The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business Credit Card Review

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business offers Delta’s top-tier cardholder experience. You’ll gain access to Delta Sky Clubs and earn a Delta Companion certificate, but you’ll also earn valuable SkyMiles for every dollar you invest in your business.

You’ll start off your Delta Reserve Business Credit card membership with an opportunity to earn a generous welcome bonus.

You can earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.

But the bonuses don’t end there—additionally, you’ll have access to Status Boost™, meaning you can also earn MQMs after you meet spending thresholds, getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn toward flights.

As for sustained rewards, the Delta Reserve Credit Card will allow you to earn at the following rates:

• 3x miles per dollar on all eligible Delta purchases
• After you spend $150,000 on your Card in a calendar year, you earn 1.5 Miles per dollar (that’s an extra half mile per dollar) on eligible purchases the rest of the year. Eligible purchases after spending $150,000 do not include Delta purchases.

While the Delta Reserve can offer up generous bonuses and luxury travel perks, its sustained rewards program isn’t the most lucrative on the market. As such, if you’re looking for more long-lasting travel rewards, you might want to look beyond the Delta Reserve Business Credit Card.

Admittedly, the annual fee attached to the Delta Reserve Business Credit Card is a bit steep.

At $550 per year, the Delta Reserve Business might not be a feasible option for some business owners.

That said, the Delta Reserve Business Credit card won’t charge you for processing foreign transaction fees or for attaching employee cards to your account. Plus, if you’re the right kind of spender, the bonuses and perks that you have the opportunity to access through this card can more than make up for this annual fee.

• You’re a Delta frequent flyer who wants the most airline-specific luxury travel perks available.
• You’re not afraid of a hefty annual fee of $550.

• You’re looking for more modest Delta perks and rewards.
• You’re looking for more general travel rewards.
• You don’t want to pay an annual fee.

Beyond the spending rewards that come with the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card, you’ll be able to access some of the best travel perks available from an airline-specific business credit card.

With the Delta Reserve, cardholders will be able to access a long list of travel perks that will include:

• Priority boarding for all Delta flights
• Delta Sky Club access
• First bag checked for free

Put simply, if you’re flying with Delta with a Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card in your wallet, it will be a luxury travel experience.

If you’re a Delta frequent flyer, then the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Cards offers one of the very best welcome bonuses out there for you. You can earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.

These bonus miles will be redeemable for Delta travel, and the MQMs will get you that much closer to becoming a Delta Medallion Member.

Unlike most business credit cards, the Delta Reserve Business Credit Card won’t limit its bonuses to your first few months as a cardholder.

In fact, with a given amount of spending, you’ll be able to access bonuses every calendar year through the Delta Reserve Business. You’ll have access to Status Boost™, meaning you can earn Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you meet spending thresholds. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn toward flights.

So, if your business spends the requirement each year, then you’ve got a guaranteed annual bonus to count on with the Delta Reserve Business Credit Card.

Another notable upside to choosing the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card?

The yearly companion certificate you’ll be able to receive for every year you renew your card.

Each account anniversary that you continue as a Delta Reserve for Business cardholder, you’ll receive a companion certificate that will allow you to access a second seat for a domestic first class or Delta Comfort round trip flight.

Depending on how you redeem this companion certificate, you could more than make up for the Delta Reserve for Business’s annual fee in one fell swoop.

First and foremost, no matter how you look at it, a $550 annual fee can stop even the most travel-savvy business owner in their tracks.

Though Delta Reserve Business Credit Card will easily pay for itself with its multiple bonuses and travel perks, it’s not guaranteed to do so.

And even if this card ends up paying for itself, shelling out a lump sum of $550 a year is often simply not a reality for many small business owners.

All in all, the steep annual fee should certainly make you think twice about choosing the Delta Reserve for your business’s spending.

Though it might go without saying, the fact that the Delta Reserve for Business’s rewards and perks are airline-specific and limited merits some extra focus.

Though you’ll be able to access top-of-the-line rewards and perks—like early boarding, free bag checking, and Sky Club access—you’ll be tied to Delta with the Delta Reserve Business Credit Card.

This means that Delta will have to compete for your business with a lot less fervor. For instance, let’s say another airline offers a way better flight deal than Delta does for your required destination. If you’re a Delta Reserve Business cardholder, you’re likely to still opt for Delta’s flight, because it will allow you all of the perks you’ve become accustomed to, along with the possibility of paying with miles.