It is very American, this ability for anyone to access an "elite" club. Most foreign carriers don't allow it.
"On foreign carriers, the club products are built into their frequent traveler programs, so only if you have platinum status or something like that do you get access to the club," says Paul Skrbec, a Delta spokesman. "In the United States, our model is a little bit different."
I wish Delta would follow the foreign carriers' policies...