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Does it make sense to have both an Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve?

Does it make sense to have both an Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve?

Old Feb 10, 2019, 4:38 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: May 2011
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Does it make sense to have both an Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve?

i currently have the double platinum (Amex Platinum + Delta Platinum) combo. I plan to spend 25,000 on the Delta Plat for $10,000 MQM this year. However, I was wondering if it made more sense to apply for Delta Reserve and get the 10,000 MQM via sign up bonus with much less spend. Then I would figure out what to do with the cards after:

The issue is that I struggle do see the point of the Reserve if I am already going to have the Amex platinum (which I am as I get use out of the Uber, Saks and Travel credits). I put any non-business airline spend on the Amex Platinum, and I can get the MQM bonus via the Delta Platinum. The only advantages of rhe Reserve seem to be the first class companion ticket and higher upgrade priority. Not sure if those are worth the additional annual fee over the Delta Plat.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 4:59 pm
  #2  
 
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Only makes sense if you can get enough value from the companion F ticket benefit in my opinion.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 5:56 pm
  #3  
 
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I dumped my DL card but rarely fly on DL and when I do usually paid biz.
Same issue with SPG biz (not trying to hijack) but I will keep it as fee covers free hotel which is worth more in cities I go.
Therefore you just need to see fee v any benefit you get.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 6:38 pm
  #4  
 
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For you, it sounds marginal at best. For those of us who fly DL exclusively and who do a lot of AX spend, it makes perfect sense. Personally, I have four qualifying DLAX cards -- two Reserve and two DLAX Platinums (one personal, one business for each). That nets me 100K bonus MQMs, 100K bonus RDMs, two F companion tickets, and two Y companion tickets, plus 2x free guest Sky Club access for each of my wife and myself, so six of us can get into the SC. I gift the 60K AXR MQMs to my wife so she can easily sustain Diamond. Then there's the UG tie-breaker, which is of relatively little benefit to us.

The four tickets, MQM boosts, and other knick-knacks make the $1500 in annual fees worth it... for us.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 7:40 pm
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by Air Houston
Only makes sense if you can get enough value from the companion F ticket benefit in my opinion.
That's my assessment too.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 9:38 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
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There are often unpublished upgrade offers to Reserve from Platinum (not a new account...usually 5K MQMs/RDMs). Check those out before signing up for a new card.
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Old Feb 12, 2019, 5:04 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
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I have both. I travel on a mix of confirmed and standby tickets. Even through I get complimentary entry on a confirmed ticket I've never been able to get into the lounge on a standby ticket with the Amex Platinum.

For the times that I spend on standby tickets it's worth it for me to be able to get into the lounge.

Unless you're chasing status and need the MQMs, You're probably fine with just the Amex Plat.
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Old Feb 12, 2019, 5:23 am
  #8  
 
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I have the DL Reserve and Amex Platinum and have had both for years. It works for me because:
  • 30k MQM boost every year (I spend the 60k and then don’t use the card after that)
  • I’ve always made good use of the free first class companion ticket, normally on a transcon, you just have to sometimes be flexible with your routing
  • Amex Plat has huge benefits if you travel frequently, and I do. The $200 airline credit cuts the cost of the card almost in half. Centurion lounges, fine hotels, etc.
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Old Feb 12, 2019, 9:08 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
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I have the Amex Platinum and DL Reserve for a little over a year now(Previously had the DL Platinum AMEX) Works for me because:
  • 15K MQM Boost
  • First Class companion ticket(Can get great value on DCA D1 flights)
  • Amex Platinum for Centurion, Escape and Uber credits. Saks and Airfare credits are gravy.
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Last edited by DCFinanceinFlight; Feb 12, 2019 at 9:14 am
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Old Jul 22, 2019, 10:17 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
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Just got the Reserve upgrade option from the Platinum- I just hit the 25k spend for 10KMQM's on the platinum card. Lounge access would be cool but the rest of the family still would need to pony up $29 each- Any believability to the line item that states the reserve card would leap-frog like for like medallion members who dont have the card on upgrades ?

195 fee vs 450 on the reserve- Both come with companion fares- Anything else to consider that would make the reserve really worth it ?
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Old Jul 22, 2019, 10:34 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by Nw_Adventure
Just got the Reserve upgrade option from the Platinum- I just hit the 25k spend for 10KMQM's on the platinum card. Lounge access would be cool but the rest of the family still would need to pony up $29 each- Any believability to the line item that states the reserve card would leap-frog like for like medallion members who dont have the card on upgrades ?

195 fee vs 450 on the reserve- Both come with companion fares- Anything else to consider that would make the reserve really worth it ?
The Reserve card is only an upgrade factor after Medallion Status level and fare class. You will only "leap frog" over someone who has the same status level and fare class as you (and who doesn't hold a Reserve card) on the upgrade list. So, in practice, it probably rarely makes a difference. Delta publishes the upgrade priority factors on this page --

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...es.html/#clear
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Old Jul 22, 2019, 10:49 am
  #12  
 
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So moving back to the card question- Anyone think its worth the extra $250 for the reserve card ?
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Old Jul 22, 2019, 11:35 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by Nw_Adventure
195 fee vs 450 on the reserve- Both come with companion fares- Anything else to consider that would make the reserve really worth it ?
The Reserve companion cert is good for F - to me that's a huge difference.
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Old Jul 22, 2019, 11:55 am
  #14  
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Well I now have the Reserve, so I will see how it goes over the next couple of years
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Old Jul 22, 2019, 12:38 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by Nw_Adventure
Just got the Reserve upgrade option from the Platinum- I just hit the 25k spend for 10KMQM's on the platinum card. Lounge access would be cool but the rest of the family still would need to pony up $29 each- Any believability to the line item that states the reserve card would leap-frog like for like medallion members who dont have the card on upgrades ?

195 fee vs 450 on the reserve- Both come with companion fares- Anything else to consider that would make the reserve really worth it ?
I just received an offer to upgrade from Plat to Reserve. I do find the benefits worth upgrading. Having said that...
  • 3 months ago, I had a DL Amex Gold
  • I accepted an offer in May to upgrade from Gold to Platinum with a MQM and RDM (I think it was 10K+10K @ $25k spend plus a 15k RDM for $1k in 3 months bonus).
  • I met the $1k and received the 15k RDM bonus the same week that I upgraded.
  • The Platinum boost of 10k MQM and 10k RDM posted end of June (I crossed the $25k YTD spend threshold during that month, posted on statement date).
  • The new offer to upgrade to the Reserve had 15k MQM +15k RDM boosts @ $30k spend plus a 35k RDM @ 3k in 3 months bonus...
  • I accepted that offer last Thursday (was slightly over $30k for the year already at that point)
  • As of today, I'm at about $35k in spend YTD. I would expect the "boost" earned for Reserve to post when my statement cuts at the end of the month...
  • With normal spending, I'll pass the $3k in 3 months in a couple weeks to receive the Reserve upgrade bonus of either 35k RDM or the difference between the Platinum bonus and the Reserve bonus of 20k RDM.
I'm curious if I'll get the entire offered amount (15+15+35) for the second upgrade or just the difference between the new upgrade offer and the Platinum boost I received last month (5+5+15)... Any similar experiences, where back to back upgrade offers moved you twice in a short period and you'd already hit the spend targets?

Note: I understand there's a $60k spend target to hit, but I think it logical to assume that'll only net me the second boost as a reserve (as I won't have a platinum card at that point).
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