Is it wise to buy skyclub membership with skypesos?
Feb 21, 2013, 3:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: US CP, DL PM
Posts: 127
Is it wise to buy skyclub membership with skypesos?
I looked for a thread and could not find one matching my question - sorry if there's any duplication here.
I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting delta SkyClub membership using the option to pay with skypesos. The cost for a Plat like me buying a membership with miles is 40k miles or 300$. I don't think I'd fly enough to reach Diamond this year and get the lounge access for free.
I'm inclined towards the miles payment because I hear redemption is quite poor on DL (I'm a new DL flyer). And I've heard that 40k miles won't get you much more than a standard domestic roundtrip ticket on DL.
Would anyone care to weigh in whether they think paying with miles or paying with cash is the better option?
I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting delta SkyClub membership using the option to pay with skypesos. The cost for a Plat like me buying a membership with miles is 40k miles or 300$. I don't think I'd fly enough to reach Diamond this year and get the lounge access for free.
I'm inclined towards the miles payment because I hear redemption is quite poor on DL (I'm a new DL flyer). And I've heard that 40k miles won't get you much more than a standard domestic roundtrip ticket on DL.
Would anyone care to weigh in whether they think paying with miles or paying with cash is the better option?
Feb 21, 2013, 4:02 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: KUL/TPA/OTP
Programs: UA1k, DL
Posts: 3,138
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B145 Safari/8536.25)
In my humble opinion, absolutely not worth it. But, YMMV. I only use miles for international J travel.
In my humble opinion, absolutely not worth it. But, YMMV. I only use miles for international J travel.
Last edited by Denolloyd; Feb 21, 2013 at 4:14 pm
Feb 21, 2013, 4:28 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,264
Depends what you plan to use your miles for. If you otherwise plan to redeem your miles for domestic coach flights, then your value per mile is likely going to be lower and a SC redemption might make sense. But if you plan to redeem your miles for international business class flights, then 40k SM for a $300 SC membership doesn't make sense when that's almost half way to a $3k-4k flight.
Feb 21, 2013, 4:49 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: BOS
Programs: DL PM, Hertz Gold Plus, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,049
It is also worth noting that in a week, that 40,000 SM/$300 PM SC membership goes to 40,000 SM/$350. If you are thinking about this purchase on or after 3/1, the SM redemption rate improves slightly (or, more accurately, it sucks a little bit less). With that in mind, if you are considering using SM for a SC membership, there's no rush to buy now in anticipation of the rate hike. If you are going to use cash, buy now and save the extra $50.
Feb 21, 2013, 5:14 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Western Wisconsin
Programs: DL DM, HH Devalued Diamond, Hertz President's Club
Posts: 800
I will most likely hit DM this year for the first time but did just buy the SC for myself. I also tossed around the 40K mileage burn but opted for the the monthly pay. It elevates it to a little over $300 but easier to get my wife to agree to. ;-)
So far, I am loving the lounge access and looking forward to visiting the KLM lounge in AMS in a week!
So far, I am loving the lounge access and looking forward to visiting the KLM lounge in AMS in a week!
Feb 21, 2013, 5:37 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ/BUF
Posts: 301
I looked for a thread and could not find one matching my question - sorry if there's any duplication here.
I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting delta SkyClub membership using the option to pay with skypesos. The cost for a Plat like me buying a membership with miles is 40k miles or 300$. I don't think I'd fly enough to reach Diamond this year and get the lounge access for free.
I'm inclined towards the miles payment because I hear redemption is quite poor on DL (I'm a new DL flyer). And I've heard that 40k miles won't get you much more than a standard domestic roundtrip ticket on DL.
Would anyone care to weigh in whether they think paying with miles or paying with cash is the better option?
I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting delta SkyClub membership using the option to pay with skypesos. The cost for a Plat like me buying a membership with miles is 40k miles or 300$. I don't think I'd fly enough to reach Diamond this year and get the lounge access for free.
I'm inclined towards the miles payment because I hear redemption is quite poor on DL (I'm a new DL flyer). And I've heard that 40k miles won't get you much more than a standard domestic roundtrip ticket on DL.
Would anyone care to weigh in whether they think paying with miles or paying with cash is the better option?
