Will Delta ruin NWA World Clubs?
 

I floated this topic recently on the DL Forum but I would be interested in hearing feedback from the NW side of the street....

One of the best benefits of CR membership for me over the last few years has been the reciprocity with NW. Specifically:

1) FOOD -- NW clubs have always had very good catering: toasted bagels in the morning, hummus, veggies and cookies in the afternoon, specialty coffee machines and excellent service to boot. In fact, if you look in at the back room at a NW club, it looks somewhat like a restaurant kitchen; at DL, it looks like a pantry.

2) SELF SERVICE BARS -- I like pouring my own drink. There's no waiting, I pour it the way I like and I dislike the "service is our pleasure...gratuities are our expectation" attitude by some of the contract employees at the CRs.

3) OPEN WI-FI -- I hate the hassle of the T-Mobile cards. Between getting the card and logging on, some days I spend as much time getting on the net as I do working on it. If DL benefits from a marketing agreement with T-Mobile, fine: display the T-Mobile info on the log in screen but keep the network open!!! The current system is a pain in the rear and a tremendous waste of plastic.

Has anyone heard anything about DL's plans for coordinating services in the two clubs?

I have no idea about when clubs will be combined, but aside from having to use bartenders in the CRC's I've visited, I've found them to be at least comparable to WC's for what I need.

The lone exception, though, is in DL's favor. The CRC in the ATL E concourse that used to be the BE lounge (I've visited it in both guises) was still serving heavy hors d'oeuvres (hot and cold) in the afternoons when I was last there in Sept. Granted, that club gets packed at that time (it's in the international concourse), but its offerings are better than any WC I've been in.

This tells me you have never been in the new WorldClub in NRT. :)

deleted, dup

I fully expect to lose reciprocity with CO PC shortly. I wouldn't be surprised to see a same day ticket on DL metal requirement. I wonder if DL contract with T-mobile will require T-mobile to be installed in all NW clubs? I see a lot of long term downside risk, which is why I passed on a three year or lifetime membership.

By the looks of things, I don't see why they wouldn't want to screw everything up?

The drink area in DTW Main would function nicley as a bar, which I really do enjoy waiting 10 minutes for a Pepsi - err, Coke. For every minute I wait though, I usually put 10 cookies in my bag.

I think first, will be no more smoking and enjoy our enhanced (LOL!) bar service.

Hopefully they do acquire the electronic lockers, but I don't know that it will matter too much as I am sure I will not be renewing this year.

Time will tell..

bah!!!
 

What? You don't think a bowl of snack mix and a few Biscoff cookies are decent catering????????????? Most CR I have been in had exactly that.

The NRT WC is my favorite lounge in the world.

I actually tried to tip the bartender at the PDX WC a few months back, and she politely advised me that tips were not allowed!!

Hey Delta: You took the good planes, made our WP miles worthless, at least let us keep a decent lounge!!!

Merger my a**!

If they ever replace the furniture at the DTW club, I want one of those low chairs with the granite tables attached.

Heck, I wish I know who made them so I could buy one. I love those. Anyone know?

If they introduce bartenders it may kill the deal for me. I like being able to pour my own drinks. I'd rather have two very strong drinks then four normal/weak drinks.

I would think it would cost less to have pour your own...

Me, too. Actually that is if they reverse the decision on change fees for plats on award tickets. Otherwise, I am gone from NWA & there will be no reason to renew my club membership again. I agree with a couple strong drinks vs. 4 weak ones. Not to mention the $4 in tips that goes along with the 4 weak ones.

"Hey Delta: You took the good planes, made our WP miles worthless, at least let us keep a decent lounge!!!

Merger my a**! "

My sentiments exactly, Aroundtheworld76!

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

My sentiments too! Maybe we should make hats that say that. I'm guessing that bling with anti-DL slogans on it would sell well here.

Yeah, tipping on top of the annual membership fee is sort of a slap in the face. And, of course, DL's club fees are higher than NW's (well, NW just matched - shocking). Finally, I have been flat-out told not to tip in my home (DCA) WC where they have to have bartenders due to VA state law. I really appreciated the sentiment - one absolutely not shared by CRC employees.

