United℠ Club vs Delta SkyMiles® Reserve
Side-by-side comparison
| United℠ Club | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $695 | $650 |
| Welcome offer | Up to 90,000 bonus miles | |
| Dining | 2x | 1x |
| Groceries | 1x | 1x |
| Gas | 1x | 1x |
| Travel | 2x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $340 | $292 |
| Points type | Locked to United MileagePlus | Locked to Delta SkyMiles |
| Network | Visa | Amex |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | United℠ Club | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Up to 90,000 bonus miles | 125,000 SkyMiles |
| To earn it | $5,000 in 3 months | $15,000 in 6 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $545 | $892 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $-355 | $-358 |
This one splits by time horizon. In year one the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve is ahead by roughly $347, thanks largely to its welcome offer. But the United℠ Club earns more every year after, so if you keep it, it overtakes the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve only over the very long haul. Chasing the sign-up bonus and open to canceling before the second annual fee? Take the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve. Planning to keep it for years? The United℠ Club pulls ahead.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | United℠ Club | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | Yes — United Club | Yes — Centurion, Delta Sky Club |
| Annual credits | None | 3 listed credits |
| Points & redemptions | Locked to a single program | Locked to a single program |
The two are closely matched on perks and redemptions, so the welcome offer and everyday earning above are what should decide it.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
Both are flagship co-brands built around lounge access for their airline, so this is a proxy for United vs Delta at the premium level, plus a couple of distinctive perks.
The United Club’s headline is unlimited United Club membership, worth hundreds on its own. The Delta Reserve counters with Sky Club and Centurion access, an annual companion certificate, and Medallion status help. Which airline you fly comes first; the companion certificate is the Reserve’s tiebreaker.
Pros and cons
- Full United Club membership, unlimited lounge access for you and guests
- Free first and second checked bags
- 11x on United flights and higher travel and dining earning
- Premier status head start
- $695 fee, and only useful if you fly United
- No companion certificate
- Miles locked to United
- Most of the fee is the lounge membership
- Delta Sky Club plus Amex Centurion Lounge access
- An annual companion certificate that can outvalue much of the fee
- The biggest card-based Medallion status head start
- $45 cheaper than the United Club
- $650 fee, only useful if you fly Delta
- Sky Club access no longer includes unlimited free guests
- Miles locked to Delta
- One free bag vs the Club’s two
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Airline | Depends | United for the Club; Delta for the Reserve. |
| Lounge access | Both strong | Unlimited United Club vs Sky Club plus Centurion. |
| Companion certificate | Delta Reserve | An annual certificate the United Club lacks. |
| Checked bags | United Club | Two free bags vs the Reserve’s one. |
| Annual fee | Delta Reserve | $650 vs $695. |
The verdict
As with any co-brand, the airline you fly settles it. If United is your carrier and you’ll use the lounges, the Club’s unlimited United Club membership plus two free bags and top United earning make it the premium United card, worth the fee for a road warrior based at a United hub.
If you fly Delta, the Reserve is your card, and it adds a wrinkle the United Club doesn’t have: an annual companion certificate that can be worth several hundred dollars for two travelers, on top of Sky Club and Centurion access. Choose by airline first; if it’s Delta, the companion certificate makes the Reserve especially compelling for couples. If you split airlines, a flexible premium card like the Amex Platinum, which gets you into both airlines’ partner lounges, may beat either.