DLERT

A quandary at best with the forth coming changes to the Sky Miles program
to be based on $$$'s spent and not miles.
I have a Delta Reserve AX Card with access to the Sky Club 'BUT' I also have
a LifeTime Skyclub Card so there is no need for the duplication of access.
An AX Platinum card will still grant me access to the Sky Club 'BUT' also
to some other clubs including the AX ones 'BUT' this changes the way miles
or points are accumulated or whatever the negotiable factor is beit in round-to-its etc.

Anyone with a wisdom of thoughts on what to do ???
The $450 fee is the same either way !
The DL Reserve card features a Companion Pass in FC or BE a plus if you
use it. A DL AX Platinum card does the same but the pass is good only in Y
again only if you use it and the fee is just under $200.

Delta and American Express could not have found a more pleasant battle
field to change a well functioning customer loyality program.

SuperG1955

I also have Lifetime Sky Club. I have AMEX Plat with a secondary card for my wife, DL Reserve, and my wife has her own DL Reserve. If you have sufficient spend on the CC's, and I won't get into a discussion of real vs. manufactured spend, we find that the cards not only pay for themselves but actually make sense financially. I also won't get into a side discussion of comparing to cash back cards.

AMEX DL Reserve (cost $450), assuming a 60K spend gives 60K RDM's plus another RDM per $ spent on DL tickets. I value RDM's at $.02 but even at .01 which would be the PWM value, that's $600. Then you'd get 30K MQM towards status. At a value of $0.02 (which would be a great MR number), that's another $600 value. If the companion ticket is usable (usually not for us) there's more value in that. There are other benefits as well that have value. The Preferred Car Insurance at $24.95 per rental (not per day but for the entire rental) is not only inexpensive but if you have a claim, it's $0 deductible and they handle the entire matter so you're not fighting with the car rental company. Having had 2 claims in the last 6-7 years, I put great value on that program. A $25K spend also eliminates the MQD requirement for status.

AMEX Plat (cost $450 + $175 for up to 3 additional card members), again assume a $60K spend gives you 60K MR points. Valued at $.01 for basic use, you can transfer them to DL as RDM's (which I value at $.02). Then $200 back on airline fees (DL change fee as an example), Global Entry worth $20 per year, Priority Pass, SPG Gold, Hertz Gold, National Executive, Avis something and other benefits.

So, to me they both make sense if you can afford them and if you spend enough to get the value back.

Just be careful since you can become a CC Junkie and a Status Junkie. You've got to do what's right for you.

As always - YMMV.

jdrtravel

Am I missing something? I really see no reason to have both the Amex Platinum and the DL Reserve when you could have the Amex platinum + DL Amex platinum for much lower fees. I have these two cards....The Amex Plat. gets access to sky club and everything mentioned above and is the same fee as the reserve. They also have a premium class companion ticket program.

The Delta branded Plat. amex card gets the Sky Miles benefits that I need, such as the MQD waiver, bonus miles and MQM spending bonus, etc. 50K spend on the Delta Amex Plat gets 20K MQM's. Also, I've been able to use the Y companion pass every year, which always more than pays for the card (used it on tickets worth over $400). This card is a $195 annual fee and additional cards are free.

You also have access to the Amex premium car rental insurance that is mentioned above on either card.

The only real tangible benefit that I see to the reserve card when you already have a non-delta Amex Plat is being slightly higher on the upgrade list, and perhaps its easier to use the first class companion program. Save your money and downgrade the reserve to the delta branded platinum amex.

Profchemnerd

However, if you do plan to spend more than $60k on the DL card, you're getting 10,000 MQM and 10,000 RDM extra bonus with reserve vs plat (30,000 vs 20,000), so 2.5 cpm.

jdrtravel

good point.

javabytes

The only reasons the have the Reserve card are if you spend heavily and want the extra MQMs, or if you want the companion cert for first class tickets. Otherwise the Amex Platinum card is hard to beat.

jtrue28

The Reserve also allows you to "gift" the MQMs to anyone with a SM account. So if you fly a lot, but your SO doesn't, than giving them the MQMs to bump them up a notch can be seen as a benefit.

It really is YMMV in this type of decision. There are way too many variables.

Profchemnerd

One other thing to think about with DL reserve is that you can get a reserve card for your additional cardholder for $175 and while this does not get them the checked bags, zone 1, etc, it does get them SC access. So, with the recent changes to guest access, this is a relatively cheap way to get lounge access for your SO if they travel a lot.

Much of my travel is booked through the institutes that are hosting me, and doesn't count towards MQD. Thus, I am a slave to the DL card to get the MQD waiver, but I can see the appeal of the Amex plat (hello, Centurion lounge!) if you don't have to worry about MQD.

MSPeconomist

Given the duplication of benefits, it's disappointing that AmEx won't give discounted fees for people who carry both AmEx Plat (which also gives you PTS and FHR, benefits that I find very worthwhile from time to time) and the Reserve card (which IMO is about the extra MQMs and slightly higher upgrade priority).

MSPeconomist

For anyone stuck at CDG T2 tonight, the wonderful Sheraton in the terminal is selling rooms from 189 Euro nonrefundable or 233 Euro for their AAA and AARP rates. There's a government rate of 270. There's lots of availability for double, king, or two single beds as well as club level. Note that the hotel has smoking and nonsmoking rooms.

DL elites get crossover benefits.

BusTrav8yrs

Well only domestic BE, can't be used for International, Caribeaan or Hawaii. And finding inventory can be a challenge as there is a special hidden "bucket" that has to be available on the flight you want.

There is the increase in Upgrade priority as well but I consider it a non-benefit and I have never been able to definitely say I got an UG because of it. I have missed with the card as a DM on a B fare.

And the SC access is only DL, can't get into any other airline lounges with it.

I am on the fence about keeping the card. I am going to be double Diamond in a couple of weeks so the only value from me is the 25K spend waiver, but I don't really want to switch to another card just yet.

javabytes

You can get not one but three additional cardmembers on the plain old Amex Plat for that price, all of whom then get SC access.

jtrue28

Yeah, if you need MQMs, go Reserve. If you just want SC access, do the AMEX Plat. Problem solved.

RupertPumpkin

One thing to add - I too have both Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum cards now. (I had the Platinum first)

I had read online to ask to "link" the accounts, because doing so would reduce my annual fee. So when I upgraded to the Delta Reserve from Delta Gold, I asked the rep handling my upgrade to link the accounts and she apparently knew the term and reduced my annual fee from 450 to 395 on the Reserve. Not much, but I'll take it. I only keep the Reserve because of the MQM boost and MQD waiver.

nichojo

The other big question - how much more often does one get upgraded as a DL Platinum with the AMEX DL Reserve out of a hub city?