Feb 21, 2013, 8:07 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hertz Prez; Former UA GS
Posts: 313
I think so
I paid for my SC membership...but I would've totally used miles if I had the chance (I didn't have enough as I was new to DL). Clubs are too crowded to justify paying actual cash IMO. Coming from UA, 40K miles is on par with what I would've spent as a 1K (when UA allowed membership dues via miles). So, I say go for it, especially if you know you won't make Diamond.
FWIW, I only use my miles for flying friends and family - if I'm flying, I'm earning. My $0.02.
FWIW, I only use my miles for flying friends and family - if I'm flying, I'm earning. My $0.02.
I looked for a thread and could not find one matching my question - sorry if there's any duplication here.
I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting delta SkyClub membership using the option to pay with skypesos. The cost for a Plat like me buying a membership with miles is 40k miles or 300$. I don't think I'd fly enough to reach Diamond this year and get the lounge access for free.
I'm inclined towards the miles payment because I hear redemption is quite poor on DL (I'm a new DL flyer). And I've heard that 40k miles won't get you much more than a standard domestic roundtrip ticket on DL.
Would anyone care to weigh in whether they think paying with miles or paying with cash is the better option?
I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting delta SkyClub membership using the option to pay with skypesos. The cost for a Plat like me buying a membership with miles is 40k miles or 300$. I don't think I'd fly enough to reach Diamond this year and get the lounge access for free.
I'm inclined towards the miles payment because I hear redemption is quite poor on DL (I'm a new DL flyer). And I've heard that 40k miles won't get you much more than a standard domestic roundtrip ticket on DL.
Would anyone care to weigh in whether they think paying with miles or paying with cash is the better option?
Feb 21, 2013, 8:41 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Huntsville (for now)
Programs: DL DM, Hilton Gold; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 125
Have you thought about the skyBonus program; we subscribe to that program and easily purchased lounge membership for several of us within 3 months of flying (although some was international and a pretty penny). You can get 30k just for joining so you really only need 70k more skybonus miles.
Feb 21, 2013, 8:45 pm
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
Don't forget to compare the cost of buying some day passes (or single entrances for $25 if you have a DL AmEx card). Consider also the option of getting either a Reserve card or the regular AmEx Plat charge card; either one gets you into SCs when flying DL and they carry about the same annual fee, but beyond that the benefits are very different so compare carefully.
Feb 21, 2013, 9:39 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,781
I've purchased my SC membership with miles for three years in a row. I rarely use award tickets for myself (I need to be earning miles), only for family, and can afford to spend the miles more easily than dollars. I usually have at least 200,000 SkyMiles in my account, so it doesn't make a huge dent in my supply.
Feb 22, 2013, 7:26 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: US CP, DL PM
Posts: 127
I've purchased my SC membership with miles for three years in a row. I rarely use award tickets for myself (I need to be earning miles), only for family, and can afford to spend the miles more easily than dollars. I usually have at least 200,000 SkyMiles in my account, so it doesn't make a huge dent in my supply.
So, I'm still seriously weighing the option.... but I didn't realize that it really will cost me an additional 10k in miles or 50$ for initiation. Is there any way around that?
Feb 22, 2013, 11:24 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: DL DM PM
Posts: 2,033
Weighing the same thing. I'll be non-DM March 1 for the first time since DMs were inaugurated. bouhou. Anyway, it looks like my free SC membership doesn't expire with my DM status, but remains until June 6. I have no idea why - do we get a grace period or something? I've never paid for SC membership so it's not that I have extra time. Right now I can renew for 40k miles with the renewal not taking effect until June 6. If I wait until then to decide, at which time I'll be PM, will the renewal fee still be 40k miles, or is it more expensive for PMS?
Feb 23, 2013, 10:59 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,781
Weighing the same thing. I'll be non-DM March 1 for the first time since DMs were inaugurated. bouhou. Anyway, it looks like my free SC membership doesn't expire with my DM status, but remains until June 6. I have no idea why - do we get a grace period or something? I've never paid for SC membership so it's not that I have extra time. Right now I can renew for 40k miles with the renewal not taking effect until June 6. If I wait until then to decide, at which time I'll be PM, will the renewal fee still be 40k miles, or is it more expensive for PMS?
