ZJ3000

Access on arrival on airline lounge should be considered a membership benefit, access to an airport lounge i.e; Centurion, The Club, Plaza Premium, etc. is totally different, access restrictions are expected as it’s not airline or fare specific, but at a SkyClub, which btw, you can’t get in unless you are flying Delta or partners, the incentive to acquire membership either by paying cash, points, earned via status or credit card is not there anymore, most comments regarding arrival access have one thing in common, use the bathroom, shower, maybe grab a cup of coffee, print some documents, etc, in and out in 5-10min, not sure how Delta came up with restricting access to arrival is going to help overcrowding, at least in my case and most people I know, arrival is not at peak hours, even if that is the case, they maybe getting some people accessing SC they are not keeping track of who is leaving or how long they stayed. Personally, I believe it will help Delta’s bottom line, and AMX too, I see no point in renewing an already expensive travel card, or paid membership, I can pay for food and/or sign up for CapitalOne X and get PP with restaurant benefits, last I checked there are no lounges on Michelin Guide nor La Listle.
This is the chicken and the egg dilemma, they open SkyClubs to attract business, entice passengers to buy access via paid membership, or credit card benefit, then limit the use because is “overcrowded”, I have a felling this will hurt their business, and also American Express’s, don’t be surprised if they make a Delta 180 (pun intended).