I am flying ATL to SYD with changeover in LAX. I managed to use a companion certificate to LAX then a separate ticket to SYD. The agent told me the two tickets cannot be joined, but that there is a notation on the records that they are together.

My question is about using a sky club guest pass. I understand that normally flying on the same day, only one pass is needed for visiting the club in ATL and LAX. Will I have trouble with the split ticket? I do not want to have to use 2 passes. BTW, I get in the club on Business Reserve card.

I know some of the new rules are a bit confusing and I have found agents sometimes do not know. I do not fly as much as before since I am pretty much retired. I do need to add it is good to have some leftover status and enjoy a few benefits of years of heavier flying.

I'm not sure I'm following your question. Are you asking about guest access to the Sky Club, or your own access to the Sky Club? I could be misreading, but it sounds like you're conflating the 2025 credit card-based access, which will be limited to a set number of "Visits" for cardholders (and which will not use "passes") with the guest access policy and credit card-based guest passes.

If you currently hold a credit card that grants you access to Sky Clubs (DL Reserve Amex, AmEx Platinum), you currently have unlimited access to all Sky Clubs, on departure, connection, and arrival. You do not need to use any kind of "pass" for your own access.

Starting 01 February 2025, your credit card-based access will be limited to a certain number of "Visits" (15 for DL Reserve AmEx, 10 for AmEx Platinum), where a "Visit" is defined as "all access within a 24-hour period". So, even in this scenario, you would be able to access Sky Clubs in ATL and LAX under the same "Visit", provided that they took place within a single, 24-hour period.

The only use of "passes" is for guest access, which normally costs $50 per guest per location. The DL Reserve AmEx gives 2 (pre-2024) or 4 (2024 onward) such guest passes, which can be used in lieu of paying $50.

Yes, that is my question, guest passes are more limited. I do not want to use 2 of them. (As my life is now I do not fly without my wife, and I certainly don't go to the Sky Club without her. &#128526

Thanks

By my reading of the access rules, Guest access is per location. So, by that interpretation, yes: you'd need to use a guest pass, or pay for guest access, at each Sky Club location.


Sky Club guest access for cardholders: $50 (or guest pass) per visit, per location.

Note the different capitalization of "visit" vs "Visit", which, again per my interpretation, implies that a Guest "visit" (lower-case, per-location) is different from a member "Visit" (capitalized, all Sky Club access within a 24-hour period, starting in 2025).

If you fly frequently with your wife, it might be more cost-effective for you to pay $175 for your wife to get an Authorized User (AU) additional card for your DL Reserve AmEx, so that she gets the same Sky Club access that you have. Note that doing so would pay for itself after 4 Sky Club location visits (not counting the 2 or 4 guest passes you receive as the primary cardholder).

With separate tickets, the three hour rule potentially applies to both SCs, so you should be sure to enter at LAX as an arriving passenger (from NYC) rather than as a departing passenger (to SYD) if you have more than three hours at LAX.

Thanks - this 24 hour vs. per location is confusing,but I believe you are correct, the "Visit" vs. "visit" subtle wording is important. I will consider the AU option if needed.

Very good reminder - thanks

As long as the travel is happening prior to 01 February 2025, you don't need to worry about the 24-hour "Visit" as the primary cardholder. Currently, you have full, unlimited access to all Sky Clubs.

There does seem to be some potential difference of interpretation for guest passes once this 24-hour "Visit" for limited credit card access goes into effect. But the "per location" wording is identical for direct, individual Sky Club memberships (which do not have a limit of number of "Visits" in 2025) and for credit card access, which to me strongly implies that guests will be charged $50 every time they enter a Club location.

The AU would all but pay for itself in one round trip with connections (departure/connection/arrival Sky Club entry, X2).