Originally Posted by
ijgordon
I don't understand this argument at all. Are you also suggesting that if, say, Amex removed most of the other non-SkyClub membership
benefits then the priority should be the same? That's a weird argument. I really don't see why the
other benefits of the Platinum/Reserve card should have
anything to do with lounge access priority.
Others have covered it from the perspective of "the customers that are the most profitable for DL should have the priority," noting that the broader Amex relationship (and specifically spending on the cards) generates significant profitability for Delta. A Diamond who buys a handful of $2500 r/t TATL business class tickets (on a
Visa card!) is probably not very profitable.
If your flight is boarding in 15 minutes and there are 20 people in line for the club, effectively you have been turned away, as you have been denied the ability to use the club (e.g., for a quick bite on a connection, or after a meeting), unless of course you want to miss/change your flight. It's not hyperbolic, although it's probably not all that frequent an occurrence either.
I'm not entirely sure where the confusion is. Your credit card essentially provides you a day pass to the SkyClub. That's a great perk. It also provides you a host of other amenities and benefits beyond just SkyClub access. However, someone who specifically pays the same amount - $500 or so - for no other perks except being a
member of Delta SkyClub should indeed be prioritized over someone who just flies Delta once per year and has a vanilla Platinum card. Businesses and organizations provide expedited access to certain categories of clients all the time.
Also its a ridiculous assumption to say that a Diamond who flies multiple full fare FC/D1 routes per year is somehow less profitable than one random Amex Platinum user who buys a couple of coach tickets a year. Amex as a whole is profitable, but that doesn't mean everyone who has an Amex is profitable to Delta.
Fwiw, Delta clearly disagrees with you, as they are rolling out this "skip the line" benefit perk for Diamonds and D1 customers.