Delta Sky Club etiquette tip for frequent guests
Dec 10, 2018, 7:28 pm
#91
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 15
Mildly amusing to see all types of responses here... I mean so many are so full of themselves! so much so that hearing a person do his/her job is annoying to them!!? even worried about degrading the 'Organic Social Interaction'! that takes the cake!
I know this is a pretty obvious humble brag.. but I've never had to hear the check in spiel in all of last year.. and the year before that. And, there's a secret to that!
The secret is visit the skyclub(s) often enough to get on first name basis with check in agents and they will welcome with a smile and "Welcome back!" they will know you travel week in week out and know your stuff.
On an off chance that you start a new route or meet a new agent - grin and bear it for few weeks
@PraisedPepper - welcome to the forum! If you can - let us know which hub you are stationed at and I will bring some candy for you and friends
I know this is a pretty obvious humble brag.. but I've never had to hear the check in spiel in all of last year.. and the year before that. And, there's a secret to that!
The secret is visit the skyclub(s) often enough to get on first name basis with check in agents and they will welcome with a smile and "Welcome back!" they will know you travel week in week out and know your stuff.
On an off chance that you start a new route or meet a new agent - grin and bear it for few weeks
@PraisedPepper - welcome to the forum! If you can - let us know which hub you are stationed at and I will bring some candy for you and friends
Dec 10, 2018, 7:45 pm
#93
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Join Date: Mar 2017
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Dec 10, 2018, 9:11 pm
#95
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
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For many (but not all) AA (Admirals Club) lounges there are "moat dragons" at the entrance, they scan your bp to verify that you can be admitted. Any issues with flts: gate #s , upgrade status, flt. changes etc. are dealt with by a different set of agents elsewhere in the lounge--you only interact with them if you choose to.
This system seems fairly efficient for gaining prompt admission.
This system seems fairly efficient for gaining prompt admission.
Dec 10, 2018, 9:38 pm
#96
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For many (but not all) AA (Admirals Club) lounges there are "moat dragons" at the entrance, they scan your bp to verify that you can be admitted. Any issues with flts: gate #s , upgrade status, flt. changes etc. are dealt with by a different set of agents elsewhere in the lounge--you only interact with them if you choose to.
This system seems fairly efficient for gaining prompt admission.
This system seems fairly efficient for gaining prompt admission.
DL does variations of this in different lounges. Some (DTW main A concourse lounge, MSP) have a separate counter for rebookings and other issues. Some have the mobile admission people son that if you're in and don't need help, you don't need ton approach the counter. However, in other SCs (such as RDU where there were three guys sitting at the counter), everyone goes through the counter, even though this setup seems inefficient.
Dec 10, 2018, 10:11 pm
#97
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
I find your lack of understanding disturbing, particularly on a DL employee's part. Commercial airport operations are one of the examples of OPSEC training showing failure, and I think I see why now. I've even questioned pre-boarding active duty military and wondered how the hell those that do so passed OPSEC training!?
OPSEC is not VIPs. OPSEC is not special agents. OPSEC is not special treatment. OPSEC is keeping your mouth shut and doing your job. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operations_security
When you are contractually bound to OPSEC, you follow it. Flying out of LIT with a metro area of ~3/4 of a million people, you may be likely to not know, or be known by anyone on the plane. Flying out of my usual home airport (metro area ~150k) I have *yet* to not know another passenger, and more know of me.
If I'm flying MSO to GRK (on a different carrier...), where the heck do you think I'm going? And do you not speculate why?
The point is, it's none of anyone else's business where I'm going (or why,) and I'd really appreciate it if DL's ticketing/ bag drop/ counter/ SkyClub agents would not say it out loud and let me fly in peace and get to work, because I'm not flying to Killeen to go surfing, though it may be for those *fantastic* butter pecans
OPSEC is not VIPs. OPSEC is not special agents. OPSEC is not special treatment. OPSEC is keeping your mouth shut and doing your job. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operations_security
When you are contractually bound to OPSEC, you follow it. Flying out of LIT with a metro area of ~3/4 of a million people, you may be likely to not know, or be known by anyone on the plane. Flying out of my usual home airport (metro area ~150k) I have *yet* to not know another passenger, and more know of me.
If I'm flying MSO to GRK (on a different carrier...), where the heck do you think I'm going? And do you not speculate why?
The point is, it's none of anyone else's business where I'm going (or why,) and I'd really appreciate it if DL's ticketing/ bag drop/ counter/ SkyClub agents would not say it out loud and let me fly in peace and get to work, because I'm not flying to Killeen to go surfing, though it may be for those *fantastic* butter pecans
Last edited by apodo77; Dec 11, 2018 at 7:26 am
Dec 10, 2018, 10:47 pm
#98
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
For many (but not all) AA (Admirals Club) lounges there are "moat dragons" at the entrance, they scan your bp to verify that you can be admitted. Any issues with flts: gate #s , upgrade status, flt. changes etc. are dealt with by a different set of agents elsewhere in the lounge--you only interact with them if you choose to.