I've seen similar at JFK T3 CRC (also formerly a BE or First lounge), so I think this may be the way DL does things at the CRCs where the international flyers hang out. If so, I appreciate it. :)

Steel Case makes something like them...

http://steelcase.com/na/lounge_products.aspx?f=10273

Migrations Round & Club Mobile

Herman Miller makes the airport furniture, not sure if they supplied the lounge furniture?

http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/...40-p54,00.html LOL!!

I think the real question is whether Delta will *ruin* the clubs or *run* them...

If NW gets that piece of the pie, things may not change very much.

Bob H

I'm hoping they don't mess with the veggies! I love the carrots and celery sticks. Such a healthier alternative to salty snacks you need to fill in those silly paper cups DL has.
On the upside, DL does has olives, but I do prefer the carrots!

And you may want to check out Haworth - they may still be making the "web-backed looking" desktop station chairs (and the ones the check-in desk folks sit in). Been a bit of competition for the furniture over tha last 8 years or so - most of it's made in Michigan, and if you search enough, there are warehouse outlets for the used stuff.....used to sell to all 3 mfgs and got a good discount, but not much anymore

Sorry to barge in late, but as we have seen in other threads and experienced from history it's fair to say that , yes, DL will ruin everything. Includes WC, WP and anything else you can think of. Let's all run, although it would be nicer if another program really would offer as a superior option. At this stage, things look better anywhere else, but really not that much better. Bummer.

I think DL will pretty much ruin them. I much prefer sitting in the gate areas with the screaming babies.:D

LAX WC Question
 

I just flew WBC from MNL-NRT-LAX.

Since I just was fed four meals in the air what I'm asking didn't really change anything on this date but the cookies at the LAX WC were quite small.

It has been a long time since I was there during "cookie" time but compared the the cookies at any other WC I've been in they were small. Have the cookies always been small at LAX;)

FWIW, it's against CRC policy for the bartenders to accept tips. I've heard some clubs' bartenders take them, but they're not supposed to.

Here is a WAG on my part, but I bet that DL's bar tenders are contractors or otherwise not employed directly by DL and as a result make minimum wage for a server with the expectation that that they will be tipped. This is in opposition to WCs that have "bartenders" to comply with local laws (for example DCA) where the staff are paid a wage with the expectation of no tips. Thus DL setup is probably cheaper than NW, and umm... we know how this will work out. DL is certain to employ the tipping bartenders to reduce their labor costs by transferring it to their members.

There is a "tip" jar on the bar in the LGA CRC.

Great club! That stupid beer machine made me drink waaaay too much

Yes, the cookies at LAX seem like generic store-bought cookies, not the usual fare at the hub clubs. The oatmeal raisin cookies are the #1 reason I visit WorldClubs. Even if I am running to make a connection and have only a minute to stop by a club I always do, just to run in and grab a handful.

[QUOTE=james318;11030841]If they ever replace the furniture at the DTW club, I want one of those low chairs with the granite tables attached.

Heck, I wish I know who made them so I could buy one. I love those. Anyone know?

QUOTE]

You could ask the WC agent. Last year when I was in SFO I saw some art works that I really like. I asked the WC agent and she looked up the info for me.

Im surprised this has not surfaced yet (although it may have without me noticing), but it appears that some clubs are moving away from the self-serve bars. The IAD lounge has switched to DL glassware and has removed all self-serve alcohol. Now, it is served by a bartender behind the old customer service desk in the back. Looks really make-shift in my opinion.

The old NWA mugs are still there, but the NWA logo has been stripped off leaving bare white mugs with only NORTHWEST written on the bottom. The typical NW snacks are in place, no DL fare as of yet. Is this the same that is happening at other clubs across the system? Havent been to any other WCs since March 30.

The tipping seems commonplace at most CRCs. The bartender at the BNA CRC always keeps a stack of $1s in plain view with the hope that the stack will grow larger. The other DL staff seem not to care about tips when they serve drinks in his absence. I noticed Cabo Wabo tequila in this club the other day. ^^ I'll also give CRCs big bonus points for having better top shelf liquor and beer all around. I would rather tip and enjoy Maker's Mark or Woodford Reserve over that low bud Jim Beam in the WC.

What's with the Atlanta CRCs going to mini bottles? Seems like a huge waste to me.

