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Sky Club Access questions (June 2022 onward)

Sky Club Access questions (June 2022 onward)

Old May 8, 2022, 6:35 am
  #331  
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Originally Posted by pfreet
My apologies if already asked/answered (this is a long thread!) ... do you think the 3-hour rule would apply to Skyteam International flights? PM flying Atlanta to Calgary in late June, all on Delta metal. Can I arrive at a Skyclub more than 3 hours ahead of the departure from Atlanta? It seems to me the Skyteam rules supersede Delta rules? https://www.skyteam.com/en/lounges
You have it backwards. DL rules can supersede Skyteam rules for DL Sky Club access (or at least have some additional access restrictions not mentioned on Skyteam site). For example, DL has long denied Sky Club access for Skyteam Elite Plus members on international flights between US and Caribbean. Skyteam has only recently adopted this policy if you go by website archives (starting around 2019) as there is no mention of an exclusion on Skyteam website for US-Caribbean flights before then.

Last edited by xliioper; May 8, 2022 at 7:00 am
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Old May 8, 2022, 6:51 am
  #332  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by drminn
For some reason I can't help but think that their data is better than yours. Time will tell.
That, and the number of people in this thread saying it will impact them and it is an extreme change.
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Old May 8, 2022, 6:55 am
  #333  
 
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Originally Posted by NoleATL
That, and the number of people in this thread saying it will impact them and it is an extreme change.

"This is a very minor change that won't have any effect at all, but will make me reconsider my membership, and complain every time I see a Delta employee."
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Old May 8, 2022, 6:18 pm
  #334  
 
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Originally Posted by cubeman
LGA skyclub just now front desk asked to see the email and screenshot as they were unaware and getting lots of complaints

Also the 3rd time with my exec membership that it goes unnoticed and I'm asked to swipe my card for my guest.
Odd - had a long conversation on Thursday at LGA D club with an agent who was aware of the change and hated it - asked me to complain to Delta and seemed overjoyed when I told them I was also complaining to Amex.

edit: we agreed that the 3hr rule was somewhat reasonable but the arrivals rule was a sledgehammer
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Old May 8, 2022, 6:22 pm
  #335  
 
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Originally Posted by Goodoldflyer
If, as many people here are claiming, it's just a "pick up food, use the toilette, and go" situation for many folks, there's also perhaps a good reason to do so. It costs money to staff and supply food for this purpose. Now I can see how that would be a great deal for $550 per year for some folks, but perhaps a money-loser for the skyclub.
For those using a CC for access, it actually makes a ton of money for the clubs since Amex is paying per entry - it's Amex who's losing money on the quick "bathroom and coffee" arrivals visits.
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Old May 9, 2022, 7:24 am
  #336  
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
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I'll echo the concern about the arrival loss -- minor for "quick stop to use a bathroom when convenient", bigger for "taking a little bit to wake up after a redeye before driving to home/office". That's been talked to death, though I'll add that one problem here may be that, while Delta has plenty of data on entrances, they may not have similar data on exits (though a camera in the right place and some image recognition technology might have already closed that gap.)

There's a more interesting use case on the departure side which no one has yet brought up, and the club personnel aren't quite sure about yet either. Yesterday, my wife and I had a 6 PM flight out of O'Hare, but we were finished with our event of the day earlier than expected, so we headed to the airport a little after noon to get on the standby list for a 3:30 PM flight (successfully, as it turned out). While checking in at the club desk at around 12:30 PM after clearing security, I asked what the policy was going to be after June 1 in this case -- my boarding pass was for a departure outside the three hour window, but I was on the standby list for a flight within the three hour window. The agent thought that was a great question and didn't know the answer; since there was no line of people trying to get in waiting behind me, the multiple agents up front chatted amongst themselves and concluded that Delta *should* be letting me in, since I was trying to get out on a flight in three hours, and we agreed that this was the type of situation where a potentially extended stay in a Sky Club was quite reasonable -- in fact, the policy should be designed to allow for precisely this type of circumstance. Has anyone seen an officially stated policy on this?

If anyone's curious, the club was not particularly crowded on this day. The agents stated (without prompting from me) that something needed to be done about crowding, but that this wasn't the right solution... they in particular offered up how folks were just going to book refundable tickets to get into the club and then cancel them. (!)
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:25 am
  #337  
 
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Most Skyclub agents I've encountered, are also not happy, and are suggesting to do a complaint option. They say they've never been consulted or asked stations/locations before making such access policy change. Not sure if anything will happen but more people complain, at least, they might consider putting grandfather clause for its current membership, but am hopeful, with enough complaints, they might move pro-consumer. Why should the consumer who purchased membership pay for "Delta's over-capacity booking" for its lounges.

Jiburi
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:31 am
  #338  
 
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Originally Posted by jiburi
Most Skyclub agents I've encountered, are also not happy, and are suggesting to do a complaint option. They say they've never been consulted or asked stations/locations before making such access policy change. Not sure if anything will happen but more people complain, at least, they might consider putting grandfather clause for its current membership, but am hopeful, with enough complaints, they might move pro-consumer. Why should the consumer who purchased membership pay for "Delta's over-capacity booking" for its lounges.

