Which Credit Card Is Better, Delta SkyMiles Reserve or United Club Infinite?

by Daniel | Last Updated May 8th, 2022

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links, at no cost to you.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex card is fantastic card that is perfect for frequent travelers looking to take advantage of all that Delta has to offer.
But the United Club Infinite Card is also a worthy competitor to the Reserve card and is currently offering a sign-up bonus that is worth more than twice that of the Reserve card. 

In this article, I am going to review and compare both of these cards to determine which card offers more value.
I’ll look at all aspects of the cards from the APR and fees, to benefits and user perks, and then give you my final opinion at the end.

https://youtu.be/MBnjDIvkedE

Who Are These Cards Good For?

On a basic level, both of these cards are great for frequent travelers that are looking to get value out of their everyday spending that can be converted in to travel-related rewards.
Then looking a bit closer, The Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is most suited for people that prefer to travel with Delta, as most of the benefits and miles earning potential that come with this card are directly from Delta.
And with the United Club Infinite Card, it is best for people that like to fly with United.

So depending on which airline you prefer to use could ultimately be the deciding factor on which card you choose.
Although, If you travel on both airlines, you could potentially get both cards and have even more benefits and perks than just having one card. 

APR and Related Fees

Now in this part of the review, I’m going to go over what the APR is for each card and what charges and fees are applicable to your account if you do a balance transfer or get a cash advance.

Late payments and payments returned by your bank may put you on a Penalty APR of 29.99%.
They will also incur a fee of up to $40 for each penalty.

---

Now there is the option to do a Balance Transfer with this card and the APR is 16.74% to 23.74% and will incur a fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, again whichever amount is more. 
And then finally the terms for the Penalty APR are the same as the Reserve card at 29.99% and both a late payment and returned payment will also incur a fee of up to $40.

So generally speaking both cards are pretty much the same in terms of the fees they charge and the APR. 

Annual Fee

Now both of these cards have a similar annual fee and are not exactly cheap.
Although they do both come with quite a lot of valuable benefits, as you will see later in this review.

---

Sign-up Bonus

Now let’s take a look at what the current sign-up bonus is for each of these cards.
And it’s worth noting that sign-up bonuses usually change throughout the year with most credit cards, so it is possible that these may change at some point in the near future.

---

Now a few things to keep in mind if you are thinking about getting this card.
First of all, it is only available to new card members that do not currently have one of the United Club cards.
Also, you must not have received a cardmember bonus from a United Club Card in the past 24 months.

So for this section, the United Club Infinite Card clearly offers a lot more value than the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card does.

Earning Miles

Ok, now let’s take a look at how each card compares when it comes to earning miles through everyday spending.

---

Next up, with the United Club Infinite Card, you get a few more options when it comes to earning miles.

Eating out at restaurants and eligible food delivery services will also earn 2x miles.
And then all other purchases made on the card will receive 1 mile per dollar spent.

So for this section, the United Club Infinite Card has a much better miles earning structure than the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card does.
And this can make quite a substantial difference to the amount of value you get from the card, assuming you spend a fair amount each year.

Benefits and User Perks 

Now for the next section of this review, I’ll go over all of the benefits that are on offer with each card.
And you will see that each card has some pretty impressive perks.

And just this benefit alone can be worth quite a lot.
The only thing you will need to pay for on top of this is taxes and fees that are associated with the Companion Certificate, which are capped at a maximum of $75.
Now if you would like to learn more about the Delta Companion Certificate, you can check out my review here.

Another valuable benefit that comes with this card is complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounges, and the American Express Centurion Lounge.

Along with this, you will also receive two one-time guest passes for complimentary access to the Delta SkyClub.
And if you travel a lot, having access to a nice lounge can really make your trip a lot more enjoyable.
But just note that you must be flying on a same-day Delta marked flight to actually gain access to these Lounges. 

You and up to nine people per reservation will also get your first checked bag free on Delta flights.

And when you are on Delta a Flight you will receive a 20% saving on inflight food and beverages.
Then there is Upgrade Priority which provides you with priority over other Medallion members that are within the same Medallion level and fare class grouping.

You will receive a $100 credit for use on either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Now if you send at least $25,000 on the card within a 12-month period, you will be able to waive the Medallion Qualification Dollar requirement towards Platinum, Gold, or Silver Medallion Status.

And then, if you spend $30,000 on the card within a calendar year, you will receive 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles, and this can be received a maximum of 4 times in a given year.
So there is the potential to earn up to 60,000 MQMs.

---

Now with the United Club Infinite Card, you also get some pretty decent perks.

You and one companion traveling on the same United flight will get your first and second bags free.
And this can save you up to $80 per person per one-way trip assuming you check in two bags.

On United flights, you will get 25% back as a statement credit for food, beverages, and wifi purchases.

There is also Premier Access travel services that provide you with priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling.

Now a couple of other airport-related benefits that come with this card are a $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit and a $70 discount on a CLEAR membership which costs $179.
And if you do sign-up to CLEAR before June 30th, 2022, you will also receive 10,000 bonus miles that are worth about $120.

Now from here, there are also a couple of different hotel-related benefits.
The first one is IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status.
And this gives you complimentary room upgrades, extended checkouts, and up to $75 in statement credits.

Now the second benefit is The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
And this consists of over 1,000 properties from all over the world and provides you with a complimentary breakfast for two, a room upgrade is available, early check-in and late check-out if available and a benefit worth up to $100 for each booking.

Next up, you can enroll in the Avis President’s Club, which gives you complimentary car upgrades and guaranteed car availability.

