The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card costs $650 a year. It isn't a card you get for its earning, which is 3X on Delta and 1X on everything else. You get it because Delta is your airline and you want the Sky Club, the most help toward Medallion status of Delta's four consumer cards, and a Companion Certificate that works in Delta First and Delta Comfort.

Every figure in this review comes from American Express's page for the Reserve and for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Platinum Card, and from Delta's Medallion qualification page, all read on September 29, 2026.

Who It's For

The Reserve fits you if most of these are true:

  • You fly Delta often enough to use Sky Club visits every year.
  • You're working toward Medallion status or want to keep it.
  • You'd use a Companion Certificate on a Delta First or Delta Comfort round-trip.
  • You'll use at least some of the monthly Resy and rideshare credits.

If only one or two describe you, the $350 Delta SkyMiles Platinum is likely the better fit. The comparison is below.

Sky Club Access: Read the Limit

Reserve cardmembers get 15 visits each Medallion Year to the Delta Sky Club when flying Delta. After $75,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year, you unlock unlimited Sky Club access.

Fifteen visits is the number to plan around. If you fly Delta more than that and won't put $75,000 a year on the card, save your visits for the trips where a lounge matters most.

The Reserve also gets you complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book your Delta flight with the card.

Medallion Status

Delta sets 2027 Medallion status by Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) earned in 2026: $5,000 for Silver, $10,000 for Gold, $15,000 for Platinum and $28,000 for Diamond.

The Reserve helps in two ways:

  • MQD Headstart: $2,500 MQDs each Medallion Qualification Year.
  • MQD Boost: $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on the card in a calendar year.

That Boost rate is a key difference from the Delta Platinum, whose Boost is $1 MQD for each $20. The Headstart and Boost help you reach a tier. They don't replace flying Delta: the card still earns only 1X on non-Delta spending, so putting large amounts of everyday spending on it costs you earning you'd get elsewhere.

The Credits

  • $240 Resy credit: up to $20 a month at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants, with the card enrolled
  • $200 Delta Stays credit: up to $200 a year back on prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays on delta.com
  • $120 rideshare credit: up to $10 a month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers, with enrollment
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: a $120 Global Entry credit every 4 years, or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck

The Resy and rideshare credits are monthly, so a month you don't use is gone. Count only the credits you'd actually use when you weigh the fee.

The Companion Certificate

Each year after you renew, you get a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort or Delta Main round-trip within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America. It's most useful when the companion's fare would be expensive. The Reserve's certificate covers Delta First, Delta Comfort and Delta Main; the Delta Platinum's covers Delta Main only.

Other Benefits

  • Bags: first checked bag free on Delta flights worldwide, and a second bag free on domestic Delta flights
  • TakeOff 15: 15% off award travel booked with miles on Delta flights on delta.com and the Fly Delta app, not on partner-operated flights or taxes and fees
  • Upgrades: a place on the complimentary upgrade list after Medallion members
  • Hertz President's Circle status, with Hertz Gold+ enrollment
  • Zone 5 Priority Boarding, 20% back on in-flight food and beverages, and no foreign transaction fees

Earning: The Weak Spot

  • 3X miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta
  • 1X miles on other eligible purchases

That's all. For spending outside Delta, a flexible-points card will usually earn more. Use the Reserve for Delta purchases and for the spending you need for MQD Boost, and put the rest elsewhere.

The Welcome Offer

The current offer is two round-trip Delta Comfort Flight Certificates plus 50,000 bonus miles after $10,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. It ends November 4, 2026. That's a large spending requirement, so make sure you'd reach it with normal spending.

Reserve or the Alternatives

Delta SkyMiles Platinum ($350). The Platinum keeps a lot of what matters: the first and second bag benefits, TakeOff 15, MQD Headstart of $2,500, rideshare credits, Resy credits of up to $10 a month and a $150 Delta Stays credit. Its Companion Certificate is for Delta Main only, its MQD Boost is $1 per $20, and it has no Sky Club visits listed. If you don't need the Sky Club, start with the Delta SkyMiles Platinum.

Amex Platinum ($895). The Platinum Card's Global Lounge Collection covers over 1,550 airport lounges, including Centurion Lounges and 10 Delta Sky Club visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight. It earns flexible Membership Rewards points, 5X on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel. Its page lists no MQD, Delta bag or Companion Certificate benefit. If you fly several airlines, look at the Amex Platinum. Our Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve comparison goes through it in detail.

For all four Delta cards side by side, see our Delta SkyMiles card comparison.

The Verdict

The Delta Reserve is worth $650 if Delta is your airline and you'll use the Sky Club visits, the faster MQD Boost and the Companion Certificate on a Delta First or Delta Comfort trip. If you fly Delta but won't use the Sky Club or chase status, the Delta Platinum gives you most of the everyday Delta benefits for $350.

Updated September 29, 2026: Rewritten from American Express's current Delta Reserve, Delta Platinum and Platinum Card pages and Delta's Medallion page. Corrected the Sky Club access rules (15 visits each Medallion Year, unlimited after $75,000 in calendar-year purchases), TakeOff 15 (15% off award travel with miles), the welcome offer, the credits and the Delta Platinum comparison; removed estimated values that no source states.

Sources

  1. American Express: Delta SkyMiles Reserve card page (browser read 2026-09-29)
  2. American Express: Delta SkyMiles Platinum card page (browser read 2026-09-29)
  3. American Express: The Platinum Card page (browser read 2026-09-29)
  4. Delta: How to qualify for Medallion Status, 2027 MQD thresholds (read 2026-09-29)

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