StayingHomeIsBetter

And, the grinder-brushed stainless steel (or, is it aluminum?).

StayingHomeIsBetter

I suspect that some of the folks who previously looked in the door, saw the crowds, and walked on by are now backfilling for the other folks who dropped their membership, or who are no longer being guested in.

Clubs are staying full, but fewer members are wandering around the terminals.

Potential usage has dropped from way more than capacity to still over capacity, but not by as great a margin.

jamesteroh

While the clubs are still crowded, they don't have nearly the crowds they did before the changes were made last year increasing the membership fees and no longer allowing guests on Am Ex swipes.

Delta may not increase the fees if they get more people signing up for memberships and more Am Ex card holders willing to pay the $29 guesting fee.

StayingHomeIsBetter

I can't see membership fees going up, further, in the short term.

DL invested too much in reaming out and reconfiguring the clubs for mass occupancy... you know, to support the "good taste and a dignified atmosphere."

My suspicion is that they finally realized that the current fee structure was grossly out of alignment with the poor quality swill on the complimentary beverage menu, and were forced to restore some quality beverages. Forced either by verbal and e-mail feedback or, more likely, by financial feedback, as folks dropped memberships.

Keep in mind that Va Ave has yet to demonstrate an understanding of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

If they feel the need to improve margins, they will likely first do this by somehow cutting back on the free DM membership... probably doing away with it using the same sorry excuses they used to do away with the free annual memberships for PM, and the lifetime memberships for Flying Colonels.

And, if I had a paid-up lifetime membership, I would not feel sanguine about how long it will last.

jamesteroh

For lifetime members, I don't know how they could eliminate it unless they did away with guesting and start charging for guests.

As a Diamond, I really don't have an issue paying for my membership since UA and American doesn't provide that benefit to their highest tier (but they only require 100K miles instead of 125K) IF Delta would give me the same benefits the other two airlines give their highest tier. i.e. six to eight SWU's a year that can be used internationally and have plenty of open inventory, bring back the old SWU policy and provide free drinks and sandwich's etc if if not upgraded.

I'd rather have the same number of SWU's that American and United give their elites with the flexibility over a sky club membership

StayingHomeIsBetter

Your suggestion is one possibility.

Or, consider that paid lifetime memberships were for the NW clubs and the DL Crown Rooms. Those no longer exist.

I am stretching, I recognized.

But, I would be shocked to learn that there have not been conversations at Va Ave, beginning with "Now, how could we do this...?"

jdrtravel

I think it's a lot cheaper to give you a free beer and a plastic tub of processed cheese in a dirty crowded sky club.

jamesteroh

I'm sure if it could be done RA and company will find a way

slipbeer

A happy thumbs up on the Bombay Dry Gin and Tonic at MSP F/G.

Might have to go make sure and have a second.

yessams

Perhaps...or now they are making the same revenue as before with fewer folks...so they can afford to bring back the good stuff.

Who knows...

Sabai

You may be insulting one of Delta's key demographics

MSPeconomist

Any news on better wine choices? It would be hard to find worse wine than what they currently have, although I guess Ripple or Boone's Farm Apple would be an example.

jdrtravel

I would not be surprised if the current choices were among those CA wines discovered to contain arsenic and other toxins. Agree that they really need to improve the wine program in the clubs and also on board.

MSPeconomist

Supposedly there were some expensive California wines on the arsenic list. The versiion I saw listed only the owning entity and not individual labels, so it was hard to verify which specific wines were on or off the list. One would need to spend lots of time doing further research or know a lot about who currently owns or makes which labels of wine.

jdrtravel

Yes, although the list contained a lot of the big commercial labels that supply lower end products like two buck chuck, menage a trois, Smoking Loon, Beringer, etc.