MoneyGeek’s Take

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Review

People who are frequent Delta airline flyers and want a travel card with a great rewards program will benefit the most from the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. In spite of a high annual fee, this card offers multiple perks that cardholders may find beneficial.

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With this card, you earn three miles on every dollar spent making purchases through Delta. This includes seat upgrades, lounge passes, food, drinks and more. For every other purchase, you earn one mile per dollar. You also get complimentary access to Delta Sky Miles Club lounge and the Centurion lounge, where you can relax before boarding a Delta flight and enjoy amenities like WiFi, showers, food and drinks, power stations and much more.

Card Details to Know Up Front
  • Bonus, Fee or Feature
    Has or Not
  • Has Annual Fee
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.
OUR REVIEW AT A GLANCE

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card at a Glance

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers a welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $5,000 within six months of account opening. The MQMs you earn with this card gets you closer to achieving Delta’s Medallion status, which lets you enjoy elite travel benefits. You also get a companion pass, which can be redeemed for a free round-trip Delta flight.


  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

    A good travel card with a great rewards program for frequent Delta flyers.

    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $550Annual Fee
    • 1–3 Miles per $1*Rewards Rate
    • 3xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 1xRewards Rate on Dining

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top–rated cards from our partners.

Pros & Cons Explained

Understanding the pros and cons will give you a clear picture of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card's benefits and drawbacks. In turn, this can help you decide if the card belongs in your wallet.

Pros

  • Benefits
    Description
  • Welcome offer
    With this card, you earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $6,000 within the first six months.
  • High miles reward rate
    You get three miles on every dollar spent on Delta purchases and one mile per dollar spent on other purchases. These miles can be redeemed to book flights, hotels and other travel purchases with Delta airlines.
  • Premium lounge access
    This card offers you complimentary access to luxury airport lounges like the Delta Sky Club lounge and Centurion lounge to help you relax before your flight.
  • Annual companion certificate
    With the annual companion pass, you get a free round-trip Delta air ticket. You only have to pay applicable fees and taxes.

Cons

  • Drawbacks
    Description
  • High annual fee
    With a high annual fee of $550, this card may not be for people who don’t travel frequently since paying a high annual fee is only worth it if they benefit fully from the rewards program.
  • High APR
    This card charges a variable APR of 19.99% to 28.99% on purchases, higher than the average APR.
  • Fewer rewards than other Delta cards
    Other Delta cards available have better reward rates with a lower annual fee than this card.
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LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2022?

If you want to compare the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with other travel cards, MoneyGeek has you covered. Don’t miss the best travel cards of 2022 to see which card is the best fit for your needs.

Bonuses & Rewards Explained

Looking over the bonuses and rewards structure of this card will help you decide if it offers more value than other cards of the same category.

1

Welcome bonus

You earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $5,000 within six months of opening an account.

2

Miles reward rate

With this card, you get three miles on spending one dollar making purchases with Delta airlines, such as buying seat upgrades, in-flight entertainment and many more. On every other purchase, you get one mile per dollar spent.

3

Status boost feature

You’ll earn 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000 with this card in a year, up to four times. That means if you spend $120,000 in a year with this card, you’ll get 60,000 MQMs, which may help you achieve Medallion status.

4

Lounge memberships

This card allows you access to luxury lounges like the Delta SkyMiles Club lounge and Centurion lounge, which offer amenities like WiFi, showers, power stations and much more. You also get two Sky Club one-time guest passes every year.

Other Features Explained

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers some additional features that may be beneficial for you.

  • Card Feature
    Description
  • Travel insurance
    This card provides you with travel insurance that covers trip delays, cancellations, baggage damage or theft and car rental or loss so you can enjoy your trip in peace.
  • Priority boarding
    When flying Delta flights, you can get the main cabin one priority boarding for you and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation.
  • Concierge service
    You can call the number on the back of your card for the complimentary concierge service, which can help you choose restaurants for dining or select the perfect gift for a loved one and much more.
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MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

You can get the Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQDs) requirements for Silver, Platinum or Gold Medallion status waived if you spend at least $25,000 in a calendar year with this card.

Understanding the Fine Print

Knowing the fees and charges of the American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card can help you use this card more effectively as well as allow you to determine if the fees make sense for your financial needs.

  • Card Feature
    Amount or Rate
  • APR
    19.99% – 28.99% Variable
  • Annual Fee
    $550
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Rewards Rate
    1–3 Miles per $1*
  • Airline Benefits
  • This is an icon

    Regular APR

    This card charges a variable APR of 19.99%-28.99%, higher than the average APR. You have to pay your balance in full every month to avoid accruing interest charges on your balance.

  • This is an icon

    Annual Fee

    With a high annual fee of $550, this card may be an expensive option compared to other cards of the same category. However, paying this annual fee may be worth it if you utilize the rewards program fully.

  • This is an icon

    Cash Advance Fee

    When taking out a cash advance with this card, you either pay $10 or 5% of the total amount, whichever is greater, as a cash advance fee.

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FINDING YOUR CARD'S RATES AND FEES

You can find this information on your credit card issuer’s website, mobile app or the Credit Card Agreement Database maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Additionally, if you want to compare one of your current cards with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, you can look at the billing information on your current credit card.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card?

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Other Considerations for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

It is important to consider your history with credit cards while getting this card, as your spending habits may differ based on how many cards you own.

Things to Consider if This Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

Maximizing your rewards with only the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card in your wallet would be easy since you would be using it for making everyday purchases and travel purchases through Delta airlines.

As a result, you will reach the spending requirement for the welcome bonus sooner. The rewards you earn with this card will outweigh the hefty annual fee associated with it. However, the high APR of this card means you won’t be able to carry a balance forward every month and need to pay in full to avoid accruing high interest charges on your balance.

Things to Consider if This Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

Since this card offers a high reward rate on travel purchases, you may want to keep it only for those purchases while using your other cards for everyday purchases. Also, the card has no foreign transaction fees, making it ideal to use while traveling internationally.

With maximum travel-related usage, you may be able to outweigh the high annual fee by earning many rewards with this card. This will make it easier for you to pay the annual fees of other cards that you own.

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WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

We follow a six-step process to review credit cards, and our methodology involves collecting credit card information, standardizing data points, potential cardholder profiles, considering annual and introductory bonuses, establishing the card values and reviewing data monthly to reprocess rankings.

How Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Compares to Other Cards

While the American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve is a great travel rewards card and it offers a good rewards program for frequent Delta flyers, it has a high annual fee compared to other cards of the same category. Analyzing this card as well as one of its competitors can help you determine if it’s the right card for you.

Quick Comparison of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

  • Purchase APR: 19.99% to 28.99% variable
  • Annual fee: $550
  • International transactions fee: $0
  • Miles reward rate: Three miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases, one mile per dollar spent on other purchases.
  • Best For: Frequent Delta flyers looking for a card with a great rewards program.
creditCard1

United℠ Explorer Card

  • Purchase APR: 20.74% – 27.74% variable
  • Annual fee: $95
  • International transactions fee: $0
  • Miles reward rate: Two miles per dollar spent on airline purchases, one mile per dollar spent on other purchases.
  • Best For: Frequent users of United airlines looking for a card with low annual fee and a good rewards program

Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As

The following frequently asked questions about Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card will help you understand many other important details about the card.

Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.

If you are not convinced that the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is right for you, then you can take a look at other travel cards and compare their features to see if any of them are a better fit for your needs. If you would prefer a different type of card, you can also compare cash back, rewards, gas and business cards.

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more aboutour editorial policies andexpert editorial team.
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