Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card Review: A Wealth of Features for Frequent Flyers

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has a massive lineup of features for a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees). You get complimentary access to airport lounges, a free checked bag, and much more (terms apply, select enrollment required).

American Express also offers useful tools to help you manage business spending. Read our detailed Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card review to find out if you should apply.

This card is a good fit for: Business owners with high travel spending who fly with Delta Air Lines several times a year. Those who spend a lot of time at the airport will appreciate this card's excellent lounge access.

Top perks

You won't find many top credit cards with more to offer than the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card.

Welcome offer

Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.

LEARN MORE: Best Sign-Up Bonus Credit Cards

Up to 3 miles per $1

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card earns:

• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
• 1.5 miles per $1 for every purchase after you spend $150,000 on your Card within a calendar year
• 1 mile per $1 on other eligible purchases
• Terms apply

Airport lounge access

With this card, you receive complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs and two Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year for someone traveling with you. You and your guests must be flying with Delta to use this benefit, and terms apply.

When you purchase a Delta flight with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, you also receive complimentary access to the American Express Centurion Lounge and Escape Lounge programs. There aren't many cards that offer access to more types of airport lounge.

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Companion certificate

Each card membership year, upon renewal of this card, you receive a Delta SkyMiles Companion Certificate valid for a round-trip domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin flight. Payment of no more than $80 for flight fees is required, and terms apply.

If you often have someone traveling with you, a companion certificate can be extremely valuable. Depending on the cabin you choose and the cost of the flight, you can easily save $500 or more with a companion certificate.

Free checked bag

You and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation can check one bag free of charge. The first checked bag normally costs $30 per segment with Delta, so this could save you $60 per round-trip flight. Many airline credit cards have this perk, and it's a must if you usually check a bag when you fly. Terms apply.

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Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit

This Delta card covers your membership fee with either Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85). You can use your statement credit every four years with Global Entry, or every 4.5 years with TSA PreCheck. Terms apply, select enrollment required.

Global Entry can cut your wait time at U.S. customs when returning to the country. TSA PreCheck allows you to go through expedited security lanes at many U.S. airports. While both programs have their benefits, Global Entry includes a TSA PreCheck membership, so it's the clear choice.

LEARN MORE: TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR: Which Program Is the Best?

Priority boarding

As a cardholder, you can board your flight when Main Cabin 1 priority boarding is called. Up to eight travel companions on the same reservation can board with you.

Complimentary upgrades

If you don't have Medallion status, you're added to the complimentary upgrade list after Medallion members. If you're already a Medallion member, you have priority over other passengers within the same Medallion tier and fare class grouping.

20% back on in-flight purchases

This card offers 20% back as a statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases, including food, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets. To receive the credit, you must pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. Terms apply.

Employee cards

You can request employee cards so that you earn miles on your employees' company spending. American Express also lets you set spending limits on employee cards -- a valuable extra for any business credit card. Terms apply.

SEE MORE: Best Business Credit Cards

Travel and purchase protections

American Express has always stood out as a card issuer for its robust travel and purchase protections. This Delta card offers:

• Trip delay insurance*
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance**
• Baggage insurance***
• Car rental loss and damage insurance****
• Extended warranty*****
• Purchase protection******
• Cellphone protection*******
• Terms apply

Concierge service

If you need assistance such as getting dinner reservations or finding event tickets, this card offers a concierge service.

No foreign transaction fee

Travel cards typically don't charge you anything extra on international transactions. That's the case with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, which doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee (see rates and fees).

SEE MORE: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

What could be improved

Although the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card offers a ton of benefits, it also has some flaws.

Annual fee

This is the most expensive Delta business card, with a $550 annual fee. While that's pretty high, you could easily get thousands of dollars in value from this card's features.

Delta Sky Club membership can currently be purchased for a one-year rate of $695. You're effectively getting that, plus access to other airport lounges, just for having this Delta card. The companion certificate can also potentially outweigh the annual fee, depending on how you use it. And that's just touching on the benefits.

If you can take advantage of this card's features, you won't have any trouble getting your money's worth. If you're not sure, there are also less expensive Delta cards available. It may be worth looking at more credit card reviews to see what else is out there.

COMPARE TOP PICKS: Best Delta Credit Cards

Bonus categories

There aren't many bonus categories on the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. The rewards program is not bad, but for a high-end card, it's not exactly great, either. Many rewards credit cards, especially cards in this annual fee range, offer much more lucrative rewards programs.

SEE MORE OPTIONS: Best Rewards Credit Cards

A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. Successful applicants usually have credit scores in the good to excellent credit ranges.

American Express takes a variety of factors into account, and your credit score isn't the only thing that matters. It is, however, one of the most important.

IMPROVE YOUR ODDS: How to Increase Your Credit Score

In terms of benefits, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has practically everything you could want from an airline credit card. If you can use those benefits, this card is a great deal. Here are a few signs this is the right card for you and your business:

• You fly with Delta at least four or five times per year.
• You want access to Delta Sky Clubs.
• You often have one or more travel companions and could make use of a companion pass.

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Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.