Card Review: AMEX Delta Reserve Business

Delta Airlines (Delta) is my favorite airline among the three legacy carriers. I’ve been generally satisfied with their products, and in my opinion, the level of inflight customer service on Delta flights surpasses the other two legacy carriers. American Express (AMEX) currently has an exclusive credit card partnership with Delta. From no annual fee cards to luxury cards, there is a choice for every level of traveler. In this article, I would like to discuss the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card and why it could be a potential keeper card for those who fly Delta and enjoy luxury travel perks. 

Are you a Delta flyer? Elevate your travel experiences with the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card! Photo by Miguel Sanz from Unsplash.

Sign-Up Bonus & Multipliers

The AMEX Delta Reserve Business card currently offers a sign-up bonus of 60,000 Delta miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $4,000 in three months. With a 1.3 cents per point valuation, the sign-up bonus is worth $780. However, I highly recommend waiting until AMEX increases the sign-up bonus. All Delta credit cards typically show increased sign-up bonuses every three to four months, and you want to get the highest offer possible because all AMEX sign-up bonuses are subject to AMEX’s infamous once-in-a-lifetime rule. I recently got approved for the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card with the sign-up bonus of 110,000 Delta miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $6,000 in three months. The spending requirement is higher, but the reward is significantly greater than the normal offer.  

The AMEX Delta Reserve Business card may have weak multipliers, but it provides lucrative perks to deserve a spot in your wallet.

The AMEX Delta Reserve Business card earns 3X miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1X mile per dollar on all other purchases. After spending $150,000 per calendar year, the 1X multiplier becomes slightly higher, and you could earn 1.5X miles per dollar on all other purchases. As you could see, the multipliers are very weak, and this card is not designed for everyday transactions at gas stations, restaurants, or supermarkets. The focus is on benefits and perks. 

If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!

Annual Fee & Benefits

The annual fee of the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card is $550, making the card a Tier 5 card on PointsMiler’s credit card totem pole. Let’s take a look at the benefits the card provides to see if you could justify the price tag. 

Access to Delta Sky Club Lounges & Two Sky Club Passes

There are over 50 Delta Sky Clubs globally, and you are granted complimentary access to all of them when you fly Delta. Some Delta lounges could be outdated, but Delta has recently focused on creating premium airport lounges. For instance, the Sky Club lounge at Austin-Bergstrom Airport is a state-of-the-art space featuring a covered outdoor patio that is open year-round and a premium bar that offers the Agave Experience, where guests could enjoy an exclusive selection of mezcal and tequila. The interior is beautifully designed, and I love working at this lounge before my flight. The card gives you two Delta Sky Club passes every year, and you can use them to enjoy the lounge with your companion. However, after depleting the passes, each guest will have to pay $39 to enter Delta Sky Clubs. Starting June 1, 2022, you can only gain entry to the lounges three hours before departure, but there won’t be any limit for connecting flights. 

I love the modern aesthetics of the Delta Sky Club lounge at AUS.

When traveling Delta with a ticket purchased on the card, the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card also gives you complimentary access to AMEX Centurion Lounges. Again, your guests wouldn’t be able to enjoy free access to Centurion Lounges, and you may bring up to two guests for $50 per person. 

The footprint of the AMEX Centurion Lounges has been steadily expanding.

Medallion Qualification Miles Boost

Before I discuss this perk, let’s go over the basics for earning status with Delta. Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) is the distance you would learn from flying Delta flights, and Medallion Qualification Segments (MQS) is the number of flights you take. Note that basic economy flights do not count towards either of them. You need to fulfill a certain number of MQMs or MQSs AND meet Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) requirements or have the MQD waiver. For example, to earn Delta’s Platinum Medallion status, you would need to earn 75,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs on top of $9,000 MQDs or the MQD waiver. 

Depending on how much you put on your AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, you can gain status with Delta. Image from Delta.

With the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, you could earn up to 60,000 MQMs every calendar year by spending $30,000, $60,000, $90,000, or $120,000. Every $30,000 you spend on the card earns 15,000 MQMs toward Delta status. Infrequent Delta flyers who want to secure high-level Delta status could benefit from the MQM boost.

Medallion Qualification Dollar Waiver

As mentioned above, MQD is another requirement for Delta statuses, and in my opinion, meeting spending requirements for status could be very challenging, especially if you enjoy economy flights. However, if you spend $25,000 in a calendar year on the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, the MQD requirement is waived for Platinum, Gold, and Silver Medallion status. You can even take it up a notch and waive the MQD requirement for Diamond Medallion status by spending $250,000 in a calendar year.

The MQD Waiver benefit could get you very close to the Platinum Medallion status without flying. Image from Delta.

Annual Companion Certificate

After renewing your AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, you will receive an annual companion certificate to fly a domestic first-class, Delta Comfort+, or main cabin round-trip flight with your companion. Though you are subject to paying no more than $75 for taxes and fees, the annual companion certificate can yield amazing values when redeemed for a transcontinental flight.

You can travel in style with your companion and save money by using the annual companion certificate. Photo by Nathan Dumlao from Unsplash.

Complimentary Upgrades

You will be added to the complimentary upgrade list on eligible flights as a cardholder, and your name will be added to the list after Delta status holders. If you don’t have any status with Delta, your chance of being upgraded by holding the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card is slim to none. However, this perk gives you an edge over those with Medallion status. For instance, if there were one spot for an upgrade, and one person holds the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card as well as the Delta Platinum Medallion status, and the other person only has the Delta Platinum Medallion status, the one with the card will secure the spot since Delta will recognize the card as a “status booster.”

Reimbursed Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Application Fees

Cardmembers can get up to $100 in statement credit when the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card is used to pay for the application. I would highly suggest using this benefit for a Global Entry application since it includes TSA PreCheck. Global Entry can save you hours of waiting time in line over a year if you often travel internationally. You can use this credit every four years and apply it to a friend or family member if your own Global Entry membership is covered by another card.

Miscellaneous Benefits

Cardmembers could enjoy trip delay insurance, baggage insurance plan, secondary car rental loss and damage insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, 20% inflight discount on food and beverages, cell phone protection, free first checked bag, access to AMEX Concierge, and main cabin 1 priority boarding.

With the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, your first Delta checked bag is free and protected with travel insurances Photo by Surface from Unsplash.

Summary

The AMEX Delta Reserve Business card is a premium travel card focused on Delta flyers and can potentially be a great keeper card in your wallet. The card carries a hefty annual fee of $550; on top of the annual companion certificate, it grants you complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges and two one-time passes for your guests. Medallion Qualification Miles Boost and Medallion Qualification Dollar Waiver benefits could significantly boost your status requirement meter, and you could qualify for Delta’s Platinum Medallion status fairly effortlessly, as long as you put enough purchases on the card. If you want to elevate your travel experiences with Delta, look no further and apply for the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card.

If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Delta Reserve Business card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!