Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Review

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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Review

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a premium airline co-branded travel rewards credit card. It's particularly beneficial for travelers who can take advantage of complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access and American ExpressThe Centurion® Lounge access while flying Delta. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers an opportunity to get Medallion® Qualifying Miles (MQMs) and a Medallion® Qualifying Dollars (MQD) waiver while using the card.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: pros and cons

Rewards system in a nutshell

You earn two types of miles with Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Delta Skymiles and Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM). MQMs are earned as a bonus or for the actual mileage you fly with Delta. MQMs don’t have direct cash value and cannot be used to book flights, however, they’re required to qualify for Medallion Status.

With StatusBoost after spending $30,000, $60,000, $90,000, and $120,000 and up you will get an extra 15,000 MQM’s with each threshold. Additionally, throughout the year 2021, you will earn 25% more MQM’s.

By using the card on purchases, you will earn Skymiles. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card earns 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. On transactions made directly with Delta, including flights booked on Delta.com, Sky Club memberships or passes, Delta Vacations bundles, seat upgrades, and in-flight purchases, you can receive an unlimited 3 SkyMiles per dollar. All other eligible purchases give you one mile per dollar spent, and miles do not expire.

You also collect miles by being a part of the SkyMiles ® rewards program in addition to the miles you earn by spending on this credit card. Members of the general SkyMiles ® program earn 5 miles for every dollar they spend on Delta flights.

When you achieve Medallion status, the incentives will improve. E.g., Silver Medallion status entitles you to 7 miles per dollar spent on fares, unlimited rollover MQMs, unlimited free first-class and Delta Comfort upgrades, and preferential check-in and boarding. As of September 2021, to be eligible for Medallion status (Silver, Gold, or Platinum), you must have 25,000 MQM’s for Silver, 50,000 for Gold, and 75,000 for Platinum and also spend at least $25,000 on eligible purchases within the calendar year with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.

The most valuable way to redeem SkyMiles is to book a flight with Delta or more than 20 partner airlines. Usually, booking a flight with SkyMiles yields better returns compared to other options.

Additionally, you can use SkyMiles for upgrades, vacation packages, gift cards, Sky Club membership, and various experiences.

Who can benefit from getting the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card?

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is perfect for loyal Delta customers who travel often and can accumulate enough miles to offset the card's high annual fee. Just by making good use of a complimentary companion pass, you can justify the annual fee since the pass can pay for a round-trip domestic first-class ticket. In addition, free access to Sky Lounges makes this card a no-brainer for frequent Delta flyers.

Are there any other benefits?

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card includes several excellent perks and member benefits:

1. Free checked bag: This privilege entitles the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same itinerary to a free first checked bag.
2. Reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Precheck fees: Cardmembers can get a statement credit of $85 for TSA Precheck or $100 for Global Entry fees. For Global Entry, this credit is available every four years, and for TSA Precheck membership, it is available every 4.5 years.
3. Priority boarding: Get on the plane with Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding for you and up to eight passengers on your flight without wasting time in long lines.
4. Various insurance and protection programs: with Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, you can get a number of different insurances, which includes:

• Baggage Insurance Plan
• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
• Trip Delay Insurance
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
• Extended Warranty
• Purchase Protection
• Return Protection

5. 20% Back on In-flight Purchases: Get 20% of your Delta in-flight spendings back in the form of a statement credit.
6. Instant credit card number: If you can be “instantly authenticated” by American Express, then you are eligible to obtain an instant credit card number that you can use right away.
7. Cell Phone Protection: Paying cell phone bills with Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card allows you to get reimbursement for the costs to repair or replace your cell phone. The reimbursement has an $800 maximum limit per claim with no more than 2 claims per year.
8. Concierge Services: With American Express, you may request select concierge services, which includes:

• Tickets purchasing;
• Restaurant, spa, gold, or any other reservations;
• General travel-related inquiries;
• Choosing and sending gifts as well as other shopping requests.

9. Premium Global Assist® Hotline: During trips more than 100 miles away from home, you will get 24/7 medical, legal, financial, or other select emergency coordination and assistance services.
10. Upgrade Priority: Delta SkyMiles Reserve cardholders with Medallion status will have upgrade priority over passengers with the same Medallion Status. If you don’t have Medallion Status, you can be added to the upgrade list just after Medallion members.
11. Terms Apply.

Conclusion

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is ideal for Delta frequent flyers who want complimentary Delta Sky Club access as well as a significant Medallion Status qualification boost.

However, if you don't need both of these Delta-specific benefits, another card might be a better option. For example, if you don’t want to be tied to only one airline or want to get more rewards for everyday purchases, Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card might be a better option with a lower annual fee.

If you only need a minor raise in elite status or are mainly interested in making your first checked luggage free, and priority boarding, Delta credit cards with a lower annual fee are a better option than this card.