flyerCO

What is the arguement?

HeadInTheClouds

What arrogance. For every airport I benefit from SC use when I’m flying UA (ie BNA), there is another where I benefit from a UC while flying DL (ie SNA). That is a big reason I maintain both paid memberships. Count me as HATING this change.

synergistic

I feel for you. I actually allowed my SC membership to lapse this year, but SLC is where I miss it the most. I've definitely considered reupping many times, but I have virtually no loyalty to DL - I really only fly them when I'm going all the way to or from TWF, when I don't have any other options. This rule change removes all value from SC membership for me - I'm actually surprised to hear that they only want DL loyalists to pay good money for SC memberships.

xliioper

I suspect this might prove a challenge for any lawsuit --

https://web.archive.org/web/20030806...ules/index.jsp

• Crown Room facilities may be used only in conjunction with same-day ticketed air travel on Delta or Delta Connection® carriers.

xliioper

There are no SC's in IAH, but I'm sure the KL and AF lounge attendants in IAH who staff the KLM Crown Lounge and Air France lounge there and have nothing to do with DL will be impressed by your juvenile attitude.

LAXRuss

There once was a day when the Sky Club was a "club." If Delta changes its policy to deny access to Sky Club members who are not flying on Delta, then it is really undermining the business model of even having a membership. Why would anyone pay for a Sky Club membership, when it is cheaper to gain access through a credit card? For many years, I have enjoyed the membership, such as in situations when I flew AS under the alliance and DL would deny access to credit card holders flying their AS Code Share flight, but still allow with the DL Sky Club membership. In addition, I have enjoyed having the DL membership as a way to access the AF Salon when I was flying DL out of IAD where there is no Sky Club. Similarly, I have used a United Club membership to access their club, when I fly DL out of SNA, where there is no Sky Club for DL flights.

Again, if I cannot be guaranteed access to a DL Sky Club, regardless of carrier that I fly, then I can simply drop the annual membership fee and continue entering the clubs for free using my AMEX Cent card which I will retain in any case, and which thus already provides me complimentary access on the margin. In effect, Delta is dropping the exact access policies that encouraged me to retain a paid membership, when I already have access through a credit card.

scklumb

I talked about this a few months ago...
Skyclub Executive membership must be flying delta to enter lounge

scklumb

This greatly affects me. Since I switched to AS a couple of years ago and am based in both SEA and MKE. I can see individual memberships or memberships under DM having the same day DL flight requirement. But executive memberships that people pay a high premium for should not have the requirement.

What about the $59 one time pass. Does that require the sameday DL flight requirement? If $59 membership allows you in but yet a ~$750 executive membership does not.

xliioper

Yes, the single visit pass already has DL (or partner) flight requirement --

• A Single Visit Pass must be used in conjunction with same-day ticketed air travel on Delta Air Lines or its partner airlines.

synergistic

So you did - I even responded, expressing disbelief because I thought for sure they'd never try something like that for fear of mass refund requests. I should have considered the possibility that they'd just set the policy change far enough out to provide folks proper notice. I wonder what effect this will have on renewals of paid memberships this coming year.

yohanson

I have only flown NWA/DAL for over the past 9 years domestically but it will still affect my international vacations. I gained nothing by the new rules.

Bowgie

Good question. I enter Skyclubs when I arrive at ungodly early hours when nothing in the arrival city is open yet.

The change sucks for SAN because the Delta and United clubs are right next to each other. I like to enter the Skyclub when flying United. I have to sometimes. Delta doesn't fly nonstop SAN-ORD, but United does, as an example. At least the change doesn't go into effect until 2019, which is exactly when I'll lose my Skyclub access because of Delta's new $250,000 cc spend required for maintaining Diamond status. Delta = always devaluing

dinanm3atl

Yes. When things are not great. IE last recession. They needed loyalty. They needed PAX. Now it doesn't matter.

I have used the lounge in situations where not on DL. Not that much but it's an issue.

EarlVolFan

It’s called an oligopoly...

ijgordon

Near-textbook definition of fraud, but by all means, go for it. I can certainly envision DL getting in front of this and monitoring for cancelled tickets and taking action.
Its also very likely explicitly prohibited in the COC or other terms of use (I believe it is on AA).

ETA- couldn't actually find any language in DL's COC...but here it is from AA: