CMK10

I think you're dreaming. There's no competition anymore and I can't see AA or UA deciding to make travel feel luxurious. We're facing a prolonged travel downturn and possible recession and I don't think expensive food at the SC is going to lure people back. It's going to be air travel as basic transportation for a long, long time.

s0ssos

I think this is like the past few months with coronavirus in the US. Many people don't believe you, nor all the data coming out that there is a recession if not worse.
I think realistically in the next few months/years "safety" will be the number one priority, and that will be the new luxury (I guess it always has been that way, what with Volvo become a luxury car maker instead of a safe one)

cmd320

I disagree. In a few months time people aren't going to remember any of this and it will be back to business as usual. The general public has a very short-term memory.

pgh234

​​​​​​I largely agree the public has a short term memory with something they are "passionate" about that does not directly effect them..such as something a politician, actor, sports figure, or big company says or does.

However, in the minds of a significant portion of the general public (myself not included), the 'Rona will directly effect and kill anyone that gets in its path. Politicians will keep saying this as well, lest they have "blood on their hands" when inevitably someone dies after they reopen society.

That being said, I feel that it will be a very long time before things return to "normal" as far as airline service and luxuries go. While some folks will come out to travel soon, a very significant portion will not until there is a vaccine.

MCO Flyer

I agree but as long as COVID-19 is in our news media cycle, no one will be forgetting about it.

cfabar1

COVID-19 is going to be with us for a while. I think there are some of these events that have wide-ranging and long term impacts on life. I think September 11 was one of them. I think this will be no different. I hope I am wrong, but with this being a possible 2 year event, the longer it goes on, the less likely people are to forget.

WillBarrett_68

It is definitely possible to make a fork or spoon out of cobalt 60.

KenTarmac

Cobalt 60 is a great antiseptic, antiviral and antibiological. So is Iridium 192 and others in that family of elements.

rylan

Ok, I knew I should've also said made from or coated with something that won't also kill or cause severe radiation damage to those using it

GrayAnderson

I'm going to "split the baby" here: I think the SCs at non-hubs may go away entirely (places like JAX come to mind) but I think there may be an effort to beef up some of the remaining ones (JFK, LAX, and ATL are high on the list here). I think you might see a partial retrenchment at those hubs (I could see one or two SCs in ATL getting cut back, particularly if there's enough of a traffic drop/frequency drop that DL temporarily cuts back traffic in one or two of the ATL terminals.

Basically, I'm thinking somewhere around half of the SCs survive but the remaining ones see a decent level of service retained, especially if we end up with a more hub-and-spoke heavy Delta and the number of flights that are either double-connections or clumsy connections are up.

Also, don't forget...there's a respectable number of SC members and (almost more relevant) Reserve CC holders. I think you can make a case that dropping SCs at lower-traffic outstations isn't going to factor as heavily into those calculations, but I do think that as long as SC memberships (direct or indirect) hold up reasonably well that's going to keep a floor under SC service levels.

(Or, to put it differently, if I'm going to get a better experience at PF Chang's at ATL then the value of that SC membership becomes dubious unless I'm traveling a lot.)

cfabar1

Yes I agree. With the above comments. No way all the little clubs survive.

rylan

IF they don't end up surviving, then DL will have to significantly reduce the annual fee. Pax aren't going to pay for or use SC benefit when one doesn't exist at their home airport. Along with that, Amex will also have to reduce the Reserve annual fee if they don't want to see a substantial amount of people drop the card or switch to plat.

MSPeconomist

With travel being down, I wonder whether DL could make a deal for AMEX Centurion lounge access or even access to lounges in the PP network to cover airports where there isn't enough traffic in the near future to continue to support a SC for now?

flyerCO

DL lounges are also their J class lounges unlike UA/AA. Thus at least at major airports will need to bring back the same product. Also they have spent $$$ renovating/putting in new clubs with higher end food serving areas, like AUS.

OT, but When it comes to food, my question is will the sit down restaurant format survive. (At least for fast food/non-high end)

HeadInTheClouds

FWIW, UA Clubs that are open are still operating with full and normal bar service.