flyerCO

CZ is now neither. WS was long before JV was thought of. One has nothing to do with other.

DMPHL

Delta is not required to. And has nothing to do with being a LATAM lounge or not. OneWorld's lounge access rules for its member airlines are both generous and kind of complicated. There are two sets of obligations: (1) Requirements for Oneworld lounges and (2) Requirements for Oneworld airlines.

(1) Any Oneworld lounge is accessible to all Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald elites traveling on a OneWorld airline same day. This covers most lounges operated by OW airlines...lounges like Qatar Premium lounges at LHR and CDG and the Al Mourjan and Al Safwa lounges at DOH are not included, and are only for Business and First passengers traveling on Oneworld airlines. This doesn't apply here, since the Skyclub isn't a Oneworld lounge, BUT:

(2) All Oneworld airlines are required to provide lounge access to all Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald passengers traveling on their metal. If there is a Oneworld lounge
available, then passengers would have access to that anyway. If there is not, then the airline is obligated to provide access by contracting for it at another lounge.

So, it wouldn't necessarily be the DL Skyclub...I guess they could contract for those passengers to use the Wingtips lounge or the Air India Maharaja Lounge, if they are able to contract for it based on capacity. Then again—with the exception of AA elites traveling solely on North American itineraries—Oneworld airlines are generally required to treat partner elites the same as their own elites when it comes to lounge access (e.g. not shuttle partner elites to inferior lounges, etc.)

There are some other nuances and complexities that are annoying and don't really apply here, but the obligation for LATAM to provide lounge access to OW elites remains as long as it is in Oneworld.

flyerCO

This makes no sense. There's plenty of airports where no lounge access is provided. Even if that's the case, AA has lounges in T8. While this means reclear security, there's still OW lounge.Ive never been aware of a rule that says a lounge must be provided. However with that said I bet Latam will give them access to the SC for the few remaining months.

DMPHL

Well if there's no lounge available, or no lounge that is able to contract for it, then yea there's nothing that can be done. But LATAM wouldn't be allowed to offer access to its own elites and not offer access to partner elites.

flyerCO

Yes it can. How do you think it works for partners that arent in the alliance. Better yet look at how OW "CONNECT" partners work for lounges. There's never been such a rule.

eneq

Bolded for emphasis. I don't think LATAM will be the one allowing those pax into the SC. Ultimately, its Delta's call, and I don't see why they would give access to OW elites.

flyerCO

LATAM will contract with DL. Has nothing to do with DLs call. Has to do with what LATAM decides to pay for.

eneq

Yeah but Delta still sets the stipulations for who has access. Just because LATAM is forced to offer lounge access to OW elites doesn't mean it HAS to be in the Skyclub.

VFR

(heavy speculation) My belief is that a oneworld airline is required to give the same lounge access to OWS as it gives to J passengers -- this is demonstrated by AA letting elites into the Flagship Lounge when United does not let elites into the Polaris Lounge, and by AA and other oneworld airlines giving elites invitations to contract lounges. Therefore if LATAM uses the Sky Club for its J passengers, it may be obligated under oneworld lounge rules to provide access to the same lounge for OWS and OWE elites.

Given that Delta is the one operating the contract lounge, it is possible Delta will tell LATAM that business class and LATAM elites (and DL elites flying LA) are welcome but other oneworld elites are not. In this case, my guess would be that LATAM would say "forget the rules, we're leaving anyway, they probably won't sue over a frequent flyer thing" and shut out oneworld elites.

Even if LATAM does end up allowing oneworld elites into the Sky Club, it's going to be quite a sight trying to convince the dragon at the Sky Club "I'm an AA Platinum, that gets me Sky Club access flying LATAM for the next 9 months."

flyerCO

Your confusing two distinct things, a thrid party lounge and one operated by a member airline. AA must allow OW elites in because it's an OW airline business lounge. If instead of being a OW lounge it's thrid party, then it's not required. Generally OW (and ST excluding DL) will send elites of other members even if not an airline lounge. However they're not required to do so.

DMPHL

The lounge agents will be trained on it, and/or LATAM will issue something kind of lounge invitation that the SkyClub agent would collect. If they do indeed use the SkyClub, as opposed to Wingtips or AI, they’ll have worked it out in advance with DL as part of the T4 move, as they would with all contract lounges. and no one will need to be surprised.

OhDoctor

We're actually flying JFK-LAX-PPT-IPC-SCL-ATL-JFK in a few months with a mix of BA avios and cash. I can't imagine a universe in which DL would price that route at less than 300,000 SkyMiles (in J, at least).

dafunk10

We're flying between LIM and CUZ in early February. I was holding on booking the flights until the LATAM purchase details were finalized, but does anyone think there will be any resolution as to whether DL members will earn on LATAM flights before then (maybe as of 2/1)?

Eastbay1K

What other reliable airline would you fly on this route? What other airline would you fly that would possibly earn you anything in any program which you could use? You're going in what, 2 weeks max, and you still don't have tickets?

dafunk10

Less than 2 weeks actually.

LATAM and Avianca fly the route frequently. It’s low season in Peru and lots of RT flights still available for $100-150. There’s no rush, so didn’t know if it was worth it to wait to earn a few skypesos