The
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is an expensive airline credit card for small business owners who frequently fly with Delta and wish to enjoy airport lounge access when they do. The Delta Reserve Business Card’s biggest shortcoming is its lofty annual fee:
$650. The card can be worth it in the right hands, however, thanks to a combination of straightforward rewards and special perks, including complimentary visits to the Delta Sky Club.
Below, you can find a summary of all the details you’ll need to decide whether or not to apply for the
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card.
What I Like About the Delta Reserve Business Card
Complimentary Delta Sky Club access
Perhaps the most highly-sought-after feature of the Delta Reserve Business Credit Card offer is the access it gives cardholders to airport lounges worldwide. If you plan on spending a lot of time in airports that have a Delta lounge, that alone could make the card worth it.
Card members get 15 visits to the Delta Sky Club® each Medallion® Year. To earn an unlimited number of visits, you have to spend $75,000 or more on your card each calendar year. More than 50 airport lounges are part of the program, including Delta-branded lounges and partner locations, so it’s worth confirming that your favorite destinations have one. It’s also worth noting that your lounge access is only good with a same-day boarding pass for a flight on Delta or one of its partner airlines.
In addition to Sky Club access, you get access to The Centurion Lounge or Escape Lounge when you purchase a Delta flight with this card.
Initial bonus
If you spend
$12,000 in purchases within
6 months of opening an account, you’ll earn
80,000 miles.
Triple miles on Delta purchases
The card’s ongoing earning rate is
1 - 3 miles per $1. You get
3 miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases, 1.5 miles per $1 on transit, U.S. shipping and U.S. office supply store purchases, and 1.5 miles per $1 on other purchases (after spending $150,000 in a year, otherwise earn 1 mile per $1).
The minimum rewards rate is fairly average, but the rewards you can get on Delta purchases are great. To get the maximum rewards rate, however, a transaction must be made directly with Delta. That means no shopping around for the cheapest flights on travel comparison sites.
Annual companion certificate
After you renew your account for another year, you get a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main companion certificate good for a round-trip flight for only the cost of government taxes and fees - between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). You’re limited to domestic, Caribbean, and Central American destinations, but there’s still a lot to choose from. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
Rideshare and Resy credits
If you enroll your card and use it to pay for rideshare purchases in the U.S., you can get a credit for up to $10 per month. Similarly, you can earn up to $20 per month in statement credits for eligible Resy orders, when enrolled. This is a pretty good deal, if you already spend money on these things.
Priority boarding and the first checked bag free
Cardholders get Zone 5 boarding and their first checked bag free on Delta flights. Up to 8 companions traveling on the same reservation also get their first checked bag free.
No foreign transaction fee
Delta flies plenty of international routes, so it’s good that you won’t have to pay extra for purchases processed abroad.
Chip-and-PIN for international ease
Delta Reserve for Business is far from the only
chip-and-PIN travel credit card, but this is a noteworthy feature nonetheless. It decreases the odds that you’ll run into a situation where you can’t use your credit card abroad.
One of the best frequent flyer programs
Delta SkyMiles is one of
2025’s best frequent flyer programs, according to a comprehensive WalletHub study. It has been near the top of the list for the past several years.
What I Don’t Like About the Delta Reserve Business Card
Expensive annual fee sets a high bar
At
$650, the Delta Reserve Business Card’s annual fee is nearly
24 times higher than what the average credit card charges, according to our research. You can still get your money’s worth, but you have to take full advantage of features like airport lounge access and earn lots of bonus rewards.
High APR
You need to pay your bill in full every month if you decide to get this card. If you don’t, the interest charges will eat into your savings from rewards and combine with the annual fee to make the card unaffordable.
Alternatives to the Delta Reserve Business Card
If you’re not sold on the Delta Reserve Business Card, you can see if one of the
best Delta credit cards is more to your liking. Business and personal options are available. Using a personal card for business
will not increase your liability, but you may not earn rewards on business purchases, depending on the terms of the offer.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
