Xandrios

SkyPriority is just a set of benefits, most notable Priority check in, security and boarding, which is available to:

• Business class passengers
• Premium Economy passengers
• Passengers having booked through a corporate contract*
• Skyteam Elite+ status holders

Crucually Skyteam Elite+, as well as Business class passengers, receive additional benefits like Lounge access. This is not part of SkyPriority.

* Assuming SkyPriority access was included within that contract, this is not always the case.

etiene

...and Flex fare customers - which is what IAN-UK 's screenshot would show on scrolling to the right: the Light and Standard fares don't buy SkyPriority benefits. The full SP benefits are still granted by STE+, and the subset by STE.

I presume the website doesn't fetch non-Flying Blue status during the booking process, but only during ticketing. This also seems to be the case for BA.com, which doesn't waive their seat charges during the checkout process either.

CyBeR

As Xandrios explains above, SkyPriority is a specific set of benefits that are given pax who meet certain requirements like status levels, cabin class, etc. This is, IMO, one of the things where SkyTeam has a leg up on the other alliances as they have adapted SkyPriority as their standard branding and product for priority services alliance-wide with the same benefits and the same requirements. Meaning that if you get SP from being a Delta SkyMiles Gold or above member, you will get the same benefits if you find yourself on a domestic Korean Air flight and with the consistent branding used, you won't have to spend any time figuring out what line is the priority line in Korean.

Of course, SP only dictates the minimum requirements and airlines are free to extend part or all of them to others as they see fit, like how FB lets Silver members use the SP check-in desks at most airports, despite that level not actually conferring the full SkyPriority benefits on the member.

SteveCanary

Priority check-in actually seems to be a SkyTeam perk for Elite members (as the extra baggage allowance is), not an FB additional perk. Is this granted by all SkyTeam airlines, I'm not sure...



On the other hand, for me the main advantage FB is adding to SkyPriority is lounge access on domestic-only flights in France for Elite+ members.

hhdl

I believe there are airlines in SkyTeam that at their biggest hubs have three check-in areas: Sky Priority, priority, and general. Depending on what the ratio of E+ to E passenger-flights is and (probably more importantly) whether the airline offers priority check-in as a benefit outside of FF status. Delta's Silver benefits page says:

Whether there are any Silver/priority-but-not-sky-priority check-in lanes left in Delta's network is an open question (I've never seen one, though I've read from time to time that such lanes were often less congested than Sky Priority, which is often even now more congested than the general lanes). It wouldn't surprise me if at various points in time corporate contracts with DL have been able to include "priority check-in regardless of status" as a benefit. Similarly, the priority boarding ("Main Cabin 1") for DL Silver/STE is also obtained just from having a c. $100 AF credit card or a ticket associated with a corporate contract.

Maestro Ramen

During Covid the "ready2fly" checkin was often more empty than the Sky Priority, so I would tend to just use it.

Except this one time in BCN were the guy checked my ticket and rudely told me to go in the SP line, where there were twice the ppl waiting 😩

In smaller airport often the standard lanes go faster because they only have 1 SP checkin so all you need is for one guy in front of you to have issues and you're good for a good 15mns wait.

Wish they used every single desk as a multi-purpose ones, or at least 2 or 3, because the solo SP checkin desk just doesn't work well.