Is the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card costs $650/yr vs $150/yr for the United Explorer Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $500 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card also lists lounge access, travel credits, dining credits).

Which card earns more rewards, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or United Explorer Card?

Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.

What benefits does the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card have that the United Explorer Card doesn't?

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card offers lounge access, travel credits, dining credits, cell phone protection. The United Explorer Card offers lounge access, travel credits.

Should I get the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or the United Explorer Card?

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the United Explorer Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $650/yr.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card vs United Explorer Card

Annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card $650/yr, United Explorer Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card on everyday spending, United Explorer Card on dining.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card American Express · $650/yr	United Explorer Card Chase · $150/yr
Annual fee	$650	$150 Lowest Waived first year
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	—	Up to 80,000 miles
Rewards	Delta SkyMiles	United MileagePlus
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Network	American Express	Visa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Dining	1x	2x Highest
Hotels	1x	2x Highest
Everything else	1x	1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Travel	$200 Delta stays credit $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck 20% back Delta in-flight · $20 per transaction	$100 United travel $100 JSX flights $100 United Hotels $50 Avis/Budget travel $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS 25% United inflight
Rideshare & transit	$10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly	$5/mo rideshare credit · $5 monthly
Dining & delivery	$20/mo Resy · $20 monthly	$10/mo Instacart+ · $10 monthly 3-mo Instacart+
Perks & access— means none on record
Lounges	Delta Sky Club access with unlimited visits after $75K spend Access to The Centurion® Lounge	2 United Club one-time passes annually
Hotel status & programs	MQD Headstart Access to Complimentary Upgrades MQD Boost	—
Airline perks	Annual First Class or Comfort+ companion certificate First & second bags free (2nd bag domestic only) Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights	Free first checked bag for you plus companion Priority boarding on all United flights
Other perks	Amex Offers 24/7 premium travel assistance with medical transport Early access to concerts and events 24/7 global travel assistance Concierge Services Upgrade Priority Show 1 more No foreign transaction fees	No foreign transaction fees Premier upgrades on award tickets United Card Events from Chase and United MileagePlus Events Earn 10,000-mile award discount after $20K annual spend
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Trip insurance	Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per trip Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 6 hours	Trip cancellation coverage up to $6,000 per trip Trip delay coverage up to $500 per person after 12 hours
Baggage	Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items	Baggage delay coverage up to $100/day for 3 days Lost luggage coverage up to $3,000 per person
Rental car	Hertz President's Circle® Status Car rental insurance up to $75,000	Rental car insurance up to $60,000 coverage
Purchase & returns	Up to $300 per item if merchant won't accept return Purchase protection for new items	Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
Extended warranty	Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty	Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
Cell phone	$800 cell phone protection per claim	—
Other protections	Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges	—
Pros & cons
Pros	15 Delta Sky Club visits a year when flying Delta same-day, with unlimited access after $75,000 in card spend (estimated $600+ annual value) Annual First Class or Comfort+ companion certificate with no spend requirement MQD Headstart ($2,500 a year) plus MQD Boost ($1 Medallion Qualification Dollar per $10 spent) Free first checked bag for cardholder plus up to 8 companions on same reservation; second bag free on domestic flights Boosted upgrade priority to First Class and Delta One	$0 intro annual fee first year, then $150—reasonable for the benefits Free first checked bag for cardholder and companion saves up to $200 roundtrip 3x miles on United, 2x on dining and hotels—solid everyday earning Up to $530+ in annual credits (United travel, hotels, rideshare, Instacart, JSX) 2 United Club one-time passes per year worth $100+
Cons	$650 annual fee is highest among Delta personal cards $175 authorized user fee adds significant cost for family travelers Sky Club access requires same-day Delta flight; no standalone entry Sky Club guest access is limited to four one-time guest passes a year Miles locked to Delta SkyMiles with limited transfer flexibility	Only 1x miles on non-category spend limits earning potential Best credits require hitting $10K-$20K spend thresholds No United Club membership—just 2 single-use passes Priority boarding is Group 2, not as early as premium cards Miles locked to United MileagePlus with limited transfer flexibility
	Card details	Card details

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
American Express · $650/yr
United Explorer Card
Chase · $150/yr

Overview

Annual fee: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$650
United Explorer Card
$150
Lowest
Waived first year
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
—
United Explorer Card
Up to 80,000 miles
Rewards: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles
United Explorer Card
United MileagePlus
Foreign transaction fee: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
None
United Explorer Card
None
Network: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
American Express
United Explorer Card
Visa Signature

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Dining: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Explorer Card
2x
Highest
Hotels: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Explorer Card
2x
Highest
Everything else: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Explorer Card
1x

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Travel: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$200 Delta stays credit
$120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
20% back Delta in-flight · $20 per transaction
United Explorer Card
$100 United travel
$100 JSX flights
$100 United Hotels
$50 Avis/Budget travel
$120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS
25% United inflight
Rideshare & transit: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly
United Explorer Card
$5/mo rideshare credit · $5 monthly
Dining & delivery: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$20/mo Resy · $20 monthly
United Explorer Card
$10/mo Instacart+ · $10 monthly
3-mo Instacart+

