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Do Sky Clubs Ever Let in Cute 7 Year Olds for Free?

Do Sky Clubs Ever Let in Cute 7 Year Olds for Free?

Old Aug 17, 2016, 8:37 am
  #61  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,613
Originally Posted by FlyAO2
It is less about the guest consuming $29 worth of products and more about keeping the flow of people down. The JFK lounge in the late afternoon/early evening looks like a refugee camp with the amount of people in it. Sometimes there are less people in the terminal than in the lounge.

The $29 charge serves the purpose of reducing the number of guests
This may very well be the case, it is the accepted reason here on Flyertalk, but that has always seemed a bit far fetched to me.

To Be Clear: I am a Physician and Physicians are notoriously poor business people, I know that I am, so my thoughts could be completely off base here.

I have trouble seeing some DELTA Manager going, lets institute a fee for guests to combat overcrowding. To my brain, I have an easier time seeing some DELTA Manager saying, the new free food and better alcohol is more expensive and thus to cover our costs and potentially make a little $$$$ lets take away free guests and instead add a fee for guests.

The going theory on Flyertalk as best I understand is that the airlines have become about REVENUE above all else, REVENUE above loyalty, REVENUE above, customer service, etc. Thus, maybe it is a simple as a DELTA Manager being told to find more $$$$ and a SkyClub Manager said, geez we include two guests complimentary with each membership, what if we added a fee, now we can monitize guests. Win Win!

Could the fee be used to reduce the number of guests, sure, it just seems that DELTA has other priorities.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:17 am
  #62  
 
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Nope. At least not in MSP.

When I travel I'm either alone or with my husband or with the whole family. But today I'm taking a pleasure trip with my son for his 10th birthday gift.

I have club access with my Delta Reserve card, and my husband has a lifetime membership so I've never NOT brought our kids into the club. They've been well trained. 😋 They know they are to sit quietly or they don't get to stay.

Today we were denied because kids over 2 have to pay $29 with the reserve card access. We are flying on 2 FC tickets, the lounge was empty, it was 6 am and our flight was delayed. But she wasn't going to budge.

My son wasn't going to eat anything (he has a nut allergy) and I as the frequent traveler just wanted to relax and grab a light breakfast. Who is the only person Delta inconvenienced? Me, because I can't very well leave my child outside alone.

I totally understand the guest fee for another adult, but it's only negatively impacting the adult "loyal member" when you deny access for their child. And, asking me to pay $29 for him to sit in a chair next to me and play on his iPad is just silly.

We'll see how it goes in SFO.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:27 am
  #63  
 
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Originally Posted by Diannap
I have club access with my Delta Reserve card, and my husband has a lifetime membership so I've never NOT brought our kids into the club. They've been well trained. 😋 They know they are to sit quietly or they don't get to stay.
Wouldn't it be refreshing if just once, a parent or guardian would state that his/her child(ren) are mischief makers, and might need supervision?
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:29 am
  #64  
 
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If the theory is that SCs should let children in for free because they won't consume food and beverages, then I would like a pro-rated refund of my membership fee every time I go to a SC and don't eat or drink.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:37 am
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by KevinDTW
If the theory is that SCs should let children in for free because they won't consume food and beverages, then I would like a pro-rated refund of my membership fee every time I go to a SC and don't eat or drink.
^
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:43 am
  #66  
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I don't understand why people think their kids should get in free. If I'm travelling with a business associate and they aren't going to drink any alcohol I sure don't expect Delta to allow them in for free. The clubs are crowded enough at times and even if they aren't consuming alcohol they are still taking a chair from a paying member.

I posted in the DYKWIA threat about an incident Friday at DTW and the attendant refused to allow any Children in for free and I was glad seeing how packed the club was.

If it's that important to bring your kids in get an exec membership or pay the $29. If I'm travelling with associates who aren't members I simply cough up the $29 or don't enter.

And if they make an exception for one person, that means they should make it for all and pretty soon we'll end up with the clubs being like romper room.

I think eliminating the guesting was a great move by Delta and I suffer from it sometimes since I can't take work colleagues in with me anymore but those times it's worth it for the improvements to the food and less crowding.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:46 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by KevinDTW
If the theory is that SCs should let children in for free because they won't consume food and beverages, then I would like a pro-rated refund of my membership fee every time I go to a SC and don't eat or drink.
99% of the time I use the SC (or any lounge for that matter), I have a Diet Coke or a cup of tea/coffee or two. I don't drink alcohol and if I do eat, it is a small snack, like carrot sticks or something. I use the lounges so I have a nice, quiet (yeah, I know ) place with internet access to wait out the time between flights. So by the theory that kids should be free because they don't consume anything, I should always get in free.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 9:52 am
  #68  
 
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Originally Posted by vincentharris

B10 makes me think of the bathroom scenes from the Friday movies with Craig's dad
"I hope the bathroom is clean. If not, I don't give a d@m#"
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 10:51 am
  #69  
 
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Originally Posted by Diannap
When I travel I'm either alone or with my husband or with the whole family. But today I'm taking a pleasure trip with my son for his 10th birthday gift.