And finally, you will have access to the Mileage Plus Program which gives you the ability to save 10% on award flights on United that are within the continental US and Canada.
There is also the ability to earn Premier qualifying points or PQPs, and this will help you earn different levels of MileagePlus premier Status, which comes with enhanced travel benefits.
Basically, you will earn 500 PQP for every $12,000 you spend on your card, with a maximum of 4,000 PQP in a calendar year. 

Insurance Related Benefits 

Now for the last section of this review, I’m going to cover all of the insurance-related benefits that come with these cards and see which one offers the most value.

For trips that are delayed for more than 6 hours, there is Trip Delay Insurance that provides up to $500 per trip with a maximum of 2 claims in a 12-month period.

Trip Cancellation is also available and can provide up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per card per 12-month period. 

Then there is a Baggage Insurance Plan that covers up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen.

With Cell Phone Protection there is coverage of up to $800 per claim with a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period, and each claim incurs a $50 deductible fee.
And this covers stolen or damaged cell phones.

Now for shopping-related coverage, there are a few different options.
The first is Return Protection which gives users 90 days of coverage on purchases that a merchant won’t take back.
And this covers up to $300 per item and a maximum of $1,000 per card per year.

Also, it is only valid for purchases that are made from within the US.

Then with Purchase Protection, there is also 90 days of coverage on new purchases that are accidentally lost, damaged, or stolen.
And this will cover up to $10,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per calendar year.

And finally, there is an Extended Warranty of 1 extra year on purchases that are made from within the US and are 5 years or less.

---

The Trip Delay Insurance that comes with this card offers the same $500 per ticket if your trip is delayed, but you will have to be delayed for at least 12 hours, whereas with the Reserve card the delay only needs to be 6 hours.

Then Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance offers similar coverage of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip.

There is Lost Luggage Reimbursement that provides up to $3,000 per passenger which is more than what the Reserve card offers.

With the United card, there is also Baggage Delay Insurance that provides up to $100 a day for 3 days if your luggage is delayed for more than 6 hours. 

With Trip Delay Reimbursement coverage it is possible to claim up to $500 per ticket in the event that your travel is delayed for more than 12 hours.

The Purchase Protection with the United card actually offers an additional 30 days compared to the Reserve card.
So it is 120 of coverage in the event of damage or theft of an item with each claim offering up to $10,000 and a total of $50,000 per year.

With the Return Protection on the United card, it is very similar to what you get with the Reserve card.
Basically, you get the same 90-day period of coverage and up to $500 per item (compared to $300 per item with the Reserve card) and the same $1,000 in total per year.

And then finally, the Extended Warranty Protection offered with the United card is similar but is for warranties that are 3 years or less, whereas the Reserve card is for Warranties that are 5 years or less.

Final Thoughts

Ok, so now that I’ve gone over everything that these two cards have to offer I’ll just go over each section briefly to see which card offers the most value.

The APR and general fees of both cards are pretty much the same.
When it comes to the annual fee, the United Club Infinite Card is ever so slightly cheaper at $525 per year versus the Reserve card’s annual fee of $550.

With the current sign-up bonus of each card, the United Club Infinite card offers a lot more value in the way of bonus miles.
The Reserve cards sign-up bonus is worth about $550, whereas the United cards sign-up bonus is currently worth $1,440, which is a lot more.
You will however have to spend $2,000 with the United card to actually receive the Bonus, $5,000 in the first 3 months, versus $3,000 in the first 3 months with the Reserve card.

Now earning miles from using the cards again is more beneficial with the United card, as it has higher miles earning potential of 4x miles for United bookings whereas the Reserve card offers 3x miles for Delta bookings.
The United card then offers 2x miles from all other travel-related purchases and when eating out or ordering home delivery.
Whereas the Delta Reserve card will only earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all purchases that are not with Delta.

So up to this point, the United card offers quite a bit more value for each section.
But with the Benefits and user perks of each card, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card turns the tables a bit more in its favor.

The most notable and valuable benefit of both cards is the Delta Reserve Annual Companion Certificate.
And this can be worth quite a lot, easily more than the annual fee of the card.

Lounge access with both cards is equally impressive, but with the United card, you can actually bring 2 guests with you to any of the clubs, whereas the Reserve card only gives you the ability to bring 2 guests once per year to the Delta SkyClub only.

With the Delta Reserve card, you get your first checked bag free on Delta flights, but with the United card, you get both your 1st and second bag free on United flights, which, if you travel heavily, will save you a considerable amount of money. 

Both cards have a $100 credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, but the United Club Infinite card also offers a NEXUS fee credit and a $70 discount for CLEAR membership and 10,000 bonus miles worth $120 if you d get CLEAR before June 30th, 2022.

And finally, the United card also has Hotel benefits from both the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection and then IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status, whereas the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card doesn’t offer any hotel benefits.

Now in terms of insurance-related benefits, the United card offers slightly more value.
First of all, the United Club Infinite card offers Primary car insurance, whereas the Reserve card offers Secondary coverage.
Also, the Purchase Protection with the United card offers an additional 30 days of coverage.

So taking all of this into account, the United Club Infinite card offers more value than the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card does, specifically because of the large sign-up bonus that it is currently offering.

But it is hard to pass up the Delta Reserve Annual Companion Certificate, as it can be worth a lot if used at the right time for the right flight.

Basically, if you know you will travel with a companion at some point during the following year of card ownership, the AMEX Delta SkyMiles Reserve card would be the card to get in my opinion.
But if you don’t think you will travel with someone, the United Club Infinite card makes a lot more sense as it will offer more value to you, as pretty much every aspect of the card offers more than what you get with the Delta Reserve card.

Now if you like these cards but are looking for something a little different, why not check out my review and comparison of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Platinum Amex Card, and the Capital One Venture X card here.