Perks & access— means none on record

Lounges: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Delta Sky Club access with unlimited visits after $75K spend
Access to The Centurion® Lounge
United Explorer Card
2 United Club one-time passes annually
Hotel status & programs: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
MQD Headstart
Access to Complimentary Upgrades
MQD Boost
United Explorer Card
—
Airline perks: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Annual First Class or Comfort+ companion certificate
First & second bags free (2nd bag domestic only)
Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
United Explorer Card
Free first checked bag for you plus companion
Priority boarding on all United flights
Other perks: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Amex Offers
24/7 premium travel assistance with medical transport
Early access to concerts and events
24/7 global travel assistance
Concierge Services
Upgrade Priority
Show 1 more
No foreign transaction fees
United Explorer Card
No foreign transaction fees
Premier upgrades on award tickets
United Card Events from Chase and United MileagePlus Events
Earn 10,000-mile award discount after $20K annual spend

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per trip
Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 6 hours
United Explorer Card
Trip cancellation coverage up to $6,000 per trip
Trip delay coverage up to $500 per person after 12 hours
Baggage: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items
United Explorer Card
Baggage delay coverage up to $100/day for 3 days
Lost luggage coverage up to $3,000 per person
Rental car: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Hertz President's Circle® Status
Car rental insurance up to $75,000
United Explorer Card
Rental car insurance up to $60,000 coverage
Purchase & returns: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Up to $300 per item if merchant won't accept return
Purchase protection for new items
United Explorer Card
Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
Extended warranty: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
United Explorer Card
Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
Cell phone: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$800 cell phone protection per claim
United Explorer Card
—
Other protections: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
United Explorer Card
—

Pros & cons

Pros: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
15 Delta Sky Club visits a year when flying Delta same-day, with unlimited access after $75,000 in card spend (estimated $600+ annual value)
Annual First Class or Comfort+ companion certificate with no spend requirement
MQD Headstart ($2,500 a year) plus MQD Boost ($1 Medallion Qualification Dollar per $10 spent)
Free first checked bag for cardholder plus up to 8 companions on same reservation; second bag free on domestic flights
Boosted upgrade priority to First Class and Delta One
United Explorer Card
$0 intro annual fee first year, then $150—reasonable for the benefits
Free first checked bag for cardholder and companion saves up to $200 roundtrip
3x miles on United, 2x on dining and hotels—solid everyday earning
Up to $530+ in annual credits (United travel, hotels, rideshare, Instacart, JSX)
2 United Club one-time passes per year worth $100+
Cons: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$650 annual fee is highest among Delta personal cards
$175 authorized user fee adds significant cost for family travelers
Sky Club access requires same-day Delta flight; no standalone entry
Sky Club guest access is limited to four one-time guest passes a year
Miles locked to Delta SkyMiles with limited transfer flexibility
United Explorer Card
Only 1x miles on non-category spend limits earning potential
Best credits require hitting $10K-$20K spend thresholds
No United Club membership—just 2 single-use passes
Priority boarding is Group 2, not as early as premium cards
Miles locked to United MileagePlus with limited transfer flexibility

Card details

Add a 3rd or 4th card to this comparison →

Category-by-Category Winner

The United Explorer Card wins in 2 of 2 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card leads in 0.

Dining

United Explorer Card earns 2X vs 1X

Hotels

United Explorer Card earns 2X vs 1X

Year One vs Ongoing Value

Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.

Both scenarios favor the United Explorer Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Scenario	Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card	United Explorer Card	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $144 Credits (our usable estimate): $317 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: -$189 Year one: -$189	Rewards: $166 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $198 Year one: $1,188	United Explorer Card	United Explorer Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $317 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: $243 Year one: $243	Rewards: $662 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $694 Year one: $1,684	United Explorer Card	United Explorer Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card costs $650/yr — that's $500 more than the United Explorer Card ($150/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $500 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card includes travel credits, dining credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $500 fee gap for your own usage.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $500 fee gap means the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card needs roughly $500 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on everyday spending and everyday spend.

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the United Explorer Card if you:

+Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out

The Bottom Line

Both scenarios favor the United Explorer Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Published annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card $650/yr, United Explorer Card $150/yr — a $500 difference before welcome offers and credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?: The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card costs $650/yr vs $150/yr for the United Explorer Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $500 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card also lists lounge access, travel credits, dining credits).
Which card earns more rewards, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or United Explorer Card?: Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
What benefits does the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card have that the United Explorer Card doesn't?: The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card offers lounge access, travel credits, dining credits, cell phone protection. The United Explorer Card offers lounge access, travel credits.
Should I get the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or the United Explorer Card?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the United Explorer Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $650/yr.

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Official issuer pages: American Express cards · Chase cards

Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.