In an effort to curb overcrowding, Delta has announced big changes to how Sky Clubs will be accessed by credit cardholders. Flying Basic Economy? You’re not getting into the club. Do you currently get in with a credit card? Delta SkyMiles Platinum cardholders will no longer be eligible to buy their way in. And, starting in 2025, Delta Reserve cardholders will be limited to 10 entries per year while Amex Platinum cardholders will be limited to 6 per year. See below for full details.
Timeline
Starting January 1 2024
- No Sky Club access when flying Basic Economy. This applies to all cardholders.
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Cardmembers can no longer pay for Sky Club access
- Delta begins tracking $75K spend towards unlimited Sky Club access for Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum Cardmembers.
Starting February 1 2025
- Delta Reserve cardmembers limited to 10 Sky Club visits per year (unless cardmember has spent $75K in a calendar year)
- Amex Platinum cardmembers limited to 6 Sky Club visits per year (unless cardmember has spent $75K in a calendar year)
Details
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Cardmembers
Applies to: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Starting January 1 2024: No Sky Club access when flying Basic Economy.
- Starting Feb 1 2025: Limited to 10 Delta Sky Club visits per Medallion year (e.g. Feb 1 to Jan 31).
- The 10 visit allotment cannot be shared with guests. However, the Delta Reserve card will still come with two one-time guest passes each year.
- The card member cannot pay for additional Sky Club visits once their 10 visit allotment is used.
- Earn unlimited Sky Club access with $75K calendar year spend. Unlimited Sky Club access will be valid for the rest of the current calendar year, all of the next year, and through January of the year after that. Tracking of $75K spend will begin January 1, 2024.
- During a Sky Club visit, card members can continue to pay for guest entry for up to 2 guests, or their immediate family (spouse/domestic partner and children under 21). The cost per guest is $50 per person for Sky Club access or $25 per person for Grab and Go access.
Platinum Card from American Express Cardmembers
Applies to: The Platinum Card from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, American Express Platinum Card for Schwab, The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Starting January 1 2024: No Sky Club access when flying Basic Economy.
- Starting Feb 1 2025: Limited to 6 Delta Sky Club visits per Medallion year (e.g. Feb 1 to Jan 31).
- The 6 visit allotment cannot be shared with guests.
- The card member cannot pay for additional Sky Club visits once their 6 visit allotment is used.
- Earn unlimited Sky Club access with $75K calendar year spend. Unlimited Sky Club access will be valid for the rest of the current calendar year, all of the next year, and through January of the year after that. Tracking of $75K spend will begin January 1, 2024.
- During a Sky Club visit, card members can continue to pay for guest entry for up to 2 guests, or their immediate family (spouse/domestic partner and children under 21). The cost per guest is $50 per person for Sky Club access or $25 per person for Grab and Go access.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Cardmembers
Applies to: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Starting January 1, 2024: Paid access to Sky Clubs will no longer be offered.
Basic Economy Flyers
Applies to: Anyone flying Basic Economy (or the equivalent of Basic Economy with a partner airline)
- American Express Card Members traveling on a Basic Economy ticket or an equivalent ticket with a partner airline will not receive Delta Sky Club Access effective January 1, 2024.
FAQ
If I have multiple Delta Reserve and/or Amex Platinum cards, will I get more complementary Sky Club visits?
Yes. Visits are additive across your cards. So, for example, if you have both the Delta Reserve card and an Amex Platinum card, you would be eligible for 16 visits per year. Similarly, if you have two Delta Reserve cards (one personal and one business, for example), you would be eligible for 20 visits per year. Delta says that the card member “must present the applicable Card at the time of entry into the Sky Club.”
What happens with authorized user cards? Do they get their own 6 visits per year (Amex Platinum cards) or 10 visits per year (Delta Reserve)?
Yes, authorized user cards and employee cards that offer Sky Club access will have their own allotment of visits each year: 6 visits per year with additional Amex Platinum cards, and 10 visits per year with additional Delta Reserve cards.
What happens with authorized user cards once the primary cardholder has spent $75,000? Do authorized users also get unlimited Sky Club access?
