HeadInTheClouds

btonkid12345

DL has the actual data, not just anecdotal evidence and assumptions of a rounding error

Some clubs are super crowded at peak times. Alleviating that is probably a good thing

flyerCO

1)these customers are likely paying full price to access a club when no other exists.
2)is exposes them to DL.
3)just because they have data doesn't mean they looked at it with all the correct variables.

I'm betting someone thought along the lines of, we impose this on all other methods of access, why not here.

worldwidedreamer

On the West Coast the audience could well be more than a rounding error. The SEA and SFO SkyClubs are both phenomenal, and the PDX Club is best in that airport; Alaska will be in the same terminal at SAN soon, too. Alaska passengers might well opt for a DL membership vs an AS membership---especially because they do not really provide access to a lounge at SFO. I also prefer the DL lounge at ORD to the UA (except Polaris) or AA choices.

worldwidedreamer

Aside from being an individual life club member, I have much higher priorities in life than to manage a media campaign for club access.

puck021

HeadInTheClouds

jiburi

I don't see Lifetime Members being the problem of over-crowding. We are so few in numbers, and are mostly composed of members who actually paid for lounge access membership. Lounge was supposed to be available to members who paid membership, or flying business class. At certain years, some top elites had complimentary access to its lounges on a yearly basis. Now, entry is available for so many more people including select Diamond Elites who chose SkyClub Option, Delta 360, Skyteam Elite Plus members, American Express Platinum Members flying Delta, and American Express Delta Skymiles Credit Card holder with access, only to name a few.

The problem lies with money hungry Delta Airlines' marketing Delta SkyClub access to various mega corporations..(eg. American Express, Preferred corporate clienteles), without much thoughts on existing membership....but this is Delta. Delta wouldn't blame themselves for the problem, it's the member's problem. Corporate greed.

Jiburi

pvn

Without those Amex visitors, you'd have a lot fewer clubs, smaller clubs, and crappier food/bev.

xliioper

Where did poster say anything about lifetime members? Change affects many more than just that group. DL used to give memberships to all it's Plat members which likely inflated numbers back then as well (they also used to require members fly DL for access). I suspect this was meant to try to drive members to fly DL more and less about club crowding.

flyerCO

I think poster mixed the two topics being discussed above his comment together. One was about LT memberships and a lawsuit, Other was about DL requring a same day DL BP to enter even with SC membership. The comment he was replying to I believe is about the latter, but he accidentally assumed it was about the first.

jiburi

Lifetime or not, the restriction should be grandfathered for membership that existed prior to this new announcement....Without it, there will be significant impact for members who had multi year Skyclub membership. That would be fair, as many of us had bought membership when such restriction was never in place. Going forward, membership application would clearly indicate such requirement, tho I gather, Delta would have hard time obtaining new members knowing other ways for SkyClub complimentary access. It'll make Skyclub membership obsolete.

Jiburi

jamesteroh

Not

United and American lounges don't allow Amex Visitors and the Delta clubs are no better than their clubs.

Alaska has stopped allowing priority pass entries (mostly given out as a credit card benefit) due to overcrowding and limiting access to their club members and first class flyers.

Not blaming people for taking advantage of a credit card benefit (I'll be using my Delta Reserve card for access once my paid memberhsip expires that carried over from before I was diamond).

I'm surprised Delta isn't requiring a Delta reserve card for entrance to the skyclubs to encourage more people to sign up for their infinity credit card like their competition.

krazykanuck

I'd argue that... SkyClubs I can reliably get something that approaches, if not, is actually a meal. UA/AA clubs I feel like a hamster at the cereal tubes and left to forage for cheese cubes. SkyClubs might not be perfect, but they sure beat the competition on both food and drink, IME.

DL is my most frequently flown carrier by segment this year. If DL were to axe the Amex Platinum access (which I assume they can't do without a contract renegotiation with Amex) it would throw my loyalty to DL into the air sooner than it would cause me to toss my Platinum card.

jamesteroh

I haven't been to an American Club in a long time but I use my passes I get from being a Hyatt diamond at the UA clubs at ORD and LAS and they are pretty nice. I like the UA club by the Delta gates better than the skyclub at ORD as far as food selection goes and like the UA club a lot better than the Club at LAS.

My biggest complaint with the skyclubs is the overcrowding at peak times and lack of outlets.

I'm not blaming anyone for using their credit card to access a lounge, I'm just surprised Delta isn't requiring their own reserve Am Ex for access the same way the competition only allows their branded credit card holders access to their lounges (i.e. you can't access an American lounge with a citi pretige card and unfortunately United won't give access with a chase saphire reserve card, only their premium card). If United gave access with the chase saphire card they would probably get some business from me.

A lot of people are getting access to the Hilton lounges thanks to their Am Ex card as well.