Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Review

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card used to be a compelling card for Delta frequent flyers, especially those who are into Delta status and upgrades. However, Delta's major change to its SkyMiles loyalty program and a negative change to this card's Sky Club access perk have drastically changed the card's value proposition. In our Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card review we will look at the welcome offer, card benefits, spending structure and give our overall thoughts in light of these changes.

Current Welcome Offer

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card currently has the following welcome offer:

• Earn 80,000 Bonus miles after $10,000 spend on purchases in the first 6 months. Terms Apply.
• The card has a $650 annual fee. See Rates and Fees.

Amex Application Rules

If you choose to apply, remember that Amex typically will not approve you for more than two Amex credit cards during a 90-day period. They also have a limit of 5 credit cards per person, of which this is one. There is also a 10 card limit on the colored Membership Rewards earning cards (of which this is not one of).

Amex also has a once per lifetime welcome offer rule on each card. This is more like every 5 – 7 years in reality though, and not actually your lifetime. That timeline is based off of when you last held a card, not when you last earned a welcome offer on the product though. If you are ineligible for the welcome offer for any reason American Express will usually let you know that with a pop-up before the application is processed. You can cancel the application at this time with no hard pull.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Review: Earning Structure

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has the following earning structure:

• 3x Delta Skymiles on Delta purchases
• 1.5x Miles per dollar on the following purchases
  • Transit
  • U.S. Shipping
  • U.S. office supply stores
  • Any spend per year after spending $150,000 in a calendar year on eligible purchases
• 1x Delta Skymiles on all other eligible purchases

Delta Business Reserve Card Benefits

The Amex Delta Business Reserve offers the following benefits:

• MQD Headstart and MQD Boost: receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year
  • Plus earn $1 MQD for each $10 on purchases with your card
• 15% discount on award redemptions (not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees)
• Free checked bag for you and up to 8 other travel companions on your same itinerary (up to $60 per person on a round trip flight)
• Complimentary Sky Club access
  • Effective February 1, 2025, cardholders will receive 15 visits per year. To earn an unlimited number of visits each year starting on February 1, 2025, cardholders must spend $75,000 or more each calendar year.
    • Once all 15 Visits have been used, eligible card members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits (including Grab and Go) for $50 per person, per visit with their card.
• 2 one-time guest passes for Sky Club per year
• Up to $20 per month in Resy credit for a maximum of $240 per year (enrollment required)
• Up to $10 per month in rideshare credit for a maximum of $120 per year (enrollment required)
  • Needs to be paid for with the credit card, not an account credit
• Up to $250 annual credit for Delta Stays
• Complimentary Centurion Lounge access when you purchase a Delta flight with the SkyMiles Reserve Business card
• If you don't have Medallion Status, your Card adds you to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Medallion Members
• Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+(R), or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card.
  • It requires payment of taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights
    • (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments).
  • Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.
  • See terms and conditions for details.
• TSA Precheck ($85) or Global Entry ($100) fee statement credit every 4.5 years

ToP Analysis

Until Delta's overhaul of the SkyMiles program, the Amex Delta Business Reserve appealed mostly to a limited audience: Delta flyers looking for a boost towards their elite status. Starting January 1, 2024, this card will no longer be as useful to help achieve elite status since the need for MQMs will be eliminated. The new head start bonus just not is as good as the MQM boost and MQD waiver used to be.

In another negative development, complimentary Sky Club access has been reduced drastically to just 15 visits per year. For a card with an a large annual fee, this is simply astonishing. For unlimited visits, cardholders will have to spend $75,000 or more on the card every calendar year.

Simply put, it has become very difficult to justify the Amex Delta Business Reserve‘s hefty annual fee.

Opening a personal Amex co-branded Delta card is a common newbie mistake, especially when under 5/24. This card can still be helpful for those who are under 5/24, since it will not affect that being a business card, and find value in having status with Delta. Delta frequent flyers will likely enjoy access to Delta's Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounge access (when flying Delta). The companion certificate can be challenging to use because of its terms, but it can come close to offsetting the annual fee on some redemptions.

The card's current welcome offer looks tempting, but it's worth remembering that not all miles are created equally, and transferable currencies are generally more valuable than airline miles. Nonetheless, Delta SkyMiles can offer some good value if used during sales, deals, or the right airports.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Review: ToP Thoughts

With Delta's overhaul of its loyalty program, the Amex Delta Business Reserve no longer offers the same boost towards elite status it once did. And the drastic cuts to the complimentary Sky Club benefit (from unlimited visits to just 15 per year) is also a major set back. These negative changes make it tough to justify the card's large annual fee long-term.

Do you plan to open an Amex Delta Business Reserve? Come over to our Facebook group and share your thoughts about this card.