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Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.The information related to the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can be well worth it for Delta loyalists who take several trips per year. You’ll need to do a good amount of spending and flying to justify the high $650 annual fee. But if you take advantage of the many airline-focused benefits and additional perks, the card offers tremendous value.
Before you apply, ask yourself if you will take advantage of the yearly companion certificate (which can be used for a first-class flight), make a few visits to the Delta Sky Club® lounge and use the first checked bag free privilege (valued at up to $280 per round-trip flight for a family of four). If so, you can easily outearn the annual fee.
On the flip side, the card only earns bonus miles on Delta purchases, and many of the perks are Delta-focused. Therefore, if redemption flexibility or extra earnings from everyday spending categories are important to you — or you sometimes fly with other airlines — a general travel card may be a better fit.
We estimate that the card’s benefits are worth more than $3,500 in the first year:
Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
|
100,000 miles
Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/2/2025.
| 1X - 3X miles
| $650 | ||
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The Platinum Card® from American Express
|
80,000 points
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
| 5X points
| $695 | ||
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Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
|
90,000 miles
Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
| 1X - 3X miles
| $350 | ||
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American Express® Gold Card
|
60,000 points
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
| 1X - 4X points
| $325 |
Welcome offer: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Current offer:
Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/2/2025.
How does it compare to other cards?
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has a valuable welcome offer, but the spending requirement is high. If a mid-tier card with an annual fee in the $95 range is more your speed, you can find similar bonuses with lower spending thresholds on cards like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Is it a good time to apply?
The current offer is at a peak, making it an ideal time to apply. Trying to time your application to score the highest possible welcome offer is a good idea, given Amex’s once-in-lifetime policy. Amex only lets you cash in on a welcome offer for a specific card one time.
Recent offers for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Date | Number of miles |
---|---|
February 2025 | Current offer |
October 2024 | 70,000 |
September 2024 | 100,000 |
July 2024 | 60,000 |
June 2024 | 95,000 |
→ See the best credit card sign-up bonuses
Earning miles: 0.2 out of 5 stars
How many miles can you earn?
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
How does it compare to other cards?
If you enjoy earning rewards on everyday spending, this isn’t the card for you since it only earns elevated rewards on Delta purchases. This is one of its greatest drawbacks. Other elite travel rewards cards allow you to earn additional miles on a range of categories, including travel dining or groceries.
If you’re aiming to earn a lot of Delta miles, you should consider a more versatile card like the American Express® Gold Card. Its earning categories include restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, flights with all airlines and prepaid hotels. Its rewards are also more valuable than the Delta Reserve’s since you can transfer them to a range of travel programs, including Delta SkyMiles.
Estimated rewards earned per $1 spent*
→ Learn more: Cash back vs. points vs. miles
Redeeming miles: 2 out of 5 stars
How easy are miles to redeem?
+ SkyMiles don’t expire.
+ Delta has excellent award availability with no blackout dates.
+ Delta has a huge flight network with flights to most destinations.
+ Delta’s award site is fairly easy to use and navigate.
– SkyMiles are only worth around 1.1 cent each, much less than many airline currencies.
– Awards prices can vary drastically with Delta’s dynamic pricing system, ranging from 5,000 miles to 300,000 miles or more for first-class seats at peak travel times.
– Delta has fairly dense rewards program terms that can be difficult to interpret.
– There are few other good redemption options besides flights with Delta and its partners.
– You can’t redeem miles for cash back.
How does it compare to other cards?
For those redeeming Delta SkyMiles, the availability of award seats is generally good and you can use miles for most destinations due to Delta’s large flight network. However, getting the most “mileage” out of your miles is another story. SkyMiles are worth less than other airline miles programs. Some flights require a lot of miles, especially during peak travel times.
When compared with other travel rewards cards that have several travel transfer partners, you’ll have less flexibility to shop around for the best deal with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.
→ Learn more about the Delta SkyMiles program
Other benefits: 5 out 5 stars
How does it compare to other cards?
If you’re seeking airline-focused benefits, the card cannot be beaten in terms of the return you’ll get on your annual fee investment. It currently ranks as our top airline credit card thanks to the value of these perks. Benefits like Delta Sky Club and Centurion Lounge Access, the free checked bag perk, status boost and the annual companion certificate can more than justify the card’s annual fee.
The earning rate is more lucrative with 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. And Amex Membership Rewards are much more flexible, since you transfer them to more than 20 travel loyalty programs, including Delta.
It’s also a better option for earning miles because it has more earning categories than the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. You’ll earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
It has a lower $325 annual fee (see rates & fees) and includes more than $200 in credits to balance out that fee. However, unlike The Platinum Card® from American Express, it doesn’t offer much in the way of travel-related benefits. For those, you’re better off with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or another top travel credit card.
We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.