jamesteroh

I see on their site they close at 8 p.m. so I wouldn't have had much time there anyway next week since my flight lands just before 7. I'm surprised they close that early with international flights leaving after that.

MSPeconomist

Passengers on DL international flights are much more likely to have SC access than the typical DL domestic customer. Everyone sitting in D1 plus all GM/PM/DM and SkyTeam ElitePlus get access.

In additon, MSP empties out as the evening progresses. The late evening banks of flights are pretty small.

pvn

Maybe he's thinking of Continental, which definitely did accept amex swipes.

MSPeconomist

You're right. I also swiped my way into CO lounges at times, although this could be problematic when CO and NW (or DL) were close partners in that the dragons tended to enforce the technical rules so that there were lots of surprise denials. For instance, if one takes a RT between MSP and IAH, MSP had only PMNW lounges while IAH only had PMCO lounges. If you wanted to purchase a RT ticket to save money, it wasn't possible to get MSP-IAH on PMNW and IAH-MSP on PMCO so as to have lounge access at both ends before your flight. It could be very frustrating, although IIRC there were periods when PP might have solved the problem in one direction.

jamesteroh

The few times I used a CO lounge was at Vegas and IIRC I was able to get in with my Worldclub membership and can't remember if they accepted am ex swipes or PP or not.

I thought United used to take Am Ex swipes but they used to be a priority pass member so anyone with an Am Ex Plat would have a PP card anyway. Every time I've used a United pass is with one of my day passes I get from being a Hyatt diamond or the ones my friend who is a UC member gives me that he gets with his united credit card. Surprisingly the united club allows you to enter on a day pass with a Delta boarding pass, I like the United Club near the Delta gates at ORD a lot better than the Skyclub if I have a delay and the one at LAS is really convenient to the Delta gates.

devans999

I've been in there where it was absolutely empty in the evening for a couple hours. Except me. Usually waiting on a 10pm flight to des moines. No surprise they close early now.

jamesteroh

If that's the case then I'm surprised Escape isn't doing what the boardrooms are doing and not allowing PP entries when the lounge has too many people.

MSPeconomist

Wouldn't that be almost everyone? Who would they be saving the lounge for, before the AmEx direct swipe method was instituted? It would have meant just a random set of people, depending on who arrived first, maybe with long lines at the door.

In the AS case, they wanted to make sure that all of the AS people did get in and were willing to turn away others from a well defined and reasonably sized group for this purpose.

pvn

I am pretty sure he meant a system where Amex Platinum people would be admitted any time but people who have PP from some other method might be excluded at peak times.

MSPeconomist

Yes, but my point is that before the recent changes, an AmEx swipe didn't get one into the lounge, only the PP card.

jamesteroh

That's what I meant

DCFinanceinFlight

Bolding mine.

Many people have speculated it wasn't the airline, but pressure from their own CC distributors to increase premium cards.

DrivingRain

Yes, exclusivity and the $$$ that came with it ruled these choices.

AA=Citi
UA=Chase
DL=Amex

Some lingered for a little bit until the out-clauses came along (ie AA and AXP). It's now a blood-sport. It's why you see a Cent lounge in the middle of the AA operation at MIA-- to keep/get-back Citi users, same with SFO vs Chase, similar with IAH (AXP would have wanted to be closer to UA, but they're just happy to be there). It's not the only thing driving their strategy, but it's a decent part of it.

jamesteroh

I'm surprised the Skyclubs stopped allowing guesting on the Plat card with their close relationship with Am Ex. As a Skyclub member I think that is one of the best choices the SC Made though, the lounges were too crowded before and still are sometimes at peak times. When Delta introduced the executive membership they probably had to make the change as well seeing a Plat and reserve fees are less than the Plat Am Ex Annual Fee.

And it makes sense that Hyatt would continue to issue the day passes to the United Club since Chase handles both their cards.

I noticed Am Ex offers better benefits to Delta card holders than Citi and Chase does to AA and United cardholders. I believe there is a cap of like 10K elite qualifying miles with AA and United on credit cards where I will earn 100K MQMs with my Delta Am Ex cards this year. With Delta the $25K credit card spend MQD waiver applies to all levels and I know with United the waiver doesn't apply to 1K.

lkar

MSP Escape Club today. Nice space. The food was absolutely repulsive. They still had the breakfast food out at 5:20 p.m. Stale muffins and rock hard buns baking in heat lamps. There was one sandwich that I took out of curiousilty. Maybe it's a weekend thing? It is really really gross. There were about 5 people in there.