Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card review: Sky Club access
Editor's Note
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card overview
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is Delta's top-tier, cobranded business credit card, offering benefits best suited for high-budget businesses that are loyal to Delta. If Delta Medallion elite status and lounge access are important to you, there's a lot to love about this card. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card is the top-tier Delta business card. This card is a great option for business travelers looking for luxury benefits and a way to hit Medallion elite status faster through card spending.
The Delta Reserve Business Amex offers a welcome bonus for new applicants of 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.
However, the card does charge a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees), so you'll want to make sure you can take advantage of the card's offerings to justify the cost.
Here's what you need to know to decide if this premium business card is right for you.
Delta Reserve Business Amex welcome offer
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex is currently offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.
Based on the latest TPG valuations, Delta SkyMiles are valued at 1.2 cents per mile, making this welcome offer worth up to $840.
Remember that Amex does have a once-per-card-per-lifetime restriction when it comes to welcome bonuses. As a result, if you've ever had the Delta Reserve Business card in the past (even if you didn't earn a bonus), you won't be eligible for this welcome bonus. Luckily, Amex has an on-site tool to warn you if you are ineligible for any given bonus before submitting your official application.
Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions
Earning miles on the Delta Reserve Business Amex
With the Delta Reserve Business Amex, you'll earn 3 miles per every eligible dollar spent on Delta purchases, including at delta.com, via phone reservations or at ticket counters. This also applies to Delta Vacation packages, seat upgrades, seat selection fees, Delta Sky Club membership or passes, pre-purchased and inflight meals, inflight alcoholic beverages and audio headsets.
Those with high annual spending habits will also benefit from earning 1.5 miles on all non-Delta purchases after spending a total of $150,000 in a calendar year. On all other eligible purchases, it drops to 1 mile.
Redeeming miles on the Delta Reserve Business Amex
If you're looking for bargains when it comes to redeeming your miles, go to the SkyMiles Deals page, where Delta regularly posts deep discounts on round-trip tickets in economy and Delta One between specific city pairs. Some notable Delta deals we've seen include Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., for 20,000 miles or Atlanta to New York City for only 13,000 miles.
You can also redeem your SkyMiles for upgrades to the next class of service on Delta, as well as certain flights operated by partners Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Aeromexico. While this isn't a particularly valuable use of Delta miles, it'll save you from paying cash or trying to find premium cabin award availability.
Delta Reserve Business Amex benefits
There is a lot to love about the Delta Reserve Business Amex when it comes to the perks the card offers — especially for Delta travelers or those who live in a Delta hub or focus city.
Award flight discount
Get 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card).
Lounge access
Just by getting the Delta Reserve Business card, you've already covered almost the entire annual fee by gaining access to more than 50 Delta lounges around the world, although this only includes Sky Clubs and not partner lounges. However, guests are not complimentary; they cost $50 per person for up to two guests, which matches a regular individual Sky Club membership. Note that you also must be flying on Delta to access the lounges (again, just like a regular membership).
Note that Delta now restricts access to Sky Clubs to within three hours of departure, though it did backtrack on plans to eliminate access on arrival.
The card also includes access to American Express Centurion Lounges, also when flying on a same-day Delta ticket that you purchased with the Delta Reserve Business card.
Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
Two one-time Delta Sky Club passes
While guests normally cost $50 to bring into the Sky Club, you'll get two one-time passes each year as a Delta Reserve Business cardholder. This allows you to bring two people into the lounge when traveling together.
Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) waiver
When you spend $25,000 in a year, the spending requirement for Platinum, Gold, and Silver Medallion status is waived. You can also earn a waiver for the Diamond Medallion MQD requirements by spending $250,000 on the card in a year. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
MQM Boost
As mentioned above, this feature can help you hit Medallion status before stepping on a Delta aircraft. You'll get 15,000 MQMs for every $30,000 you spend on the card each calendar year (up to four times per year). Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
When you combine these earnings with the MQD waiver, you'll be just shy of Platinum Medallion status from credit card spend alone.
Annual companion certificate
Cardmembers receive an annual companion certificate for a domestic first-class, Delta Comfort+ or domestic main cabin round-trip flight each year you renew the card. Note that you'll need to pay up to $80 in government-imposed taxes and fees on the certificate.
Non-Medallion upgrades
Those who haven't hit Medallion status will be given complimentary upgrades on eligible flights. While you will be added to the list after Medallions, this is a great perk for anyone who knows they won't hit status immediately.
TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit
You'll get up to $100 to pay for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
Delta flight perks
Apart from 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights, you'll also get other perks on Delta-operated flights, including a first checked bag free, priority boarding and a 20% statement credit on all food, drink and audio headset inflight purchases.
Travel and shopping protections
The Delta Reserve Business card comes with various protections when traveling on a ticket purchased with your card or when using your card on certain purchases, including:
- Trip delay coverage* (Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company).
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance* (Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company).
- Cellphone insurance* (Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company).
- Baggage insurance* (Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company).
- Extended warranty* (Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company).
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Delta Reserve Concierge
Concierge staff are available 24/7 to help with restaurant reservations, special event planning, gift advice, and more. Global Assist* gives you help with medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services when you travel more than 100 miles from home.
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Related: The ultimate credit card concierge test: 3 cards, $300 and 1 night in NYC
Which cards compete with the Delta Reserve Business Amex?
If you want more flexibility or a lower annual fee, other cards may be a better fit for you.
- If you want a Delta card with a lower annual fee: The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card offers additional Delta perks like an annual companion certificate and a faster path to elite status that could be a better fit for regular Delta travelers. For more information, check out our full review of the Delta Platinum Business Amex.
- If you want a card with more flexible rewards: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers excellent travel benefits and earns rewards that you can transfer to Delta as well as any of American Express's other travel partners. It offers comprehensive lounge access and over $1,500 in annual credits but comes with a higher annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees). For more information, check out our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.
For additional options, check out our full list of best travel cards and best American Express cards.
Read more: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
Is the Delta Reserve Business Amex worth it?
If you fly Delta regularly and Sky Club access is important to you, this card's perks make it well worth its hefty annual fee. However, if you fly Delta less regularly or want broader bonus categories more than Sky Club access, other cards are a better option.
Bottom line
If you're in the market to earn Delta miles and elite status while enjoying a host of luxury Delta benefits, it doesn't get much better than the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex. The Sky Club access perk is the main attraction of this card, so if you are a business owner who flies with Delta regularly, it's a great choice.
Apply here for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card with an offer of 70,000-mile bonus.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Stella Shon, Benét J. Wilson, Edward Pizzarello and Christina Ly.