Originally Posted by
eneq
I don't understand this. Why should Delta be required to offer lounge access to Oneworld elites? The Delta and LATAM relationship is bilateral. Delta is granting access to LA flyers into its own lounge. This isn't a LATAM lounge.
Delta is not required to. And has nothing to do with being a LATAM lounge or not. OneWorld's lounge access rules for its member airlines are both generous and kind of complicated. There are two sets of obligations: (1) Requirements for Oneworld lounges and (2) Requirements for Oneworld airlines.
(1) Any Oneworld lounge is accessible to all Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald elites traveling on a OneWorld airline same day. This covers most lounges operated by OW airlines...lounges like Qatar Premium lounges at LHR and CDG and the Al Mourjan and Al Safwa lounges at DOH are not included, and are only for Business and First passengers traveling on Oneworld airlines.
This doesn't apply here, since the Skyclub isn't a Oneworld lounge, BUT:
(2) All Oneworld airlines are required to provide lounge access to all Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald passengers traveling on their metal. If there is a Oneworld lounge
available, then passengers would have access to that anyway. If there is not, then the airline is obligated to provide access by contracting for it at another lounge.
So, it wouldn't necessarily be the DL Skyclub...I guess they could contract for those passengers to use the Wingtips lounge or the Air India Maharaja Lounge, if they are able to contract for it based on capacity. Then again—with the exception of AA elites traveling solely on North American itineraries—Oneworld airlines are generally required to treat partner elites the same as their own elites when it comes to lounge access (e.g. not shuttle partner elites to inferior lounges, etc.)
There are some other nuances and complexities that are annoying and don't really apply here, but the obligation for LATAM to provide lounge access to OW elites remains as long as it is in Oneworld.