This system seems fairly efficient for gaining prompt admission.
This system seems fairly efficient for gaining prompt admission.
This is also true of most of the DL lounges that I frequent. SFO has check in at concourse level and then a service desk upstairs in the lounge. I find this works very well.
Dec 10, 2018, 11:31 pm
#99
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 15
You know, everyone has their reasons for liking or not liking, and none are automatically invalid. Adding mine to the mix, I tend to just smile and nod during these interactions, but they are almost completely wasted on me. I have a pretty significant hearing disability which makes it very difficult to understand speech in some situations:
I work very hard to anticipate issues and be prepared when I travel, in order to minimize the conversations that I might have to have with strangers.
On a recent trip, at the end of her welcome, the Sky Club agent asked me "Do you know the WiFi?" . I blinked at her for a few seconds while my brain sorted through a list of the things that she might have just said. What I came up with was "You have a nice day!". So, in response to her question, I replied "Thank you, you too". That obviously confused *her*, so I had to apologize for misunderstanding, ask her to repeat the question, and then reply that yes, I do know the password.
So, that is my reason for preferring to avoid unnecessary quasi-social interactions like this. Especially when everything they are likely to tell me can be easily accessed some other way.
I am personally a big fan of the agents who say "Welcome! Have you been in our Sky Club before?" I can say "Yes, thank you." and go about my business.
- Background noise
- Speaker has an accent
- Speaker has speech patterns which are unfamiliar to me, or speaker has a mustache/beard which makes it difficult to speechread.
- Conversation lacks context, making it difficult to anticipate where the conversation might be going
I work very hard to anticipate issues and be prepared when I travel, in order to minimize the conversations that I might have to have with strangers.
On a recent trip, at the end of her welcome, the Sky Club agent asked me "Do you know the WiFi?" . I blinked at her for a few seconds while my brain sorted through a list of the things that she might have just said. What I came up with was "You have a nice day!". So, in response to her question, I replied "Thank you, you too". That obviously confused *her*, so I had to apologize for misunderstanding, ask her to repeat the question, and then reply that yes, I do know the password.
So, that is my reason for preferring to avoid unnecessary quasi-social interactions like this. Especially when everything they are likely to tell me can be easily accessed some other way.
I am personally a big fan of the agents who say "Welcome! Have you been in our Sky Club before?" I can say "Yes, thank you." and go about my business.
Dec 11, 2018, 5:40 am
#100
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 24
Here’s the thing - if I check in using my mobile device I have all of the flight and gate information right there. Moreover, if I’m DM then chances are I know how to navigate my way through where I need to be and when.
That said, where the info can be useful is when the plane hasn’t arrived yet so boarding actually won’t occur at the scheduled time but Delta doesn’t update that with a delay so the only way to know is to track the inbound flight or go to the gate. This happens to me a lot with the tight turnaround times from inbound flights to departure but no update from Delta.
That said, where the info can be useful is when the plane hasn’t arrived yet so boarding actually won’t occur at the scheduled time but Delta doesn’t update that with a delay so the only way to know is to track the inbound flight or go to the gate. This happens to me a lot with the tight turnaround times from inbound flights to departure but no update from Delta.
Dec 11, 2018, 6:03 pm
#102
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,884
Duh
Dec 11, 2018, 6:24 pm
#103
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
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Posts: 2,669
I don't think we should even know the word OpSec exists! Also, should we debate OpSec vs. OPSEC?
Dec 11, 2018, 10:01 pm
#105
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Posts: 10,745
This thread is amazing.
To echo what others have said, my usual SC entrance consists of the following:
"Hello!"
"Hi!" (scan BP)
"On time, gate B10. Welcome!" (optional, usually only during 1st wk of each month) "BTW wifi password is now cookiemonster."
"Thanks!"
I don't know where y'all are going that SC agents are doing some sort of drawn out interpretive dance that takes up so much or your day that you are so personally wronged and offended, but I usually spend more time trying to get soap out of those damn touchless dispensers in the bathroom than I do checking into the club.
To echo what others have said, my usual SC entrance consists of the following:
"Hello!"
"Hi!" (scan BP)
"On time, gate B10. Welcome!" (optional, usually only during 1st wk of each month) "BTW wifi password is now cookiemonster."
"Thanks!"
I don't know where y'all are going that SC agents are doing some sort of drawn out interpretive dance that takes up so much or your day that you are so personally wronged and offended, but I usually spend more time trying to get soap out of those damn touchless dispensers in the bathroom than I do checking into the club.