I have club access with my Delta Reserve card, and my husband has a lifetime membership so I've never NOT brought our kids into the club. They've been well trained. �� They know they are to sit quietly or they don't get to stay.

Today we were denied because kids over 2 have to pay $29 with the reserve card access. We are flying on 2 FC tickets, the lounge was empty, it was 6 am and our flight was delayed. But she wasn't going to budge.

My son wasn't going to eat anything (he has a nut allergy) and I as the frequent traveler just wanted to relax and grab a light breakfast. Who is the only person Delta inconvenienced? Me, because I can't very well leave my child outside alone.

I totally understand the guest fee for another adult, but it's only negatively impacting the adult "loyal member" when you deny access for their child. And, asking me to pay $29 for him to sit in a chair next to me and play on his iPad is just silly.

We'll see how it goes in SFO.
If I remember properly all Lifetime Memberships have Grandfathered rights to bring in two guest complimentary or unlimited (iirc) family members under 18 or 21 (cannot remember the exact age cut off).
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 11:35 am
  #70  
 
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Originally Posted by miraclebear2003
I keep thinking I'm missing something here because that's the way it's suppose to work.
i was contrasting the OP's post #49 where none of those rules - $29 fee, non upgrades on AMEX companion tickets - applied to the trip that triggered this thread.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 11:52 am
  #71  
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Originally Posted by Diannap
When I travel I'm either alone or with my husband or with the whole family. But today I'm taking a pleasure trip with my son for his 10th birthday gift.

I have club access with my Delta Reserve card, and my husband has a lifetime membership so I've never NOT brought our kids into the club. They've been well trained. 😋 They know they are to sit quietly or they don't get to stay.

Today we were denied because kids over 2 have to pay $29 with the reserve card access. We are flying on 2 FC tickets, the lounge was empty, it was 6 am and our flight was delayed. But she wasn't going to budge.

My son wasn't going to eat anything (he has a nut allergy) and I as the frequent traveler just wanted to relax and grab a light breakfast. Who is the only person Delta inconvenienced? Me, because I can't very well leave my child outside alone.

I totally understand the guest fee for another adult, but it's only negatively impacting the adult "loyal member" when you deny access for their child. And, asking me to pay $29 for him to sit in a chair next to me and play on his iPad is just silly.

We'll see how it goes in SFO.
You weren't "denied." You were simply told that the standard $29 guest fee applies to your son as well as anyone else.

By some of the "I don't drink so I'm cheap" logic here, every time I use a SC and consume water rather than wine, I should demand to be paid $25 on the way out.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 12:01 pm
  #72  
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Originally Posted by jamesteroh
I don't understand why people think their kids should get in free. If I'm travelling with a business associate and they aren't going to drink any alcohol I sure don't expect Delta to allow them in for free. The clubs are crowded enough at times and even if they aren't consuming alcohol they are still taking a chair from a paying member.
Because your adult companion can sit at the gate unaccompanied (one would hope). If a parent leaves a 5 year old at the gate for 2 hours while she goes to the lounge (a loyalty benefit she earned as much as you did if not more), she'll likely get arrested. Essentially, the airline has baited the line with lounge access in exchange for lots of revenue, but wants yet more revenue from a traveling parent. To me this would be the same as if they withheld entrance from you if you were carrying a backpack instead of a briefcase. $29 or leave that thing at the gate unattended. Then you'd be facing the same choice as the parent. Pay up, don't use the lounge benefit we told you you've earned, or get arrested.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 12:02 pm
  #73  
 
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Originally Posted by Diannap
I totally understand the guest fee for another adult, but it's only negatively impacting the adult "loyal member" when you deny access for their child. And, asking me to pay $29 for him to sit in a chair next to me and play on his iPad is just silly.
I'm very curious why you think that the rules for entry shouldn't apply to parents and their offspring? The SkyClub isn't marketed as a "Family Club", and the methods for access are known by the members. Why should the fact that someone has a child entitle that person to special privilege?

Last edited by LAX-1K; Aug 17, 2016 at 1:01 pm
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 12:03 pm
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
By some of the "I don't drink so I'm cheap" logic here, every time I use a SC and consume water rather than wine, I should demand to be paid $25 on the way out.
It is SC wine, so maybe more like $6.99. But point taken.
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Old Aug 17, 2016, 12:29 pm
  #75  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by vincentharris
I have been lucky that the SC bathrooms are clean for me, with the exception of B10 in ATL. You are better off destroying your insides holding it in there.

B10 makes me think of the bathroom scenes from the Friday movies with Craig's dad
That must be one nasty bathroom! "Every time I'm in the kitchen...."
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