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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card review
80,000 miles and 20,000 MQMs after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 20,000 miles after your first card anniversary
Rewards
3x miles on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases on up to $150,000 in a calendar year, then 1.5x miles on non-Delta purchases the rest of the year
Kliment Dukovski is a credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
Expert Review
Review by
Kliment Dukovski
The $550-a-year Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is made for business owners who spend more than $30,000 on Delta flights per year. It comes with a generous welcome offer of 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account. After your first card anniversary, you’ll earn another 20,000 bonus points.
You earn 3 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta — miles you can redeem for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards or shopping. These rewards aren’t the highest out there, and a little disappointing for a luxury card given you’ll find the same rate with products like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
However, Delta-specific perks give the card high value. Among the benefits you get with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card are complimentary access to Delta Sky Club® and Centurion lounges, concierge service, Zone 1 priority boarding, free first checked bag for up to nine passengers, a yearly companion certificate and more.
Expert review
The $550-a-year Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is made for business owners who spend more than $30,000 on Delta flights per year. It comes with a generous welcome offer of 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account. After your first card anniversary, you’ll earn another 20,000 bonus points.
You earn 3 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta — miles you can redeem for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards or shopping. These rewards aren’t the highest out there, and a little disappointing for a luxury card given you’ll find the same rate with products like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
However, Delta-specific perks give the card high value. Among the benefits you get with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card are complimentary access to Delta Sky Club® and Centurion lounges, concierge service, Zone 1 priority boarding, free first checked bag for up to nine passengers, a yearly companion certificate and more.
The perks
How much are SkyMiles® worth?
The value of SkyMiles® varies depending on the service or product that you want to redeem them for. Here are some examples of how you can use your miles based on the SkyMiles website at the time of writing:
$250 Delta gift card. Buy this for 35,700 miles, which works out to $0.70 per mile.
Samsonite 20″ carry-on bag. Worth $150, you can buy this for 26,600 miles, which works out to around $0.56 per mile.
Apple MacBook Pro 13″ Worth $1,299, you can buy this for 258,200 miles, which works out to $0.50 per mile.
Round-trip domestic fares. Worth $130, these fares start at 10,000 miles, which works out to $1.30 cents per mile. Taxes and fees are not included.
To find the best value for your miles, divide the cash price by the miles required to pay for the service. The higher the number you get, the higher the value for your miles.
At the SkyMiles® Marketplace, flights have the highest value per mile. In order to make the most of your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, you may want to only redeem your miles for flights.
Data obtained at the time of writing. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.
Welcome offer. Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account. This may seem like a high spending requirement to get the bonus, but since the card is made for big spenders it should be relatively easy to acquire it.
Earn Delta miles. Earn 3 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. You can redeem these points for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards, shopping and more. A new addition to the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is the ability to earn 1.5x miles per dollar spent instead of 1x miles on eligible purchases. To make the jump to this rate, you’ll need to spend $150,000 in a calendar year on your card.
Bonus miles Earn an additional 20,000 miles after your first cardholder anniversary. This is a one-time bonus, so it’s best to think of this as part of the card’s welcome offer.
Delta Sky Club® and Centurion lounge access. Get complimentary access to Delta Sky Club® and a discounted pass for up to 2 guests for $39 each when flying with Delta. Enjoy food and beverages, Wi-Fi, personalized flight assistance, private restrooms and more at 45 Delta Sky Club locations worldwide. Save $708 in a year if you visit Delta Sky Club® once a month, since a single-visit pass was valued at $59 while Delta still offered it. New to the card is complimentary access to Amex Centurion lounges when you book your Delta flight with your credit card.
Concierge service. Call this service at 1-800-525-3355 if you need to book a restaurant, arrange a special event or help picking out the right gift.
Status Boost®. Spend $30,000 on purchases in a year and earn 15,000 MQMs. You can earn these MQMs up to 4 times each year for each $30,000 you spend. With these 15,000 MQMs and the 20,000 MQMs from your welcome offer, you’ll reach Silver Medallion Status. Note that Delta no longer offers bonus miles to go along with the MQMs earned through this perk.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Your card comes with a credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. The credit renews every four years for your Global Entry application fee and every four and a half years for your TSA PreCheck application fee.
What is Medallion Status?
Medallion Status is a tiered program for Delta’s most loyal customers that gives you benefits not available to other travelers, such as unlimited complimentary upgrades for you and your companion to Delta Comfort+® and first class, waived baggage fees, priority customer service and more.
How do I reach Medallion Status?
Aside from Delta’s SkyMiles®, there are three more points systems that are used to help you achieve Medallion Status: Medallion® Qualification Miles, Medallion® Qualification Segments (MQSs) and Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQDs).
How do I earn these points?
Earn Medallion® Qualification Miles on the distance you fly and your ticket fare class — the higher your fare class, the more MQMs you earn.
Earn Medallion® Qualification Segments on the number of flights you take.
Earn Medallion® Qualification Dollars on the amount you spend on Delta and its partners’ flights.
How many points do I need to reach Medallion Status?
Silver Medallion Status. 25,000 MQMs or 30 MQSs, and $3,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
Gold Medallion Status. 50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs, and $6,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
Platinum Medallion Status. 75,000 MQMs or 100 MQSs, and $9,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
Diamond Medallion Status. 125,000 MQMs or 140 MQSs, and $15,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
The MQD requirement to earn Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion Status is waived if you make $25,000 or more in eligible purchases with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card during the year. To reach Diamond Medallion Status, the MQD requirement is waived if you make $250,000 or more in eligible purchases with your card during the year.
