Delta Skymiles Reserve vs Platinum – Which Card is Better? 

by Daniel | Last Updated August 30th, 2024

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Are you a frequent flyer with Delta and wondering which Delta SkyMiles card will maximize your travel experience the most?
Well, In this article, I’ll be comparing two of their top cards head-to-head: the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card versus the Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card.
Both of these cards offer impressive perks, but is the Reserve card really worth an additional $300 for the annual fee?

Well basically I’ll be breaking down the key features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of each card, to help you decide which one deserves a spot in your wallet.
Whether you’re looking to get a ton of extra benefits such as lounge access and First Class companion certificates or aiming to rack up a ton of extra miles, this comparison will reveal whether the Platinum card is a obvious pick or if the Reserve card’s luxurious perks justify the rather large annual fee.

So stick around to see which card comes out on top.

So Who Are These Cards Good For ?

Both the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Reserve cards cater to different types of travelers, depending on their needs and travel habits. So here’s a simple breakdown of each card to determine who they are best suited for:

Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card

Frequent Delta Flyers

If you regularly fly with Delta but don’t necessarily need the highest tier of perks, the Platinum card offers a solid mix of benefits.

Upgrade Seekers

The Platinum card also provides opportunities to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) and enjoy priority boarding, making it a good option for those looking to enhance their travel experience without going all-in.

Moderate Annual Fee Tolerance

With a lower annual fee compared to the Reserve card, the Platinum card is ideal for travelers who want valuable perks but are mindful of the cost.

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Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card

Loyal Delta Enthusiasts

If you’re committed to flying Delta and want the best possible experience, the Reserve card is designed with you in mind.

Luxury Travelers

With complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs and the American Express Centurion Lounge, this card is perfect for travelers who value premium airport experiences.

Status Chasers

The Reserve card offers more opportunities to earn MQDs and achieve or maintain elite status with Delta, making it ideal for those striving for higher Medallion status.

High-Spenders Seeking Rewards

If you can take advantage of the higher spending thresholds to earn additional MQMs and use the companion certificate, the Reserve card can provide substantial value.

Ultimately, both cards offer valuable benefits, but the choice between them depends on how often you fly, how much you value premium perks, and whether the additional cost of the Reserve card aligns with your travel goals.

Annual Fee And Sign-up Bonus 

Now from here, let’s take look at how valuable the sign-up bonus is and how much the annual fee will cost you each year for each card.
And you will see that there is quite a big difference between these two cards, at least when it comes to the annual fee.

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card 

Now currently it is possible to earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on the card within the first 6 months of opening the account. 

And with miles being valued at 1.2 credit per mile, this sign up bonus is worth $600.

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Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card 

Now currently it is possible to earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on the card within the first 6 months of opening the account.

And with miles being valued at 1.2 cents per mile, the Reserve cards signup bonus is worth $720.

So the more expensive Reserve card offers slightly more value from its sign-up bonus compared to the Platinum card, $120 more to be precise.
But you will need to spend an additional $2,000 on the card to actually receive to bonus miles.

Which Card Has The Best Miles Earning Potential?

Ok so now we know how much each card costs on an annual basis and what they are offering as a sign-up bonus, we now need to look at the miles earning ability of each card.

And this is an extremely important factor to consider when choosing a credit card.

If you are able to earn more miles through your everyday spending habits, you will end up receiving a lot more value over time. 

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card 

Starting right at the top, it is possible to earn 3x miles for all purchase the are more directly with Delta .
So if you do happen to travel a fair bit, specifically with Delta, this will really help to boost your miles earning potential.

From here it is also possible to earn 3x miles for purchases made directly with hotels. 

There is then the ability to earn 2x miles on eating out at restaurants, which also includes take and delivery services, but just note this is only possible from within the US.

It is also possible to earn 2x miles at US supermarkets, this is probably the most common way you can earn a decent amount of miles with this card, as pretty much everyone needs to buy groceries on a weekly basis,

Finally, everything else the you use the card on will earn you just 1 mile per dollar spent.

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Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card

So the only choice you have to to earn miles are as follow:

3x miles on Delta purchase, then everything else earns you just 1 mile per dollar spent.

So in terms of earning miles, the Reserve card is pretty disappointing, and doesn’t come close to what the Platinum card has to offer.

Which Card Has The Best Benefits And Perks?

Ok so now that we know what the annual fee, sign-up bonus and miles earning potential of each card is, let’s take a look at the benefits that actually come with each card to see how they compare. 

Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card 

This can end potentially be worth a lot of money depending on when and where you fly.

But it’s important to know that it is only available to you once you have held the card for 1 full year and then paid for the following year of card ownership.

You will also be required to pay for taxes and fees on the companion certificate which can range up to $80 for domestic flights and up to $250 for international flights.

Then if you have an eligible Delta ticket you will be put on the Complimentary Upgrade List directly after any Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members. 

There is then the TakeOff 15benefit.
This basically provides you with a 15% discount off your booking when you use your own miles to book a flight.

