pragmaticpandy

Title says it. Will I have access to the lounge on a DL-ticketed, but not DL-marketed or operated flight? For example, you can book DL award tickets where LATAM is both the marketer and operator.

Delta's website says "Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members have complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight." Ticketed is not mentioned.

Mwenenzi

Class of travel?
Status?
Benefits from an airline branded credit card and real status can be different.
Look here-->https://www.delta.com/us/en/airline-partners/latam
And-->https://latampass.latam.com/en_us/as...elta-air-lines

Awards are almost always prime airline marketed. Very very unusual to be a codeshare.

VFR

You will not get Reserve-based access unless your flight is either DL-operated or DL-marketed. I agree this creates an odd situation with partner-operated award tickets, where it's not possible to book DL-marketed flights.

Since you have the Reserve, you can buy a single visit pass for $50 when flying on flights that don't match the criteria.

pragmaticpandy

Main cabin, Platinum
I actually have one of these booked, 006 ticket, LA-marketed and operated from JFK to Lima.
I realize I may have access as a Platinum, because Platinum gets me LATAM lounge access, and the Sky Club is LATAM's lounge at JFK. Is this right? Regardless, I'm still interested in the original question of whether the reserve card alone is enough.

sydneyracquelle

Or just book a same-day dummy domestic DL ticket within 3 hours of your anticipated SC entry time and then cancel it after you get free SC access. The pending flight charge will simply drop off your credit card statement within 5 days.

snsec

I got into a "discussion" with a SkyClub manager last year when I had a DL-issued ticket that was rebooked onto an AS flight due to a flight cancellation, and they wouldn't let me in since I wasn't flying on a DL-operated/marketed flight anymore.

VFR

It is widely believed that the SkyClub access changes in early February will still provide access for GM/PM/DM on partner-operated international flights, so you should have access as a Platinum.

flyerCO

Actually I just read the full policy (thanks to SC agent). DL elites flying on partner metal will need to be in PE or J to get SC access. However if the airline offers another club, (their own or 3rd party) DL elites will still get access.

As agent stated, this new policy is way too complex. All it will do is cause confusion/ mad passengers.

Note - the SC access rules page says we get access any cabin on partner. However the original email, nor the reference sheet sent to agents say this.

GagaPilot

I wouldn’t count on access in this particular case. If you were a premium passenger on LATAM then i could see them using a DL lounge for access. But in the case of main cabin, and not DL marketed or operated, the answer is most likely no. Buy a refundable dummy ticket on DL if you really want access.

sydneyracquelle

All tickets, both non refundable and refundable, are fully refundable in the first 24 hours.

VFR

Thank you for this information, and ouch... it makes sense that Delta can ban their own elites from their own clubs regardless of carrier, and that Delta is not going to incentivize flyers to fly partner metal over Delta metal, but it still stings. Notably, this also contradicts the policy as written on skyteam.com.

I give it two years before SkyTeam/partner lounge access is cut for Delta elites in Economy altogether, in the name of product consistency (an "enhancement").

flyerCO

I'm thinking the policy may not last (if it is policy). Just too much confusion. In fact i don't give most of the changes much lasting time. It's just too confusing and will mean agents are confused, passengers are confused, and lead to wasting agent time.

VFR

It's going to be confusing for both the agents and the passengers. Folks are going to get denied at the kiosk, ask an agent why, and an agent is going to have to say "you're a DM with a Reserve flying a KL-marketed and operated fare, would you like to buy a pass for $50?" It's even worse for Amex Platinum holders who bought partner-operated flights from DL.

I think the policy will stand but Delta will change the access policy for the Reserve card to allow access when flying partner-marketed and operated flights (e.g. the LA award ticket that started this thread), so that GM/PM/DM with a Reserve card aren't shut out of a Sky Club.

Continuing with my previous guess that access to the rest of the SkyTeam lounges is next on the chopping block, I'm still a bit confused what the value of SkyMiles is going to be for long haul international fliers going forward, because +1 checked bag, Sky Priority, and upgrades to Comfort+ don't move the needle that much to choose Delta over another carrier.

xliioper

Note that LA is not a Skyteam member, so I don't believe DL STE+ had access to DL Sky Clubs prior to changes when flying LA (only access to the 5 LA operated lounges due to more limited relationship). While a Sky Club membership allows for access when flying any partner (except HA which must be DL marketed), DL STE+ status only notes access previously to DL Sky Clubs when flying actual Skyteam partners -- https://www.delta.com/us/en/delta-sky-club/access

WillBarrett_68

and what was the outcome of this discussion?