Yes. Once the primary account has earned unlimited access with $75,000 spend, additional cardholders will also get unlimited access. This does not apply to fee-free additional cardholders such as Companion Platinum Cards on Consumer Platinum Accounts and Additional Gold and Additional Business Expense Cards on Business Platinum Accounts.
My Take
Delta Sky Clubs have been incredibly overcrowded recently. The announced changes are clearly intended to reduce that problem, but I have doubts that it will make much difference.
A lot of people have been very upset about these changes. And that’s completely understandable for people who visit Sky Clubs multiple times per month. Suddenly, for those frequent Sky-Club-ers, it will make more sense to buy a Sky Club membership than to pay for an ultra-premium credit card. Personally, I’d estimate that I usually visit Sky Clubs maybe 8 to 10 times per year. I have both a Platinum card and a Delta Reserve card. If I keep those cards into 2025, I’ll still be able to enter Sky Clubs 16 times per year, so I’m not too worried about these changes for myself.
For those who generally visit Sky Clubs more than 6 times per year, but not much more than 10, the math for which card is better (the Amex Platinum card or the Delta Reserve card) suddenly changes in 2025. The four extra club visits offered by the Reserve card, plus two guest visits could make the difference in favor of the Reserve card.
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An Amex rep just told me today (9.20.2023) that Platinum Card members *can* pay for additional access to the Delta Sky Club after their 6 complimentary visits. Have the details been 100% confirmed anywhere yet?
If you have 2 reserve cards (personal & biz), does the spending combine for the $75,000 threshold or must it be on a single card?
I’m not sure, but i think it will combine. That said, I can’t think of any reason to put spend on multiple Reserve cards anymore starting in 2024. Up until the end of this year it made sense because you could then get more status boosts
The changes massively hit business travelers. I don’t travel a massive amount, but I do a business trip every month, so that makes at least 24+ SkyClub visits per year. Casual travelers will probably still have enough visits. So how much overcrowding is this really going to alleviate? And you’re now discouraging flyers who are buying a lot of airfare via their companies from flying your airline? The only way I can guarantee getting enough SkyClub visits is by having a Reserve card, spending on it, AND having enough flights to make Silver Medallion every year and ALSO paying $695 for a SkyClub membership. Total outlay of $1245/year. Incredible.
With American I can get unlimited lounge visits for $595 – $200 to $300 in credits = $300 to $400 net, plus status bonuses to help get me to Platinum, plus many more options for spend via portals, plus priority checkin and boarding. It is a MUCH less convenient airline for me but their program is now clearly superior to Delta’s for me.
IMO, If they’d just enforce the dress code they state in their membership “rules” they could eliminate (or greatly reduce) the overcrowding issue!
I haven’t figured out all the angles on this, but because I am not a super high mileage flyer this isn’t as terrible for me as some. Still, there are a few implications.
First, I no longer have any compelling reason to be loyal to Delta. Because I fly out of ATL I will obviously continue to fly Delta often. But without the unlimited lounge access and with higher bar to status there isn’t anything consistently steering me toward Delta over any other airline. Southwest often offers cheaper flights or more convenient schedules, so I will fly them a lot more. (I know some people don’t like Southwest, but I have had good experiences with them.)
As for credit cards, her is how I am thinking this shakes out.
Delta Amex Platinum: Keep. The companion pass, check bags, and priority boarding are still well worth it.
Amex Platinum: Maybe keep. Although the value is less and the AU fees have gone up, this might still be worth it. As a card for Delta + SW travel it could work out well, giving me Delta lounge access when I really want it and other lounge access when I fly SW. Plus I can use the airline fee credit on early boarding with SW. The tie breakers on this card will be whether I can get into Centurion lounges reasonably often, and what Amex decides to add or subtract to the coupon book.
Chase SW Priority: Heck yes, keep. I only mention this one because I was going to cancel, but now it is keeper because I will be flying SW enough to make the flight credit, annual miles, and 4 A1-15 boardings well worth it.
Delta Amex Reserve: I don’t have it, and now don’t want it. This card now has zero use for me. Because I can still get the SUB I will wait until the SUB looks good and I have travel ahead that will make the 10 extra lounge tickets worth it, and then cancel at the end of the year.
