@K-in-Boston wrote:
@FinStar wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@FinStar, question for you on all this:
You’re closer to baller status than most on here, so I’m curious on your choice of Delta Plat instead of Reserve? I doubt the AF is all that much of a deal-killer, even though $450 just to have a card is significant ($450 is still $450). Is there a particular reason you opted for Plat over Reserve?Hahaha I honestly don't consider myself baller status
, but a good question.
As far as my choices on those two? Well, from recalling some of the key points that @K-in-Boston had shared a while back, the reason the Delta Platinum was a better fit (at this point) than the Reserve was because I already have the Ameriprise Platinum ($550 AF) which essentially has the Global Lounge Collection and covers Delta Sky Club lounges, so it would seem like a bit of duplication of those benefits. That said, I did consider the Reserve initially until I did some more analysis on its overall value and my present line up.
Overall, I tend to pay a little over $4K (give or take) in AFs
With Chase/JPM, Citi, AmEx, Barclays and Diners Club being the main fee drivers. But, the perks, intangibles and ROI are definitely pretty good!
If one already has an Amex Platinum card, these are the only reasons to get Delta Reserve over SkyMiles Platinum:
- Upgrade Priority for Medallion members over those with the same status level and fare code. (Example: 2 Gold Medallions are both flying in Main Cabin with a K class economy fare, but one has the Reserve card and the other does not. The GM with the card will get the upgrade first.)
- Mileage Boost. The Platinum offers 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs when you hit $25k in spend (and again at $50k). Reserve offers 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs when you hit $30k in spend (and again at $60k, with targeted offers appearing fairly often for another 15/15 if you spend $90k). Other than targeted offers (like the spend $1000 at Delta and get $200 back), there's rarely a reason to actually put airfare on this card, but if status is important and/or you know that you will be using your miles toward a very high return award fare you can think of Reserve as being essentially 1.5 miles per dollar as long as you're doing it in $30k increments.
- Domestic Companion Ticket awarded upon each renewal. Platinum SkyMiles card is Main Cabin only. Reserve is Main, Comfort+, or First (which typically includes routes with Delta One). For either of these cards, this perk alone should more than offset the entire annual fee, unless you decide to use it for a bonehead redemption like LAX-SAN or BOS-LGA.
Of course many more perks offered by both cards, but these are how the two are different from each other. If someone doesn't have the Amex Platinum card, then the Reserve can of course make sense since it gives SkyClub access as well as the ability to buy guest passes for $29 (the latter is shared by SkyMiles Gold and Platinum cards as well as Amex Platinum cards).
Thanks, great info - good to know!