Jiburi
I think it's always worth voicing a complaint, especially paid members. Not consulting with the staff at the Club seems like some exec is crunching numbers without exactly assessing the situation. Someone who comes in to grab a coffee and a bagel after a redeye just doesn't contribute to crowding very much, but is still counted as an entry of course
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:33 am
  #339  
 
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Originally Posted by rdunlap1125
I'll echo the concern about the arrival loss -- minor for "quick stop to use a bathroom when convenient", bigger for "taking a little bit to wake up after a redeye before driving to home/office". That's been talked to death, though I'll add that one problem here may be that, while Delta has plenty of data on entrances, they may not have similar data on exits (though a camera in the right place and some image recognition technology might have already closed that gap.)

There's a more interesting use case on the departure side which no one has yet brought up, and the club personnel aren't quite sure about yet either. Yesterday, my wife and I had a 6 PM flight out of O'Hare, but we were finished with our event of the day earlier than expected, so we headed to the airport a little after noon to get on the standby list for a 3:30 PM flight (successfully, as it turned out). While checking in at the club desk at around 12:30 PM after clearing security, I asked what the policy was going to be after June 1 in this case -- my boarding pass was for a departure outside the three hour window, but I was on the standby list for a flight within the three hour window. The agent thought that was a great question and didn't know the answer; since there was no line of people trying to get in waiting behind me, the multiple agents up front chatted amongst themselves and concluded that Delta *should* be letting me in, since I was trying to get out on a flight in three hours, and we agreed that this was the type of situation where a potentially extended stay in a Sky Club was quite reasonable -- in fact, the policy should be designed to allow for precisely this type of circumstance. Has anyone seen an officially stated policy on this?

If anyone's curious, the club was not particularly crowded on this day. The agents stated (without prompting from me) that something needed to be done about crowding, but that this wasn't the right solution... they in particular offered up how folks were just going to book refundable tickets to get into the club and then cancel them. (!)
The FAQs state you can enter 3 hours prior to your standby flight but that you must intend to board the flight if cleared. In other words, they dont want you standing by for an earlier flight just to circumvent the 3 hour rule.
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:34 am
  #340  
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Originally Posted by demkr
I think it's always worth voicing a complaint, especially paid members.
I would wager that the number of people voicing a complaint about this new change is neglible compared to the number of people who have complained about overcrowding.
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:42 am
  #341  
 
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I don't have a problem with any of the changes because they don't affect me personally (but I definitely understand the plight of others who use the lounge for arrivals/ more than 3 hours). However, the fact that lounge employees are telling customers to complain to Delta is basically the definition of a poorly implemented policy change. Whatever the numbers show, this fact means Delta royally screwed up the rule change.
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:48 am
  #342  
 
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I guess the question is - what is the best "pro-consumer" way to reduce overcrowding, which everyone agrees is a problem. Let's not provide answers like "eliminate access for credit card holders" which is obviously a much more draconian solution (and much more unrealistic) than Delta is actually implementing.

I would actually implement the changes as described, but allow "Executive Membership" customers that purchase pass memberships outright to access clubs upon arrival - but that membership tier should go up in price to $1,200 or something. Access upon arrival has legitimate use cases, but those that need it should pay extra.
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Old May 9, 2022, 8:57 am
  #343  
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Originally Posted by Adelphos
I guess the question is - what is the best "pro-consumer" way to reduce overcrowding, which everyone agrees is a problem. Let's not provide answers like "eliminate access for credit card holders" which is obviously a much more draconian solution (and much more unrealistic) than Delta is actually implementing.

I would actually implement the changes as described, but allow "Executive Membership" customers that purchase pass memberships outright to access clubs upon arrival - but that membership tier should go up in price to $1,200 or something. Access upon arrival has legitimate use cases, but those that need it should pay extra.
One compromise I think they should do is allow lounge arrival after a redeye. People like to use it for showers and since Delta is the only US airline to not offer a prearrival meal on a redeye, people are also hungry and want coffee upon landing. The DTW is usually pretty empty in the morning anyway when I go after a redeye so not like there is a line of people that can't get in.
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Old May 9, 2022, 9:00 am
  #344  
 
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Originally Posted by jamesteroh
One compromise I think they should do is allow lounge arrival after a redeye. People like to use it for showers and since Delta is the only US airline to not offer a prearrival meal on a redeye, people are also hungry and want coffee upon landing. The DTW is usually pretty empty in the morning anyway when I go after a redeye so not like there is a line of people that can't get in.
Yeah, this is a revision I can easily see them making.
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Old May 9, 2022, 9:04 am
  #345  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
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Originally Posted by Adelphos
I guess the question is - what is the best "pro-consumer" way to reduce overcrowding, which everyone agrees is a problem. Let's not provide answers like "eliminate access for credit card holders" which is obviously a much more draconian solution (and much more unrealistic) than Delta is actually implementing.

I would actually implement the changes as described, but allow "Executive Membership" customers that purchase pass memberships outright to access clubs upon arrival - but that membership tier should go up in price to $1,200 or something. Access upon arrival has legitimate use cases, but those that need it should pay extra.
The sure way to reduce crowd without affecting paid members is to remove/limit guest access. I am fine with three-hour window but do think Diamond/Delta one should be able to get in earlier. Arrival access should still be allowed since it really doesn't add too much to overall crowding and probably generate same revenues. SC agents love arrivals because arrivals keep head count high and give agents more shifts.
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