NOLAnwGOLD

It's not a bargain, it was a risky investment that turned out for you!

stc

Given the experience with Western, I bought a NWA Lifetime Membership when the writing was on the wall that Delta was going to buy Northwest. That was one of the great choices of my life.

GrizShel

I got mine to go through at the last hour of the last day NW offered it while in the Seattle lounge. I remember I had to wait for some final miles to post to get it at the lower Platinum elite price. I'm grateful to the staff that helped me make sure it when through before the opportunity slipped away forever. It's been VERY nice to have all these years!

dldmfll

Anyone know if the Flying Colonels were grandfathered in. They were given lifetime memberships when delta gave the flying colonel status

Justin026

Flying Colonels were given free Crown Room access “year to year” well into the 1990s and then that benefit was ended. I came into the Delta FF program by virtue of Western Airlines and, as others noted above eight years ago, there was a lifetime membership offered on WA for their Horizon Rooms in 1985 or so for $500 lifetime. I regret to say that I passed on that but Delta offered lifetime memberships to those that took Western up on the offer. In addition to NW lifetime memberships, I think their were some from Pan Am as well.

I do know of a club benefit offered just to Flying Colonels and not mere Crown Room members.. SwissAir had a printed sign at their Zurich clubroom offering Flying Colonels, regardless of ticketed class, to use their First Class lounge instead of the Business lounge. This was in the early code sharing days, when a Delta FA was on many SR flights to the US (and AM flights to Mexico),

gretchendz

Was not buying it for a few hundred dollars from back in the early 80's. I thought and thought about it. But it seemed like so much!

stc

Also of note: Lifetime Skyclub Members do not need to be flying DL or a DL partner (any airline will do) for Skyclub Access (my emphasis)
(from https://www.delta.com/us/en/delta-sky-club/house-rules):

• Delta Sky Club Members* can only use the Club in conjunction with same-day ticketed air travel on Delta or its partner airlines.
• *Excludes existing Delta Sky Club Lifetime Members and up to two of their guests or a spouse/partner and children under 21. Lifetime Members may continue to access the Club with same-day ticketed air travel on any airline. Note: applies to existing Lifetime Members only; new Lifetime Memberships are not available.

NOLAnwGOLD

Here's a fun 1982 article that has some of the costs of the lifetime memberships costs initially.
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/10/t...p-lounges.html

gretchendz

Sure..rub it in!

NOLAnwGOLD

I do remember reading about this as a kid in the St Paul Pioneer Press on similar topics and thinking that dang that sounds like a great idea!! Alas I was like in 4th grade so didn't have the cash....jumped in 2006 for $2100 with Northwest....Delta says my lifetime membership expires like in 12/31/2079 so if they are right about my death date, then it'll have been $29 a year for membership!

KenfromDE

In Sept. 1999 my NW lifetime cost a net $2415 after credit for the balance of a 3 year membership. Am now down to $6.70 per admission and falling.

Lomapaseo

Oh Oh, @29$ per year I should be dead by now

NOLAnwGOLD

Dang you're great at record keeping! If only I had kept track plus the guests I bring when I have the chance....

My favorite moment was in 2010 at AMS Lounge 25, my two Dutch friends and I were flying Transavia to Crete when we tried to enter. Apparently the two agents, discussed it in Dutch for a while and then politely let us in. Once we got seated my friends started laughing since apparently the two agents had never seen a lifetime membership card and debated between them: "They aren't on KLM so they shouldn't be allowed in." "But he's LIFETIME, what does that mean??" "Well KLM does own Transavia..." "Yeah, I don't want to cause trouble if he's super important..."

KenfromDE

KenfromDE

I'm not that good a record keeping. In the 70's I bought a lifetime on United for $225 after an allowance of $25 for the previous year and they tossed in one for my wife. Handy when traveling with friends. It has to be down to the low penny's per admission.