Supersonic Swinger

Yesterday I received in the mail my new Gold Medallion credentials, and being based in Asia the card and luggage tags say "Access to all Delta Sky Club and partner lounges" on them.

Today, I separately receive a Delta Sky Club card, also valid until February 2011. DL's Sky Club website lists the access granted to Asia based GMs and Sky Club members separately*. Do I need to carry them both if I'm travelling DL/SkyTeam? Or is the Sky Club membership an extra perk thrown in this year?



* Unfortunately none in SIN for either...

5khours

Sent a similar post a couple of days ago. I think this is the start of the process where DL takes away the SkyClub benefit from Asian based PMs and GMs.

ciao114

You won`t need SkyClub membership card if you are flying international as your PM status has access to SkyClub lounges when flying international.
But if flying solely US domestic Delta flights or other airlines flights then you need to present SkyClub membership card for lounge access, especially partner airlines lounge they will definitely ask you to show SkyClub membership card as they recognize SkyClub membership card is the only lounge membership card and PM GM card is just Elite status frequent flyer card which only have access to Delta and affiliate lounge when flying with them.
That is the reason why Delta mails SkyClub membership card separately apart from GM PM card just in case passenger flys with other airlines or US domestic solely.

5khours

Not true. On NW, PEs and GEs based in Asia always had World Club and partner club privileges regardless of itinerary. This privilege was picked up by DL so those of us who are PMs and GMs and are based in Asia have special SM cards which say on the front "ACCESS TO ALL DELTA SKYCLUB AND AFFILIATED PARTNER LOUNGES"

Delta has just recently sent us separate free SkyClub cards, so we are wondering why the change.

ciao114

You are right!
That`s why members asia have membership card says access to DeltaSkyClub and affiliated louges.
But recently I traveled on CI flight and I present my Delta PM card for CI dynasty lounge access but refused due I am not holding SkyClub membership card, so I present my NW Platinum Elite card instead and CI agent accepted.
I called Delta to clarify and I was infromed that ffective March 1st 2010, All PM must travel international to gain SkyClub access with PM card otherwise lounge membership card must be presented at lounge reception.
So that is the reason why Delta mails this SkyClub membership card.
F.Y.I. GM PM DM cards are only frequent flyer program card, it is definitely not lounge membership card.
Delta has adopted the NW rule for its FFP so Gold Platinum and Diamond members are now given complimentary lounge membership. Of couorse FFP membership and lounge membership are two different thing.

TJPACIFIC

http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...ions/index.jsp

According to the DL Sky club's rule above. Asia gold medallion alone can not get access to some partner lounges such as AS lounges in LAX, SEA, PDX, ANC, Virgin blue lounges in Australia, etc...

It's good to have a seperate sky club card in hand, because some partner lounges don't recognize the Asia gold benefits. In the past, I was frequently denied access to the Alaska board room when I was connecting on horizon flights. I was tired of explain and tell them to look at the card and check the rule.

5khours

TJPACIFIC
So maybe they are giving us the SM card now to make it easier to get into lounges without a long explanation about the Asian GM card. Hopefully this will continue next year.

WBurcham

BINGO

stephem

heck, even DL lounges tried to bounce me, telling me I needed a club membership... I found the partners in asia were knowledgeable or knew enough to look into the book they have to find my Plat card notation and let me in. In asia it seems there are so many different cards that get presented that they need to rely on what is practically a catalog. One thing that is good about this development is that I was getting told in DL lounges that the AsiaPlat benefit now only allowed 1 guest whereas the full club membership allows 2, possibly more? This development effectively negates that devaluation...

buaya00

If I just moved to SIN and am flying (as a GM) from SFO-IST, will I be able to access the Skyclub seeing I am technically Asia based now but don't have an updated (Asia based GM but have access to club) card? Or will the system be able to identify it?

stephem

In my experience, the DL/NW systems have always been capable of seeing this when they scan your card. My wife and daughter as Golds has no problem with those lounges. Contract lounges on the other hand, need to see either the SkyClubs card or (with some) it's enough to show the card with the club admittance language.

Tennen

I don't know if things have changed since this February post, but it seems as though Asia Gold gets access to more lounge locations than a Sky Club membership. Whether the notation on the GM card of "Access to all Delta Sky Club and Affiliated Partner Lounges" will matter to the lounge agent is a whole different story, though. I'm still confused as to the number of guests one can have, because I can't locate the info for the life of me...

I have no idea, but I'm sure someone else can comment. I'd imagine that the system would be able to recognize that you're Asia based, and hence, allow you access. I doubt that your old US-based card will get you in partner lounges though.

jokeram

Apparently India is not part of Asia. Thats what I was told by a club in the US. And I did not get the special GM card when I was GM from India. But they did look up that I had an Indian address on my account when I said that I was from Asia.

mnredfox

If you change your address does it automatically get sent, or do you need to fill out a replacement card request?

Tennen

Bumping this up. I don't know if anyone else noticed this (and my search came up empty), but it seems as though Asia based GMs can only access a tiny fraction of the lounges that they could use just 2 months ago - there isn't even a lounge at NRT! Lounge List

And, I can no longer find any mention of Asia GMs & PMs getting free SC memberships either. On Asia websites (Singapore, China, Japan, etc.), the wording changed from "Complimentary" to "Discounted" SC for GM and PM everywhere I looked. Since the current cards are still valid, I guess these changes will be more noticeable next year. I hope it's a glitch (doubt it), but it's infuriating that there wasn't ANY communication about the changes. Maybe I should've stuck with *A or switched to OW instead, where mid-tiers still get lounge access... :-\