (Apple, Google). Log into your account, then select your travel dates, departure and arrival cities, class of ticket, and number of passengers.
Check the "Shop with Miles" box and click search to see available flights, departure times, and prices. Use the filter and sort functions to narrow down the choices based on your trip details and budget. You can also toggle between cash, miles, and "Miles + Cash" to compare prices. When you have a Delta credit card, a 15% discount is applied to award ticket prices on eligible flights.
We value Delta SkyMiles at an average of 1.2 cents each. The value you'll receive may be higher or lower, depending on the type of class chosen, travel dates, and other factors.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card potential drawbacks
High annual fee
Limited bonus categories
Most benefits only apply to Delta flights
Lack of an award chart makes it harder to value miles
Where can you use Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card?
As an American Express card, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve is accepted at 99% of places that accept credit cards in the U.S. This puts Amex cards in virtual parity with credit cards with the Visa or Mastercard logo for domestic purchases.
However, when traveling internationally, American Express does not have the same acceptance rates as Visa and Mastercard. If the Delta SkyMiles Reserve is your preferred credit card, it is wise to bring cash or a different type of card as a backup, just in case.
How to make a Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card payment
After making purchases to earn miles and the welcome bonus, you'll need to make payments to avoid late fees and interest on your balance. American Express offers numerous methods to make payments on your Delta SkyMiles Reserve credit card.
Online: American Express website
Monthly auto-pay: Set up automatic payments from your linked bank accounts.
By mail: American Express, PO Box 96001, Los Angeles, CA, 90096 - 8000
Express mail: American Express, Attn: Express Mail Remittance Processing, 20500 Belshaw Ave., Carson, CA 90746
Over the phone: Call the number on the back of your Delta SkyMiles Reserve card or (800) 472-9297
Wire transfer: Initiate a wire transfer from your bank account with the following information:
Bank name: Chase Manhattan Bank
Account name: American Express Card Member Wire Depository
Address: 1 Chase Plaza New York, NY 10081
ABA number (Routing Number): 0210-0002-1
Account number: 910-2-753036
Please also include your Card Member name and American Express account number.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card customer service info
Customer service is available by phone or chat 24/7.
Phone number: (800) 528-4800
Customer service chat: Website or mobile app (Apple, Google)
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card login page
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Alternative cards to consider
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Why we like it: While the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card has numerous benefits, it also has a price tag that is too high for some travelers. The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card has a more reasonable $250 annual fee and includes several bonus categories to earn additional miles (see rates and fees). You'll earn 3x miles on Delta purchases and hotel charges, 2x at U.S. restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and 1x everywhere else. It also includes travel benefits, an annual companion certificate, a 15% discount on award travel, and the opportunity to boost elite status.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Why we like it: The American Express Platinum Card is a luxury travel card that earns flexible points instead of miles for a specific airline. It earns 5x on flights on any airline booked directly or through Amex Travel compared to just 3x on Delta flights with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve. It also earns 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel and 1x everywhere else. Points can be redeemed for travel, statement credits, gift cards, and more. But the highest value tends to come from transferring points to one of its 21 partners, including Delta SkyMiles.
While it has a higher annual fee of $695, the card comes with $1,500 in value and credits that can offset some or all of the cost (see rates and fees). Cardholders also enjoy travel protections, lounge access and other perks when flying any airline. It also includes complimentary Marriott and Hilton Gold elite status and premium benefits when booking rooms through Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Why we like it: For travelers who want rewards and perks without a large annual fee, they should consider the Capital One Venture Rewards card. This rewards credit card earns an unlimited 2x miles on every purchase and up to 5x miles on travel booked through Capital One. Miles can be redeemed for statement credits, to book travel, buy gift cards, or transfer to 15+ airline and hotel partners. While Delta SkyMiles isn't a Capital One transfer partner, you can redeem miles to book flights on Delta or any other airline without blackout dates.
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers.