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The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has an offer for 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. The offer will expire on 11/10/2021.
- We value 80,000 bonus SkyMiles to be worth around $960.
- 20,000 MQMs: MQMs are used to qualify towards Delta Medallion status, which include Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. More on this later.
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve is a luxury card designed for loyalists to the airline. If you’re a frequent Delta Air Lines flyer, you’ll love the premium perks this card has to offer. The annual fee is also premium at $550. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
With several Delta-affiliated card offerings from American Express, one big reason to go for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve is free access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner.
If you’re not set on making Delta your primary carrier, consider a general travel rewards or other card instead.
CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is offering 60,000 bonus points (worth up to $1,200 in travel per our valuations). You’ll need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify for the bonus. These 60k points are redeemable for $900 toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
This is a premium travel card with a premium annual fee of $550. But, you’ll receive premium benefits such as 5X points on air travel, 10x points spent on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit, access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select, 3X points on all other travel and dining, and 50% more in travel redemption through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For all other purchases, it’s 1 point per dollar spent.
Other nice features include an application fee credit (up to $100) for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®, and complimentary Lyft Pink and complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. Also, with Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 50% more for existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
You’ll earn Ultimate Rewards points with this card, which can be pooled together with certain other Chase cards. Examples include the Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and all the Chase Ink Business cards. Read more on this here.
80,000 Bonus SkyMiles + 20,000 MQMs Offer
Take advantage of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card’s welcome offer. Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
My valuation puts the 80k SkyMiles alone at around $960. Compare this to other top credit card bonuses here.
Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirement.
What Are Delta SkyMiles Worth?
Like many other airline-branded cards, the value of your miles depends on how you use them. On average, one Delta SkyMile is worth $0.012. That’s slightly above the rewards card average of $0.01 per point.
When you’re ready to redeem your SkyMiles, you have a variety of options, including:
- Flights with Delta
- Flights with partner airlines
- Upgrades
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Vacation packages
- Exclusive experiences
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
- Charity donations
To get the best value for your SkyMiles, use them for award travel with Delta or one of its many partners.
Bottom Line
If you fly Delta Air Lines regularly and relish in VIP treatment, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card will pay for itself. It offers a The Centurion Lounge access.
Can’t see yourself taking advantage of these benefits? Then it might be hard to justify the annual fee. Consider a lower-tier Delta card, or a general travel rewards card, instead.
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Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Disclaimer: These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. It is not the bank advertiser's or any other entity's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.