readywhenyouare

Agreed. Their dishonesty is sickening. The degradation of the liquor should have been made clear when they informed us the membership fee was increasing.

james318

The bartenders didn't mention that anything was replacing the Bailey's and CC. They did mention that Jack Daniels would remain. The bartender jokingly said she'd put out a complaint box because people were going to be quite peeved.

Even with these "enhancements" at DFW, they aren't implementing the Luxury bar anytime soon there.

You missed this line:

james318

We need a Save Our Booze initiative.

azeckel

Seeing as this is the exact message that I got in IND which prompted me to start the tread, I would say that this change is far more than rumor or conjecture now.

StayingHomeIsBetter

Pay toilets... and even thinner toilet paper.

rylan

Can it get any thinner? Its already 1 ply see-thru.

rylan

Does IND have a "luxury" bar? Perhaps only locations without pay for premium booze are getting the selection lowered to swill level?

jsmith50

I have resisted the urge to create this very post for a while now because people get lambasted on this board for sharing anything that comes from Delta connections, though some have heard these comments from me in PMs recently...not as much rumor as much as insight into what is happening.

I frankly didn't read the letter from DL about the price increases, I get my SC access as a DM not because I'm paying for the product. Yet, Sunday afternoon while golfing with my buddy in management at DL, he shared the following thoughts as I was griping to him about this very thread.

1. Yes, apparently, and to the consternation of many, the SCs are standardizing alcohol inventory. This apparently ties in with their outsourcing of staff within the past 1 - 1 1/2 years ago and the bid process they go through on food products for the club. I'm told that some of the 'premium' liquors will remain, based on availability from the supplier under the new contract while others will be replaced, including, to my personal displeasure, Tanqueray.

2. Beer selection MAY include an upcharge on microbrews and local favorites, my friend isn't quite sure yet how the final details on that will shake out because those are separately provided by local distributors not under the same catering contract and are renewable at the discretion of individual clubs.

3. Supposedly, some of the alcohol selections will broaden, if not immediately over time. I'm told that there are plans to have a house champagne/sparkling wine that will be available for no charge rather than the champagne/sparking wine that is currently only offered for a fee with the premium selections, as one example.

4. Supposedly, cost increases of memberships were due to increasing labor costs, again due at least in part, to DL outsourcing staffing and overall costs of running the clubs. I'm told that there are some positive benefits from the increasing club cost that will be made apparent over the next 12-18 months as DL is 're-imagining' the SC brand. While I was given some 'drawing board' examples, I don't wish to incite a riot by sharing any of those at this point as they are all hypothetical at this time. However, I'm told, broadly, to look at the offerings of the third party commercial ventures opening airport lounges and think of ways that DL needs to draw themselves more into line with these operations seeing as the cost to access those clubs are becoming increasingly cheaper, equal to or below the cost of a day pass to the SC and/or AmEx access and the recent major announcement of one of those 3rd party providers to increase the number of lounges at US airports within the next couple years. Apparently, DL is internally recognizing that with the advent of the broad availability of third party lounges that, gasp, they actually have to be competitive in the marketplace!

Funny thing about all this is that communication on the behalf of DL, as usual, has been poor at best. I'm sitting in the DFW club right now. Someone posted earlier that they had talked with the bartender here who said that he had heard these changes were coming. Bartender on duty now says she's not heard anything about liquor changes. Go figure it would be DL waiting until the last minute to confirm 'enhancements of service.'

Let the daggers begin...

rylan

Wheeee, Gordons gin and vodka and bottom shelf rum here we come! Guess we'll be forced to use mixers to hide the taste of everything.

Does that mean the stuff on planes is going to be crap too? Who is going to pay $7 for a Gordons anything and tonic/soda? Or a crap rum and coke?

jsmith50

My understanding is that planeside catering is completely separate from anything else that is handled in a physical location, i.e. SC. Doesn't sound like alcohol offerings on planes are changing. Maybe we can use HOOU coupons for premium drinks in the SCs now?

NapaPatTours

SOB? Is the dual meaning intentional?

NapaPatTours

If DL were smart, they'd use the competition as a way to differentiate themselves.

If someone wants to pay $25 to get into the generic lounge, and have the generic snacks, with the generic drink, let them. DL could then have an upscale alternative, and perhaps we could get our peace and quiet back.

I would not be upset with an increase in price, if I knew I would no longer have to deal with overcrowded and noisy SCs. ...not to mention those folks on their first day away from home, with their feet (and various other things), propped on every table.

StayingHomeIsBetter

How about Save Our Tanqueray (SOT)?

NapaPatTours

Save our Dewar's (SOD)?

Thomas Hudson

Someone Help Inform The Higher Echelon At Delta Soon!