BusTrav8yrs

I am on the fence with that one. I have the Reserve card and while getting the MQM's does make it easier to attain status it's not a big enough incentinve for the price.

I admit I didn't read the fine print when I signed up for the card, did not know the upgrade priority was within fare class. With DM the Sky Club access means nothing and that free first class companion ticket is a joke, can't find decent flights and you pay more for the first ticket anyway.

So it's just the MQM's and an intangible upgrade priority for 450/yr. You still have to spend 60K of your own money to get it which in this economy is not easy.

Now if the upgrade priority was DM Reserve by fare class then DM w/o Reserve by fare class then ^^^ that would be a good benefit.

mooper

I've had luck using mine for small-market-to-small-market flights that are on RJs (where neither upgrades nor miles earned for my companion matter much). The past couple of years, I've used them for flights ~$400 that I would have had to purchase anyway, pretty much justifying the annual fee of the card alone.

Seabilly

Just a point of clarification. I originally believed you could only use the companion tickets for first class but based on the certificate I got a couple months ago, you don't have to fly first, you just have that option.

"Companion certificate is valid for one round-trip First-Class or Coach-Class companion ticket with the purchase of certain adult round-trip fares on published routings within the 48 contiguous United States."

"Booking Class Seats are limited in First-Class to A, D class of service, and in Coach-Class to L, U, T class of service."

MegatopLover

Does anyone have the full T&C for the DL Amex Reserve companion certificate?

A DL agent I spoke to on the phone after giving my current certificate number to gave me some interesting but also somewhat confusing information. To use the domestic companion in First or Business, seats in fare bucket A or D must be available. But if tix in that cabin are being offered in another fare class (presumably lower, such as S or I) then you may be able buy the revenue seat in that fare class and claim an available A or D seat for the companion.

I'm also confused as to where P fares fit into the heirarchy.

For example, looking at ATL-SFO r/t tix, I'm seeing P fares and D fares at the same price on the same day, for respectively regular domestic (e.g., DL 2349) and international-flight-number-continuation domestic (e.g., DL 115) flights. The D obviously qualifies for using the companion ticket. Will the P fares too?

Are these companion certificates bookable online now? Or do we still need to call in.

This is my first year using a Reserve companion cert, hence my uncertainty with the process.

DCAproducer

I have both the Amex Plat and DL Reserve and both have their advantages.

First off, for the Reserve, the MQM's, especially the 40k you can get your first year is a big plus. I'm about to hit GM as soon as my MQM's post to my account, but as a SM I can definitely say the Reserve card probably helped me edge out other SM for upgrades. My business partner is GM and his reserve card has definitely helped him edge out other GM for UG as well. (We are not flying on Y/B/M fares) If you don't want the MQM's, this is not the card for you.

This is an unfair analysis of the Amex Platinum card. First off, just this morning I had the Platinum Concierge price out a BE ticket to Europe using the free companion ticket. It would have ended up costing $1100 more to use this perk than to buy (2) restricted fare business tickets. With that said, the Amex deal was for (2) fully refundable/unrestricted tickets. That's not too shabby. Depending on the dates, the Amex free companion ticket wasn't much more than the DL P/J fares.

Second, the concierge can be incredibly helpful if you actually call and take advantage of their services. I was traveling to Phoenix in March and I found out while sitting in the DL SC (between flights) that I was going to need a rental car when I arrived. My Plat. Concierge was able to get me a car at half the cost of anything I found online. I was told it was a special Plat. Amex rate. Even the guy at the Avis counter was shocked when I picked up the car. The Amex Fine Hotels program is great as well. I used this benefit three times last year. Now, granted, these are not cheap hotels, but they're not all budget busters either. I stayed at The Atlantic in Ft. Lauderdale last spring at the Amex rate of $249/night. The Fine Hotels program got me an upgrade to a suite, breakfast for two each morning, and a $100 spa credit.

The $200 incidentals also work for food on board and a few other things, not just baggage.

I think people forget that just because you get a Platinum Amex doesn't mean everything's free. The card has perks, but many you have to pay for.

aubreyfromwheaton

Has the Reserve UG priority ever been field tested rigorously?

Does anyone know if it trumps nonReserves ever?

I mean the website says it goes by type of medallion, then fare class and then when you booked the ticket.

So when exactly would Reserve trump? 2 tickets are never purchased at the same time.

mlad1101

If someone is the same medallion level and has same fare class booked, you get the upgrade before them if you have Reserve and they don't.

CloudyBay

I was told last week by AmEx customer service that foreign exchange fees were now waived for the Reserve. Is that not true?

Renes Points

not as of this month and last. this would be nice since i pay $450 fee each year already!

goodandclassy

it's purely anecdotal, but on the few jfk-sfo/lax runs i did before and after the reserve (same days, same times, same fare classes), i moved up the list by a few spots... so i would go for, example, from #4-7 as a PM to #2-5... I think i received several upgrades on other flights because of the Reserve card and me being nearer the top of the list...

i haven't seen a big change as a dm, and i've failed to upgrade on Q fares