Delta SkyMiles Reserve Review
A premium Delta co-brand with Sky Club access and Medallion status boosts — for the loyal Delta flyer only.
Welcome bonus
85,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months. Offers vary; check for elevated targeted offers before applying.
Rewards structure
- 3xDelta flight purchases
- 1xeverything else
Perks & benefits
- Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta (guest access no longer complimentary)
- Annual companion certificate for a domestic first, Comfort+, or main cabin ticket
- $2,500 in MQDs per calendar year toward Delta Medallion status
- 15% off Delta award flights (Take Off 15 benefit)
- First checked bag free for cardholder and up to 8 companions on same reservation
- Priority boarding
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit
- CLEAR Plus membership credit
Who this card is for
- Loyal Delta flyers already chasing Medallion status
- Domestic travelers who will actually redeem the annual companion certificate
- Frequent Delta flyers who use Sky Club multiple times per year
Pros & cons
Pros
- Sky Club access is one of the few reliable premium lounge networks in the U.S.
- Companion certificate can offset the annual fee entirely on a single roundtrip for two
- $2,500 MQD boost meaningfully accelerates Medallion qualification
- Take Off 15 is a real ongoing benefit that pays back on every award redemption
Cons
- $650 annual fee is high, and much of the value is Delta-specific
- Sky Club guest access now requires 30 flights per year or a $500-per-guest fee
- No transferable points — SkyMiles are locked into the Delta ecosystem
- Companion certificate has blackout dates and route restrictions that limit peak-season use
Our take
The Delta Reserve is a card for Delta loyalists, full stop. If you are ambivalent about Delta or fly multiple airlines each year, this is not your card — Delta's award chart is unpredictable, SkyMiles do not transfer to other programs, and the $650 fee is only justified if you extract value from a very specific bundle of Delta-exclusive perks.
For the Delta true believer, though, the math holds up. A domestic companion certificate saves $300–500 on a single trip. The $2,500 MQD boost is worth roughly 10% of a Silver Medallion qualification and can be the difference between qualifying and missing. Sky Club access, if you actually use it, is priced by Delta at $695/year for a standalone Executive Membership — more than the card's fee.
The recent devaluation of guest access at Sky Club (30 flights or $500 per guest) is the real change to weigh. If you fly with a partner or family who is not on your reservation, you will now pay to bring them in — which changes the calculation on premium lounge value. Solo Delta flyers still get their money's worth; family travelers should run the numbers carefully.