You’ll also like
Priority boarding. Get Zone 1 priority boarding on Delta flights, which is perfect if you hate waiting and want to settle into your seat sooner.
Companion certificate. Earn a domestic first class, Delta Comfort+® or main cabin round-trip companion certificate each year when you renew your card. Taxes and fees of no more than $75 aren’t covered with the certificate.
First checked bag free. Save up to $60 on a round trip with Delta by getting your first checked bag free. This applies for up to nine passengers traveling on the same reservation.
0% foreign transaction fees (see rates & fees). Use this card when traveling abroad, as it doesn’t have any international transaction fees.
Statement credit for in-flight purchases Get 20% savings in the form of statement credit for in-flight purchases on food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets on Delta flights.
Baggage insurance. Get baggage insurance of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage. And if you rent a car, you’re covered in case of car theft or damage.
Trip delay and cancellation reimbursement and global assistance hotlines. Get 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial or other services you may need if you’re traveling more than 100 miles from home with the Global Assist® Hotline. And if your trip is delayed or canceled for an eligible reason, Amex will offer compensation.
Complimentary upgrades. If you haven’t earned Medallion Status, you may still qualify for flight upgrades. Delta will add you to the Complimentary Upgrades list, and you’ll have priority after Medallion Members.
What to watch out for
Annual fee. To own the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, you’ll have to pay $550 per year. If you frequently fly on Delta and you often visit Delta Sky Clubs®, your benefits will likely outweigh the annual fee.
Penalty APR. You’ll be charged a penalty APR of 29.99% variable if you make 2 or more late payments in a 12-month period, don’t pay the minimum payment due by the closing date of the billing period or make a payment that’s returned.
Compare business credit cards
What size business is the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card good for?
Small to medium size businesses whose employees travel with Delta and who usually spend $30,000 or more per year on flights could find this card useful. The more you spend with this card, the more miles you can redeem for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards and more.
If your business spends less than $30,000 per year on Delta flights, consider the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, earning 60,000 bonus miles after you make $2,000 in purchases within your first 3 months, plus 10,000 miles after your first cardholder anniversary.
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, you’ll have to provide information about yourself and your business. The information includes:
Business name and address
Industry type
Company structure
Years in business
Number of employees
Annual revenue and monthly spending
Federal Tax ID, also known as Employment Identification Number (EIN)
Personal information of the credit card owner, including annual income
What credit score do I need?
You can apply with a good business credit score of 670 or higher.
What’s my likelihood of being approved?
Businesses with high credit scores have a better chance of being approved.
What do customers say about the card?
American Express is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has an A+ rating. More than 170 customer reviews — 90% of which are negative — have given the credit card provider a composite score of 3.78 out of 5 stars. Nearly 3,000 customer complaints have been filed with the BBB, with customers citing poor customer support for the company in general, representatives refusing to return phone calls and missing statement credits and miles.
For the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card itself, customers are mostly satisfied with the benefits they get. They only complain about the companion certificate and its restrictions, as well as with the Delta Sky Club® fee of $39 for additional guests.
How to apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card?
Complete the application form with all the required information about your business and any employees who will receive the card.
Review your application and submit it.
You can also apply by phone by calling 1-888-781-6736.
How long will it take to be approved?
The approval is instant if the information you provided is accurate and complete and all of the requirements for the card are met.
How long will it take to get my card?
Upon approval, you’ll receive the card in three to four business days via UPS.
I got the card. Now what?
Use the online management tools. Set up automated payments and account alerts to avoid late payments and to notify you of suspicious activity. Manage your expenses by using the American Express® Business App and transfer your data directly to your QuickBooks account.
Pay on time. Try to make your payments on time, otherwise you’ll pay fees up to $39 and a penalty APR of 29.99% variable.
Contact customer service. Call American Express’s 24/7 customer service line at 1-800-528-4800 if you need a hand. You can also contact customer support by using the online chat feature on its website.
Bottom line
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is a premium SkyMiles® credit card, made for business owners who spend big on Delta flights and want to travel in style.
If you frequently fly on Delta and spend more than $30,000 per year on flights, this could be a useful card for your business. You get perks such as Zone 1 priority boarding, complimentary Delta Sky Club® access, concierge service, first checked bag free for you and up to nine passengers on the same reservation and more.
Yes. Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your new account.
With every dollar spent on Delta purchases, you earn 3 miles. For all other purchases, you earn 1 mile per dollar.
You can pay with miles once you have a minimum of 5,000 miles — $50 in value — for part or for the entire price of an eligible flight. Alternatively, you can visit the Delta SkyMiles® Marketplace and redeem your miles for products or upgrade your seat on a flight.
Yes, you can use your miles on:
Delta
Delta Connection®
Aeroflot
Aerolineas Argentina
Aeromexico
Air France
Alitalia
China Airlines
China Eastern
China Southern
Garuda Indonesia
GOL
Hawaiian Airlines
Jet Airways
KLM
Korean Air
Mandarin Airlines
Middle East Airlines
Saudia
Shanghai Airlines
Tarom Airlines
Vietnam Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Australia
WestJet
Xiamen Airlines
Yes, there is a $550 annual fee.
Disclaimer
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
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