ffI

You are welcome

Anyone with a functioning brain and 10 minutes to analyze options
Each person's situation is different - but I am helping the OP with their query and giving food for thought

I am doing a service to anyone who spends on a Delta card - PLEASE DON'T - other than to boost status or for unlimited visits.
For a family of 5 - we have 1 Amex Plat now with 75k spend = 5 people on DL flying with unlimited lounge visits
We have saved 7x695 on closed Reserve cards alone as well as more on multiple Amex cards.
The companies make it hard for you by giving too many options - I have found Ft opinions to be just that but very very useful.

busdriver11

I likely would just keep one Reserve card, for the companion pass and the Skyclub membership. I’d wait to ditch them until the renewal fee posts, and see what sort of mileage/cash they offer you to retain them. Not good enough, that’s what I ditch.

glong989

I am interested in your advice. I spend all my daily spend through the Delta Reserve card currently with my wife also using a secondary card on the account for her spend. We spend $250k-$300k a year on the card. My company would pay for the annual fee of a card so I am not as concerned with that on whatever I switch to. I am Diamond Medallion and had the Reserve card mainly for status boosts, lounge access, discounts/bonus on bookings, etc, but now with the program changes it is not as meaningful and I am thinking a different card(s) setup would be more beneficial. I can extend my status through 2027 currently and could switch back at that time if necessary. What card makes the most sense for me/family now if you are willing to help? I travel a lot for work and need lounge access but other than that open to anyhting. Thanks.

Scudsone

I'm keeping my Amex Reserve card for the companion cert and lounge access, but using it minimally, basically just for spending on Delta, Lyft, and a a few random things. I don't fly often enough to need to spend 75k for the lounge access - we generally take 3 or 4 domestic or Caribbean trips a year, plus 2 or 3 transcon or European or South American trips in D1 or the equivalent on partners (which provide access the card notwithstanding). And we often fly out of JFK which has a Centurion Lounge, so if I think I may run up against the 15 visit limit, I can always go there instead.

Since GUCs and RUCs are increasingly hard to use, and we're in a position that e can just buy F / D1, (especially since almost none of our travel is last minute, so the front of the plane is generally not more than 2x or 3x a MC/C+ ticket) and not the MQMs are gone, we're planning on being free agents for international travel. For domestic, DL still makes the most sense for the routes we fly, lounge access, etc. but having status with a particular airline does not mean as much if buying business class tickets anyway.

So I've switched my day-to-day spending to a Chase Sapphire Reserve, with the plan that I will move some of those European trips to Star Alliance in the future since the Chase points can be transferred to partners or used for booking at a 1.5x rate. I've used them for hotels in the past, and while it is through their portal which is basically Expedia, I've never had a problem. My wife is getting the Sapphire Preferred, because you can also transfer points to a household member, so we're only paying one high fee but can pool and use the higher reward rate from my card. I already do this with my chase business card (which actually has most of my spend) transferring the points to my person reserve card.

We also looked into the Capital One Venture (I think) since my wife banks with them, and they have similar partnerships and point transfer utopians, but since I already had the Sapphire it didn't make sense to open a third high-fee card.

findark

The baseline non-categorizing spend for someone with assets is generally one of the Cash Rewards cards from Bank of America while holding $100k of assets at BAML. This yields 2.625% cash back on all spend, and is a decent benchmark to compare against.

sydneyracquelle

You might want to put $75k on it for unlimited lounge access and maybe $150k (less your flying MQD) if you want a PM CB.

Adelphos

One comment I would make is that for “everyday spending” (i.e. not travel or dining), the no fee Chase Freedom Unlimited (transfer points to Sapphire Preferred/Reserve) is a better card than either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred because it earns 1.5x on all spend. Similarly, the Capital One Venture (2x on all spending) could be superior for everyday spending if you like their transfer partners.

SuperG1955

I had Business and Personal Reserve with employees and family on the Business. AMEX basically offered zip in retention but I've ALWAYS been able to use the COmpanion cards to cover the card fee and don't anticipate that changing with the very high domestic F fares I'm seeing.

I rolled over 500k MQM and took 5 years of DM. I'll see how much DL flying I do and possible make 2MM.

I had a free AMEX Hilton that I never use and converted that to a first year free, then $95 annual, AMEX Blur Premium Cash Back card. If you can use the categories, it has some nice stuff such as 6% on $12,000 of groceries. There are multiple 1.5% and 2% cash back cards out there and most have categories of 3 - 6% and a first time $250 credit for $2000 in purchases in the first 6 months. 6% on some streaming, 3% back on transit includes taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more. I'm not schilling but I don't see it mentioned and it has some nice goodies.

ffI

That is a first!
btw, welcome to FT!

Ideal for large spend - zero cost annual fee - 95$ less 100$ travel rebate on airfare.
This card is the reason why I consider lost cash from use of another airline card is 2.625c So unbonused spend on Delta cards costs you 2.625c each and you get back 1.2c in value from a Delta mile

If you will use the Delta companion certificate keep the Reserve; if not get an Amex Platinum and spend 75k on it and Downgrade the Reserve card to a Gold card to keep the 15% off

emma dog

An answer is:
Spend on your DL reserve:
If you have more than 28k MQD without CC spend, get the Amex PLT card and spend $75k or more on it... otherwise:

280,000- $75,000 card spend(unlimited club access) + (Your MQD*10) = Total remaining card spend (if positive)

Remaining card spend: put either on your wife's card if status independent of you matters. Otherwise, put the spend on another card like the CSR where you can get points that are transferrable or can be cash back, or just go straight cash back.

sydneyracquelle

MQD. Not MQM.

emma dog

You’re right. It’s a long Monday.

MSPeconomist

Don't forget the MQDs we get just for having a Reserve card.

ffI

This is good after 2027 when glong989's DM status extension expires. It is a waste today.
For now BofA Cash back gets 5k a year for 200k spend
- if glong989 puts rest 75k on Amex Plat - give lounge -DL+Centurion for his family
After 2027 - 250k on DR to get MQD (+2.5 from Card + flying) - rest on cash back or Capital One (buying at 1.31c ecah)

glong989

If I paid a card fee in January for the DL Reserve and wanted to cancel it and switch to AMEX Platinum does anyone know if AMEX would be amenable to applying that Reserve fee to the Platinum or would I be stuck with two fees for 2024?