Delta Platinum Business Card to Delta Reserve Business Card: Key Differences and Benefits

The Delta Platinum Business Card and the Delta Reserve Business Card are two premium credit cards offered by Delta Air Lines. The Delta Reserve Business Card has a higher annual fee than the Delta Platinum Business Card.

One key difference between the two cards is the earning potential. The Delta Reserve Business Card earns 3 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases, while the Delta Platinum Business Card earns 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases.

The Delta Reserve Business Card also offers a higher spending limit than the Delta Platinum Business Card, making it a better option for high-end business travelers.

Both cards offer airport lounge access, but the Delta Reserve Business Card includes access to the Delta Sky Club, while the Delta Platinum Business Card includes access to the Delta Sky Club and other partner lounges.

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Delta Air Lines offers a range of business credit cards, including the Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card, but we're focusing on the Delta Platinum Business Card and the Delta Reserve Business Card.

These two cards are part of Delta's comprehensive credit card portfolio, designed for businesses and frequent flyers.

The Delta Platinum Business Card and the Delta Reserve Business Card are both great options for frequent flyers, but they have some key differences.

The Delta Platinum Business Card has a lower annual fee of $350, compared to the Delta Reserve Business Card's $650 annual fee.

The Delta Reserve Business Card offers a more generous welcome offer, earning 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first six months, compared to the Delta Platinum Business Card's 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000.

Here's a comparison of the two cards' earning rates:

The Delta Platinum Business Card offers a free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions, which can be a big perk for families or groups traveling together.

The Delta Reserve Business Card also offers a free first checked bag, but it's worth noting that both cards have the same baggage policy.

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If you're looking for a companion certificate, the Delta Platinum Business Card offers a domestic, Caribbean or Central American Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year, while the Delta Reserve Business Card offers a domestic, Caribbean or Central American first class, Delta Comfort+ or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year.

The Delta Reserve Business Card also offers a more generous Status Boost, earning 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) for every $10 spent plus 2,500 MQDs toward status qualification, compared to the Delta Platinum Business Card's 1 MQD for every $20 spent plus 2,500 MQDs.

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With the Delta Reserve Business card, you'll get unlimited access to Delta Sky Club when traveling on same-day Delta-marketed flights. However, this benefit is capped at 15 visits annually unless you spend at least $75,000 in the previous calendar year, in which case you'll get unlimited access.

You'll also receive four one-time guest passes for Sky Club, and after that, you'll be charged $50 per person per visit. On the other hand, the Delta Platinum Business card has a more limited Sky Club access policy.

The Delta Reserve Business card offers a better MQD earning rate, with 1 MQD for every $10 spent, while the Delta Platinum Business card earns 1 MQD for every $20 spent.

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Earning miles with Delta credit cards can be a great way to rack up rewards. The Delta Reserve card earns 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.

The Delta Platinum card, on the other hand, offers a wider range of bonus opportunities, including 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and direct hotel purchases, as well as 2 miles per dollar on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.

If you're looking for the best earning potential, the Delta Platinum card is the clear winner, with more bonus categories than the Delta Reserve card.

To give you an idea of the earning potential of each card, here's a comparison of their welcome offers:

These offers can be a great way to get started with earning miles, but be sure to meet the spending requirements to take advantage of them.

You can use your SkyMiles earned from both the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve cards toward travel on Delta flights and that of partner airlines.

Delta uses a dynamic award pricing system, so redemption rates fluctuate greatly.

Award tickets booked and paid for using a Delta cobranded card receive a 15% discount on the mileage cost.

The Delta SkyMiles program still has some sweet spots, including SkyMiles deals that offer impressive discounts on Delta-operated economy flights and even Delta One awards at times.

If you don't have enough miles to pay for your entire flight, you can split your transaction using both miles and a credit card for payment.

You can now use your miles to book your next hotel stay or vacation rental when you book with Delta Stays.

Delta has been expanding its benefits for cardholders, making it even more rewarding to earn and redeem miles.

Cardholders with Delta Reserve and Delta Platinum cards can now use their Companion Certificate to host a friend or family member on a round-flight trip to destinations beyond the 48 U.S. states, including Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

The Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) benefit has also been improved, with cardholders earning $2,500 MQDs at the beginning of each qualifying year. This can be earned with daily spending, with Delta Reserve cards earning 1 MQD for every $10 purchase and Delta Platinum cards earning 1 MQD for every $20 purchase.

New rewards have been added to certain cards, including earning 2 miles per dollar on U.S. shipping for Delta Gold Business cardholders, and earning 1.5 miles per dollar on transit and U.S. shipping purchases for Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express cardholders.

Delta has also introduced new statement credits, offering a variety of flight credits, stays credits, rideshare credits, and Resy credits. For example, cardholders can earn an annual $120 Resy credit spread out over 12 months when making an eligible Resy purchase at a U.S. Resy restaurant.

Here's a breakdown of the new statement credits offered by Delta: