Delta Hikes SkyMiles Fees to $650 as It Rebuilds Amex Cards

Delta is raising prices and reshaping perks on its Delta SkyMiles American Express portfolio in 2025, betting that travelers will still pay more for premium features even as rules for airport lounge access tighten.

The headline change is a higher annual fee on top-tier Amex cards: the Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business will cost $650 a year, up from $550. Mid-tier cards climb as well, with Platinum and Platinum Business moving to $350, and Gold and Gold Business set at $150 after a first‑year $0 introductory period. These updates roll out for renewals and new applications in 2025.

Delta is pairing the fee hikes with a new set of credits—Resy dining, rideshare, and “Delta Stays” for prepaid hotels and vacation rentals on Delta.com—plus an expanded companion certificate** that now includes Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Lounge access changes and spending thresholds

Delta is limiting complimentary Delta Sky Club access starting February 1, 2025.

• Reserve and Reserve Business cardholders will receive 15 visits per year.
  • Each visit allows unlimited re-entry over a 24‑hour period (so a long travel day with connections counts as one visit).
• After the 15‑visit cap, entry costs $50 per visit unless a cardholder meets a $75,000 annual spend threshold, which unlocks unlimited lounge access.
• Lounge memberships remain available to Medallion members for $695 (individual) or $1,495 (executive).

Delta says it is refreshing entry-level products to add more utility and to nudge customers toward higher tiers, while developing an even more premium card above Reserve. The company’s plan is to create five card levels—basic, gold, platinum, reserve, and a new ultra‑premium option—capturing more spending among those who want top‑end travel perks.

Credits, enrollment, and how they’re structured

The 2025 reshuffle follows a clear pattern: higher annual fees offset by more segmented credits that cardholders must enroll in and actively use.

• Reserve cardholders can enroll to receive:
  • Up to $240/year in Resy dining credits
  • $120 in rideshare credits (Uber or Lyft)
  • $150 Delta Stays credit ($200 on Reserve Business)
• Platinum and Platinum Business receive:
  • Up to $120 in Resy dining credits
  • $120 in rideshare credits
  • $150 Delta Stays (personal) or $200 (business)
• Gold and Gold Business:
  • Delta Stays credit: $100 (personal) or $150 (business)
  • $200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in spend
• Enrollment is required for each credit.

The companion certificate on Platinum and Reserve also expands to cover select round‑trip itineraries to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Welcome offers and bonus deadlines

Welcome offers for 2025 (spend thresholds are within six months):

• Reserve: 125,000 miles after $6,000 in purchases (offer ends October 29, 2025)
• Platinum: 90,000 miles after $4,000 (offer ends October 29, 2025)
• Gold: 80,000 miles after $2,000
• Blue: 10,000 miles after $1,000

These higher welcome bonuses are time‑limited for Reserve and Platinum and aim to offset first‑year costs for applicants who can meet the spending windows.

Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) changes

Delta is rewarding card spend toward elite status:

• Cardholders receive a $2,500 MQD headstart each year.
• Earn rate by card:
  • Reserve: $1 MQD per $10 in eligible purchases
  • Platinum: $1 MQD per $20 in eligible purchases

This makes elite status more reachable for people who channel large expenses through card spend rather than flying alone.

Policy changes overview (quick reference)

• Annual fees effective in 2025:
  • Reserve / Reserve Business: $650 (from $550)
  • Platinum / Platinum Business: $350 (from $250)
  • Gold / Gold Business: $150 after first‑year $0 intro (from $99)
• New credits (enrollment required):
  • Resy Dining: up to $240/year (Reserve); $120/year (Platinum)
  • Rideshare: up to $120/year for Uber/Lyft
  • Delta Stays (prepaid via Delta.com):
  • $150 Reserve, $200 Reserve Business
  • $150 Platinum, $200 Platinum Business
  • $100 Gold, $150 Gold Business
• Companion certificate: expanded coverage for Platinum and Reserve to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean
• MQD boosts: $2,500 headstart; earn $1/$10 (Reserve) and $1/$20 (Platinum)
• Delta Sky Club access (from Feb 1, 2025): 15 visits/year on Reserve; extra visits $50; unlimited with $75,000 spend; memberships for Medallion members $695/$1,495
• Welcome bonuses (2025): see list above; Reserve & Platinum offers end Oct 29, 2025

How these changes affect different travelers

• Lounge policy impact:
  • The 15‑visit cap pressures frequent flyers to budget entries across the year.
  • Because each visit covers 24 hours, clustering same‑day travel and entries can conserve visits.
  • Road warriors or frequent cross‑border commuters may need to either limit lounge use, pay $50 per extra visit, or spend toward the $75,000 threshold for unlimited access.
• Credit usability:
  • The segmented credits reward those who regularly use Resy, Uber/Lyft, and prepaid Delta Stays.
  • Travelers who don’t use these partners regularly may struggle to extract full value.
• Companion certificate:
  • Expanded reach to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean makes it more useful for families and diaspora communities visiting those regions.
• Card choice tradeoffs:
  • Reserve: most lounge access and fastest MQD earning, highest fee ($650).
  • Platinum: lower fee ($350), many same credits, companion certificate included, but no Sky Club access.
  • Gold: first‑year $0 intro, $150 after, positioned as an entry option with a path to a $200 flight credit after $10,000 spend.

Impact on families, immigrant communities, and business owners

• Families and immigrant communities:
  • The companion certificate expansion can lower airfare for second passengers on select routes—useful for trips to visit family in Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
  • But credits require active enrollment and usage; those who don’t book prepaid hotels on Delta.com or rarely use rideshare may not benefit.
  • Lounge access is often more than comfort—it’s practical for feeding kids or charging devices. The 15‑visit cap changes planning and may shift behavior.
• Business owners:
  • Reserve Business also carries the $650 fee but with a $200 Delta Stays credit and the same MQD headstart.
  • For companies with frequent travel or large card charges, the spend‑based MQD earnings could help secure Medallion status; light business travel makes a lower tier more sensible.

Practical tips for cardholders

1. Enroll in each credit as soon as you get the card.
2. Track credit activation windows and monthly/yearly caps.
3. Cluster lounge use into single 24‑hour windows to conserve visits.
4. Consider concentrating spending on one card to reach the $75,000 threshold if unlimited lounge access is important.
5. Use the companion certificate where it yields the biggest savings (Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean).
6. Map your expected use of Resy, rideshare, and Delta Stays credits before deciding on a tier.

Important deadlines and dates:
– February 1, 2025: Delta Sky Club 15‑visit policy starts
– Offer end date (Reserve & Platinum): October 29, 2025 for welcome bonuses
– Higher fees and updated credits apply to renewals and new signups throughout 2025

What to watch through 2025

• The new ultra‑premium card above Reserve and the final five‑tier lineup.
• Further updates to entry‑level credits and perk refinements intended to push upgrades.
• How cardholders adapt to the 15‑visit lounge cap and whether many opt to push for the $75,000 spend threshold.
• Whether the expanded companion certificate meaningfully offsets higher fees for families and diaspora travelers.
• Any tweaking of credits, activation cadence, or lounge rules based on customer feedback.

Delta card information, credits, and application options are available on the carrier’s official page at the Delta SkyMiles Amex Cards overview, with applications managed through American Express.

In short: Delta’s 2025 overhaul asks more of cardholders—enroll in credits, track Sky Club visits, and plan trips that make the companion certificate count. In return, it offers more targeted value and faster progress toward elite status. For frequent flyers and families who travel often, the trade‑off may make sense. For occasional travelers, a lower tier with fewer moving parts could be the better match.