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American Express · credit
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Is the Delta Reserve worth keeping when the fee hits?
Welcome offer — 60,000 SkyMiles after $5,000 spend in 6 months (offer varies) Inferred by source
Portal caveat — Amex Travel averages ~10.32% above booking direct; portal redemptions are worth less than the headline rate.
Recently changed — 1 update. See below ↓
Worth knowing
Our assessment from this card's own published terms — vendor-neutral, never an issuer's wording. How we judge value.
Apply on American Express's siteOfficial issuer page (not an affiliate link yet) · how we earn
Typically needs excellent credit (740+) — guideline, not a guarantee · Set your credit profile
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What this card delivers across six value dimensions (0–100, normalized).
| 3× | Delta purchases Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| 1× | Everything else Inferred by source |
| Resy (US restaurants) | $240/yr · monthly Inferred by sourceenroll |
|---|---|
| Rideshare credit | $120/yr · monthly Inferred by sourceenroll |
Which of these will you actually use?
Pre-checked = a typical cardholder captures it. Uncheck the ones you won't.
Heads up: Delta Sky Club access is conditional: you must be on a same-day Delta-operated flight, and visits are capped per year (e.g. 10/yr on the Amex Platinum — unlimited at $75k annual spend). Delta-branded cards have their own limits.
| Centurion | 17 lounges· $50/adult, $30/child (2–17), under 2 free; max 2 guests, who must be on the same flight as the cardholderVerified by source
|
|---|---|
| Delta Sky Clubflying Delta | 26 lounges· Guests $50 each; 15 visits/yr (unlimited at $75k spend)Inferred by source
|
| free checked bag | First checked bag free (plus 2nd bag free on domestic Delta) (~$70/yr) Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| priority boarding | Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights Inferred by source |
| companion certificate | Annual Companion Certificate — round-trip domestic/Caribbean/Central America (First/Premium Select/Comfort/Main) after renewal; pay taxes/fees (~$250/yr) Inferred by source |
| Trip delay | Up to $500/trip (>6 hrs) Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| Baggage | Checked $2,000 / carry-on $3,000 per person Inferred by source |
Using Delta Reserve at an ATM is a cash advance, not a normal purchase — it costs a fee, starts charging interest the same day (no grace period), and earns no rewards.
| Cash advance fee | Either $10 or 5% of each advance, whichever is greater Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| Cash advance APR | 29.99% variable Inferred by source |
| Foreign ATM | Cash advance with no foreign transaction fee — but the ATM operator may add its own surcharge. |
ATM operator surcharges are set by the machine, not the card. To avoid all of this, use a debit card or cash for ATM withdrawals.
Centurion Lounge entry rules tightened: guests (max 2, $50/$30) must be traveling on the same flight as the cardholder, and layover arrivals are capped at 5 hours before the connecting flight.
Live figures above reflect what's true today; announced changes are flagged, not pre-applied. See all recent changes
*Realized/net assume full use of non-spend-gated credits — an upper bound. †First-year net adds the one-time sign-up bonus (counts once, not recurring). Personalize it
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has a $650 annual fee.
Using its non-spend-gated credits fully, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card returns about $360 in value against its $650 annual fee — a net of −$290 per year. It only makes sense if you value its perks beyond the listed credits.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card earns 3x on delta purchases, 1x on everything else.
Yes. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card grants access to Delta Sky Club, Centurion.
No — the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has no foreign transaction fee, so it's a good card to use abroad.
60,000 SkyMiles after $5,000 spend in 6 months (offer varies). Welcome offers change frequently — confirm the current one on the issuer's page before applying.
Yes. Most recent change (announced 2026-02-01): Centurion Lounge entry rules tightened: guests (max 2, $50/$30) must be traveling on the same flight as the cardholder, and layover arrivals are capped at 5 hours before the connecting flight.