And when you skyteam gold which comes with lounge acces and you fly on Delta? (purchased light klm fare which gives you free lugguage because of status) Will you be able to enter the lounge?
I wonder if there’s going to an unintended consequence here of people visiting clubs towards the end of the Medallion year that otherwise wouldn’t have? Just to “use up” their 6/10 visit allocation rather than let it “go to waste”.
I can definitely envision a segment of people (e.g. those who try to put a dollar value on every card benefit 😉 ) … thinking “well, it’s January, I’ll go into the SkyClub at my connection airport and load my laptop bag with Kettle chips and free magazines, then I’ll stop at the SkyClub at my final destination and stay there and get hammered until it closes”.
No one in these comments has ever met a Delta loyalist…
“Delta Sky Clubs have been incredibly overcrowded recently.”
I recently went into the massive Skyclub at SeaTac and there were maybe 20-30 people in it, way less crowded than the Centurion lounge, (which seemed like it has half the floor space…but the food is 2x as good as skyclub).
I have no desire for Delta status or their worthless airline miles, but it’s a bummer that I won’t be able to visit sky clubs anymore. Here in Seattle we have 5 major airlines competing for my business, so I’m not going to pay an extra $30-50 for a main cabin economy when SeaTac has a perfectly good centurion lounge. And if you don’t have a Plat, there are still about 50 different restaurants to go hang out in.
So Bye Bye Delta!
If you’re flying Delta One internationally, are you still eligible for sky club access?
Yes
Just to confirm its not per day? Like if Im connecting to multiple airports in one trip, including my final destination, each visit counts?
This sucks.
Yes each visit counts. There are some exceptions when you change clubs within the same airport (like when your gate changes) where they won’t count it as multiple visits but usually they will.
The per visit does it court for example NYC to MSP to LAX does it count per day or per visits since you have a connection flight. that 3 if they counting connection vs 1 for all 3 visit on 1 flight
Per visit not per day
So can my P2 as an authorized user under a MS Platinum get in at the lounge without paying an additional cost?
Yes
As a Basic Economy flyer (reaping benefits from credit cards that reduce the limitations from Basic), this really hurts and makes me rethink things. I had a nice card synergy going on here.
I will certainly not be doing all of the following: 1) Flying main cabin regularly, 2) Paying for a Delta card to make basic economy better, and 3) keeping the Amex platinum for even more overcrowded centurion lounges. These three aren’t compatible.
They’re not going to make more money on me either. I won’t allow it. So either I’ll be cancelling my Delta and Amex platinum cards and just using my Chase Reserve restaurant/Priority benefits. Or perhaps give my money to United and use their lounges like I used to. Or if the Centurion rules and crowd levels don’t get worse, I’ll cancel my Delta card and fly Delta much less. I was always inclined to choose Delta because I preferred their lounges. That will go away.
Main concern here is how Amex responds. If Centurion lounges become more crowded as a result, and then visits also become limited in number there, I’ll likely be cancelling my Platinum card. Would rather pay for a lounge membership with one airline and call it good. While overcrowding is an issue, I personally haven’t been too bothered by it so this is just irritating to me.
Coming in the back of changes to Centurion lounge guest rules I’m seriously rethinking the amount I’m going to pay on annual fees. My wife and I are both holding Amex cards even though some of the benefits are redundant, mainly due to lounge access. It’s becoming an increasingly questionable decision even with all the value we get. One card is definitely a greater return on investment than two.
If you are flying Delta One, will that still allow access to the clubs ?
Yes
I seriously doubt people are going to switch to reserve over Amex plat because of 10 vs. 6 lounge passes. The reason to get a plat are numerous, the reason to get a reserve was two things: skyclub access and MQMs. Now both have been nerfed. I see the reserve cardholder count being cut in half by the end of next year.
I also think these changes will in fact make a huge dent in overcrowding, due to 3 factors: people hitting their card visit limit, fewer card signups/renewals now that the cards are nerfed, and less people going for status due to much harder thresholds, so more free agents.