Then when you are flying on a Delta flight you will receive 20% back for inflight food and beverages purchases.

You will also be able to get your first checked bag free of charge.
This can potentially save you quite a bit of money, as it can cost up to $70 per round trip for just one checked bag.

It is also possible to receive $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem through the Pay with Miles benefit.

There is then a $150 Delta Stays Credit, and this basically allows for a $150 credit when you make a booking through Delta Stays on delta.com.

You will also receive a $120 Resy Credit that is given to you in $10 allotments each month offer the course of the year.

Along with this you will also receive a $120 Rideshare Credit that is also provided in $10 allotments each month.
And this can be used on rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft.

There is also a $100 credit that can be used for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Then with the MQD Headstart benefit, you will receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year.

Along with this you will also have he ability to earn $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar per $20 spent on the card.

This essentially helps to bring you closer to the next level of Medallion status. 

And finally you will receive Hertz Five Star Status, which provides you with a few nice benefits when renting a car from Hertz.

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Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card

So the most valuable benefit on offer with the Reserve card is the Annual Companion Certificate, and this basically provides you with either a First class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin domestic ,Caribbean, or Central American round trip fare.

This can easily be worth thousands of dollars depending on when and where you fly.

But just like the Platinum card it’s important to know that it is only available to you once you have held the card for 1 entire year and then payed for the following year of card ownership.

Then another valuable benefit that comes with this card is access to both the Delta Sky Club and the Amex Centurion Lounge.

But there are a few restriction that you should know about.

With the Delta Sky Club (at least from next year – 2025) you will only be provided with 15 visits each year.
Also, if you are flying on Basic Economy, you will not be allowed access in to the lounge.

Now if you want to visit a Delta Sky Club more than 15 times in a given year, you will need to spend $75,000 on the card within the year, this will then allow for unlimited visits for the remainder of the year.

Then with the Amex Centurion Lounge you will have access as a card member, and you will also have the ability to bring along 2 guests, but it will cost you $50 per guest.

It is also worth noting that to gain access to either of these lounges, you must be flying on a same day Delta flight.
If you not on a delta flight, you wont be able to access either of these lounges. 

Now another benefit that comes with this card is a $200 Delta Stays credit.
This basically provides you with a $200 credit when you book either a hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays at delta.com.

There is then a $240 Resy credit which is provided in $20 allotments each month
and this can be used at US based Resy Restaurants.

To use it credit, all you need to do is create a Resy account and then make a reservation via either the website Resy.com or through the Resy app.

You will then receive a $120 Rideshare credit that is provide to you in $10 allotments.
And this can be used through the following businesses:

Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, and Alto.

There is then a $100 credit that can be used for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck.

You will then earn $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year.
Along with this you will also be able to earn able to earn $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar per $10 spent on the Reserve card.

There is then access to Hertz President’s Circle Status.

Then when flying on Delta you will receive 20% back on in flight purchases.

Along with this you will be eligible for the Complimentary Upgrade List, and Priority Boarding.

Just like the Platinum card you will also receive your first checked bag free of charge.

Then when using your own Delta miles to book a flight, you will receive a 15% discount via the ‘TakeOff 15’ benefit. 

And finally, there is the ability to receive $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem through Pay with Miles.

Final Thoughts

Ok so that covers just about everything you need to know about the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve card, and as you can see, they both offer quite a lot of value. 

So let’s just do a quick recap and go back over each section to see how the cards actually compare.

Annual Fee

In terms of the annual fee the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card is by far the cheapest card with an annual fee of $350.   

And then the Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card comes in second with a rather hefty annual fee of $650.

1. Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card
2. Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card

Sign-up Bonus

When it comes to the value of the sign-up bonus, the Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card comes out on top with a value of $720.
Then coming in second is the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card with a sign-up value of $600.

• Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card
• Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card

Earning Miles

Now if you want to earn a ton of miles the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card has the highest miles earnings potential as it offers multiple categories to earn elevated miles from.

Unfortunately, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is pretty underwhelming when it comes to earning miles as there there are only two options to choose from.

Benefits and Perks

So last but not least is benefits and perks, and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card comes out on top, specifically because it does offer more value than the Platinum card, although it will cost an additional $300 each year to have the card.

The leave the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card in second place when it comes to benefits and perks.
But to be fair, considering it is $300 cheaper on an annual basis, I think this card presents amazing value.

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So when it comes to choosing the best travel credit card it really depends on what you are looking for in card and which benefits you will actually use.

If you want the ability to get a free first class companion certificate each year and the ability to access to both the Delta Sky Club and the Centurion lounge, then the Reserve card is the obvious choice.

But it’s hard to go past the overall value that comes with the Platinum card.
First of all it offers a much better ability for users to earn miles from everyday spending, which will end up providing you with a lot of value.
The only real downside of this card, in my opinion is the fact that it doesn’t offer any lounge access at all.
Surely they could add just a couple of free passes the Delta Sky Club each year, or a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.  

And if you want to learn more about how the Delta Companion Certificate actually works, make sure to check out this article here.