Love Sky Priority
 

I am only a Gold Medallion but have realized that Gold will be my goal from now on just to keep Sky Priority. Today I was flying out of ATL at noon. The Pre Check line was as long as I have ever seen. I am sure it would have been a 20-30 minute wait based on previous experience. Instead I walked down to the Sky Priority line and went immediately through! Had to take my laptop out and shoes off which I have not done in forever but along with other little things I have realized that Gold status and Sky Priority are totally worth the effort! I do not fly enough to achieve Platinum or Diamond on a yearly basis and had considered just going with whatever airline would best fit my schedule. Being based out of ATL, Southwest is the only other consistent option to my typical destinations. So I will keep giving delta the edge in order to maintain my gold status.

Depending on your travel patterns, purchase patterns, etc...that could be thousands of dollars per year. Even if it is just hundreds of dollars per year...it SkyPriority worth that much? I am the furthest thing from a WFBF DYKWIA...but you can buy a lot of first class for what I am worried you may be spending on what is mostly a marketing gimmick. Maybe just try to get to the airport 15 minutes earlier?

OR pay $99 for CLEAR. You can use either CLEAR line at ATL and sometimes one is shorter.

Also Monday morning/early afternoon time is maybe the worst domestic security line time in ATL.

Sheesh... let the poor guy enjoy his Gold SP benefit.

I have to agree. I'm sure these travelers for whom it's all old hat are having a chuckle at our expense, but I'm another recent GM who has found Sky Priority to come in quite handy on multiple occasions. I used the lounges on my recent coach trip to Paris; I avoided some REALLY long lines at the baggage drop in LAX; and just today, I think my status got me an aisle seat in C+ on a Basic Economy fare, no less. I've been able to get it by taking advantage of cheap business class fares to Europe and package deals with Expedia. I'm hoping I'll be able to extend to next year!

No one is saying they shouldn't enjoy it. Just letting them know alternative costs to achieve what they see so valuable in case they don't get to $6K spend or whatever for the next Medallion year. Sheesh.

Just FYI -- "Sheesh" is MY word. I own the trademark on it. If you want to use it, buy a license. This is the only warning you'll receive. Next time, it's lawyers.

Nobody is trying to rain on OP's parade, just try to offer other alternatives - very helpful, especially the advice for CLEAR if it's security line-jumping that OP likes (not that SP isn't an improvement at the gate over Zone 1)

Congratulations on your good experience and welcome to flyertalk, jagnole82! Gold is awesome! It sounds like there isn't much reason not to aim for Gold. If your flying patterns means you have to choose between WN and DL, Delta goes a lot more places, not just for your work needs, but your leisure time too. It's up to OP whether s/he thinks it worth the extra money over Southwest, but since WN has no first class, the extra money can't buy F seats there.

It's true that CLEAR will be helpful to OP and is only $99, so that is a great suggestion. If one would consider $195, then the Delta Platinum Skymiles card offers some additional bennies, like MQMs and the MQD waiver. With the extra MQMs, it becomes much easier to preserve Gold status from year to year, and since extra MQMs rollover, it may help you the next year, too!

As a Diamond who will be Platinum in February thanks to Delta's new AMEX spend, I'm not looking forward to the Sky Priority boarding experience in ATL, where it seems half the plane on every flight is lined up behind the Sky Priority pylon...

Gold can easily be achieved with DL Amex. No reason to spend $6k on tickets.

Doesn't DL have an option where you can buy priority when travelling in economy?

I completely agree. It's always seeing how long the precheck lines are vs. taking your shoes off

Priority boarding I believe. Doesn't apply to the skypriority check in lanes etc. which are based on status.