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

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card costs $650/yr vs $350/yr for the United Quest Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $300 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 Quest 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 Quest Card doesn't?

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

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

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the United Quest Card has a lower $350/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 Quest Card

Annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card $650/yr, United Quest Card $350/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card on everyday spending, United Quest Card on hotels.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card American Express · $650/yr	United Quest Card Chase · $350/yr
Annual fee	$650	$350 Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	—	Up to 90,000 miles
Rewards	Delta SkyMiles	United MileagePlus
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Network	American Express	Visa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Dining	1x	2x Highest
Streaming	1x	2x Highest
Travel	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	$200 United travel $150 Renowned Hotels $80 Avis/Budget travel $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS 25% United inflight $150/yr JSX credit
Rideshare & transit	$10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly	$100/yr rideshare · $8 monthly
Dining & delivery	$20/mo Resy · $20 monthly	$15/mo Instacart+ · $15 monthly 3 months Instacart+
Perks & access— means none on record
Lounges	Delta Sky Club access with unlimited visits after $75K spend Access to The Centurion® Lounge	—
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	Annual 10,000-mile award flight discount Free first and second checked bags for you plus companion 2 Economy Plus upgrades after $40K annual spend 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 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	Primary rental car insurance up to $60,000
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	Two free checked bags for cardholder plus companion (up to $440 per roundtrip) $200 annual TravelBank credit effectively reduces fee to $150 $180/year in Instacart credits ($15/month through 2027) 10,000-mile award discount annually plus another 10K after $20K spend Earns 1 PQP per $20 spent (up to 18,000 PQP/year) plus 1,000 bonus PQPs
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	$350 annual fee is substantial without lounge access TravelBank credits only work on United/United Express flights PQP earning cap of 18,000 limits status acceleration potential 2x on non-United travel is lower than some competitors Instacart credits expire December 2027
	Card details	Card details

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
American Express · $650/yr
United Quest Card
Chase · $350/yr

Overview

Annual fee: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$650
United Quest Card
$350
Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
—
United Quest Card
Up to 90,000 miles
Rewards: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles
United Quest Card
United MileagePlus
Foreign transaction fee: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
None
United Quest Card
None
Network: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
American Express
United Quest Card
Visa Signature

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Dining: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Quest Card
2x
Highest
Streaming: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Quest Card
2x
Highest
Travel: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Quest Card
2x
Highest
Everything else: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
1x
United Quest 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 Quest Card
$200 United travel
$150 Renowned Hotels
$80 Avis/Budget travel
$120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS
25% United inflight
$150/yr JSX credit
Rideshare & transit: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly
United Quest Card
$100/yr rideshare · $8 monthly
Dining & delivery: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$20/mo Resy · $20 monthly
United Quest Card
$15/mo Instacart+ · $15 monthly
3 months 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 Quest Card
—
Hotel status & programs: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
MQD Headstart
Access to Complimentary Upgrades
MQD Boost
United Quest 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 Quest Card
Annual 10,000-mile award flight discount
Free first and second checked bags for you plus companion
2 Economy Plus upgrades after $40K annual spend
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 Quest Card
No foreign transaction fees
Premier upgrades on award tickets
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 Quest 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 Quest 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 Quest Card
Primary rental car insurance up to $60,000
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 Quest 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 Quest Card
Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
Cell phone: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
$800 cell phone protection per claim
United Quest Card
—
Other protections: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
United Quest 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 Quest Card
Two free checked bags for cardholder plus companion (up to $440 per roundtrip)
$200 annual TravelBank credit effectively reduces fee to $150
$180/year in Instacart credits ($15/month through 2027)
10,000-mile award discount annually plus another 10K after $20K spend
Earns 1 PQP per $20 spent (up to 18,000 PQP/year) plus 1,000 bonus PQPs
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 Quest Card
$350 annual fee is substantial without lounge access
TravelBank credits only work on United/United Express flights
PQP earning cap of 18,000 limits status acceleration potential
2x on non-United travel is lower than some competitors
Instacart credits expire December 2027

Card details

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

Category-by-Category Winner

The United Quest Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card leads in 0. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.

Dining

United Quest Card earns 2X vs 1X

Streaming

United Quest Card earns 2X vs 1X

Travel

United Quest Card earns 2X vs 1X

Hotels

Depends: via Chase Travel

United Quest Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)

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 Quest Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Scenario	Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card	United Quest 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: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $437 − Annual fee ($350) Ongoing: $267 Year one: $1,227	United Quest Card	United Quest Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $317 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: $243 Year one: $243	Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $437 − Annual fee ($350) Ongoing: $807 Year one: $1,767	United Quest Card	United Quest Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card costs $650/yr — that's $300 more than the United Quest Card ($350/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $300 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 $300 fee gap for your own usage.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $300 fee gap means the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card needs roughly $300 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on everyday spending and everyday spend.

What You Give Up

Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.

Choosing United Quest Card means losing:

-Airport lounge access

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card if you:

+Fly frequently and value airport lounge access

Get the United Quest Card if you:

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

The Bottom Line

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

Published annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card $650/yr, United Quest Card $350/yr — a $300 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 $350/yr for the United Quest Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $300 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 Quest 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 Quest Card doesn't?: The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card offers lounge access, travel credits, dining credits, cell phone protection. The United Quest Card offers travel credits.
Should I get the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or the United Quest Card?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the United Quest Card has a lower $350/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.