Thanks for bumping this thread, SkyTeam777. Somehow I missed it back in January, but back then I would not have had a clue about the future of WC's. Now it appears that once again DL is determined to destroy all of the things that made NW such a great airline. Including the WorldClubs!! It appears to be the continuation of the "Delta knows best" attitude, and the WC's will morph into the poor excuses for lounges that CRC's seem to be. Instead of offering the "best" of each airline, they have consistently chosen to offer us the "worst" option. The sole exception is serving meals on more DL flights than before, but making them all "cold meals".

As for the IAD lounge, I was there in February and they had the "bartender" arrangement but I assumed that it was due to local laws like at DCA. In itself, it was no big deal as the service was prompt and efficient for a guy who wanted nothing more than a draft beer. And 2 weeks ago, I managed to wander down to the CRC in PHL since I had a couple of hours to wait for my NW flight. It was worth the walk, as I was pleasantly surprised by the enhanced late afternoon snacks that were offered there (hummus and olives) compared to the crap that I have seen in most CRC's in the past. But all in all, the NW lounges have always seemed to offer a much better experience than the CRC's. I think this will soon be a fond memory for all of us, as DL seeks to reach the LOWEST common denominator, rather than the BEST of the two airlines.

Come on, DL, get rid of those stupid Putting Greens, and give us some useful things like decent snacks, a good selection of current newspapers, and easy to use wi-fi.

Will DL ruin Worldclubs?
 

Yes.

..

So FT won't let me post a reply of fewer than "5 letters"?

Feh!

Sure they will

WC offerings are so much better than CRC offerings...I hope they stick with the WC program (better food, no t-mobile crap etc)

No

I'll be the first to criticize domestic airlines' lounge offerings, but seriously, CRCs aren't really that bad. The food (at least a breakfast and late afternoon) is pretty good, drinks are free, and they're usually relatively comfortable. In terms of NW lounges, the food isn't really that much better (and sometimes, for example those awful cookies, worse) and the drinks are worse. Some of the facilities are quite nice supposedly (haven't been to any of them as I fly DL and generally through DL hubs), but it's not like DL is going to replace the old NW facilities with bad ones. I will admit that the NW free wifi is much improved, but we don't even know for sure what they're going to do w/ the wifi.

Just relax for the time being. It is very possible that DL will improve the whole system. If nothing else, they can close some of the very mediocre and redundant lounges (like the LGA WorldClub) and focus resources on the remaining ones.

I was just in the SLC SkyLounge yesterday and the only "food" offerings were pretzel balls and biscoff cookies. I'll take the cookies, cheese, crackers, pretzels, carrots, and celery any day over these measly offerings. In terms of snacks, the best DL lounge is still inferior to NW's worst lounge, in my experiences. :td:

On a positive note, I was told by a lounge rep that the T-Mobile card system in SLC will terminate in a few weeks and everyone in the club will be able to access the internet. ^

Can anyone comment if all lounges will have bartenders now? and if all lounges have lost nwa-branded mugs/plates?

I see you're Platinum on AA and if we do a comparison of either WC or CRC vs AC anyone would jump all over CRC or WC.

BUT, if we compare WC vs CRC it would be in disbelieve that anyone would choose a CRC. I'm sure there are exceptional clubs in either program but in the majority of them the CRC's just are lousy.

Unless I'm missing something I've never been to a CRC that had more than biscouts with chocolate spread, and pretzel type of mix. Even breakfast offers minor muffins, etc.

WC has sort of a full bagel/english muffins type breakfast with several types of cheese and peanut butter,granola bars, yogurt. Their midday and evenings have cheese, crackers, carrots, fruits, cookies (three types and in MKE one even has M&M's inside).

Even though both are free I surely like the self serve bars. I rarely have a non soft drink and hate waiting for a bartender for a soda. I guess if I did want a drink it would be nice to control how much "juice" I wanted to add.

Being ST Elite + (BTW with UA or AA you only need middle tier) I can get into international lounges and with CO going away along with CRC and WC being the same I do not have a desire to buy a membership since I have the Platinum Amex.

It is also nice that AA has been added to the Amex benefit since I've started flying them again.

Apparently CRC's have a better food selection but only certain hours of the day. I prefer the WC approach to give breakfast choices until 11am and lots of other options as mentioned above until club closing.

I am hoping but all I can say is "seeing is believing." With almost across-the-board taking the "worst of each airline" I will not be convinced of club-wide free wifi until I see it, regardless of how you enter the club, even full fare business class, ST Elite + or AmEx platinum.

Sources tell me they are moving to a self-serve model where legal.