The whole airport lounge scheme is warped in my opinion. As Frequent Milers, we appreciate the little extras which make traveling more fun and relaxing, but as these lounges become a stockyard full of aspirational travelers armed with a premium credit card, the main concourse starts to look better and better. Frankly, these indirect profit centers of banks and airlines have become very unattractive in so many ways. The days of popping in to the club for a cocktail, some snacks and a quiet, comfortable chair to enjoy the New York Times for and hour are gone. In conclusion, if a Broadway show is sold out, you can’t “buy up” to get in. If theater owners ran their operations like these lounges, they’d soon be taking their last curtain call.
People tend to approach it with the same Janus-faced response that they do when it comes to freeway capacity or any other textbook tragedy of the commons scenario: I am not traffic, it is YOU who are traffic.
I like waiting in lounges, when possible, because it’s a free meal instead of paying $30+ for what would cost $8 outside the airport. Obviously, some lounges are wayyy better than others in this regard.
I had a layover in DEN this summer with a friend who doesn’t have Amex Platinum. I told him I’d split the guest charge with him because there’s no way we’d eat anywhere near that well in the airport for $25.
I completely agree with you in all points. My thoughts are about the propensity of banks and airlines to use lounge access as a way to sale credit cards without regard for the actual users.
That’s the American way right now. Go all out for short term benefit/profit without trying to build long-term success. Better to win today than win tomorrow.
I still think the platinum card is the no-brainer. No cap on Centurion lounge visits, and with the ATL lounge in the pipeline for the end of this year (more likely sometime 2024), you have most of the Delta hubs covered (LAX, NYC, MSP), really just missing DTW and SLC. Save your six passes for those airports.
I’m actually glad they are doing something to eliminate the overcrowding of lounges. Making access harder, while painful, makes it a more pleasant lounge experience for everyone.
The problem is (at least in my anecdotal experience) Centurion was already significantly more overcrowded than SkyClub and this will likely only exacerbate that… “Just go to Centurion instead” is great in theory but if this increases total Centurion demand (which was already over capacity), getting in will not be easy and it won’t necessarily be a pleasant experience even if you can.
The ATL Centurion will be in terminal E. Will they have the line go through the tunnel to terminal F or down the escalators and towards terminal T? I cannot imagine how big that line is going to be.
Centurion at JFK is so bad to begin with, it makes me want to cancel my platinum cards!
The real advantage of Delta lounge access for me is that my home airport (RDU) has a skyclub which is rarely too busy and no centurion lounge. This sucks for me.
i do a lot of flying out of RDU too. sucks for sure
Until Amex puts a cap on Centurion visits for the lowly peasants who only have the Platinum card and not the Black card, which this sets the precedent for.
For those of us with multiple Biz Plat cards (thanks NLL offers!) will those lounge entitlements stack? E.g.: Does someone with two Biz Plat cards get 12 SkyClub visits per year or 6?
I read somewhere that they will stack (maybe TPG?). With that said, I doubt I will still be hoarding Biz Plats in 2025 as I expect the NLL/150K-SUB gravy train to dry up before then but who knows.
For my usage, I will probably not exceed 6 SkyClub visits in a year, even though my local airport (MKE) has SkyClub as the only lounge option. I might try using this change as an excuse to get a retention offer in the next few months when two of my cards are up for renewal, despite it not even applying until the following card member year.
Delta confirmed in their FAQs that they will stack. It mentions that your visits will be deducted from the allotment of the specific card you provide for entry, so presumably each one of those will have its own annual allotment.
Yes, they stack. I added a FAQ section to this post with that information.
Sounds like it won’t be linked to your account anymore, and so one would have to carry all the cards you plan to use or switch around the card to carry as the quotas run out (and not sure if they keep track of lounge visits on amex.com by card…maybe on the benefits page?)…
Yeah, they at least say that you need to show the card. We’ll see if that’s really true or not. Hopefully at least we’ll be able to somehow show our Amex App with the cards in it or Apple Pay or something.
There’s no way spending $75K on a DL card to get unlimited lounge access is worth it if you can buy lounge access for $695.
But just taking Premium Rewards as an example:
Flip that to the DL Reserve:
So you’re paying $1273 in opportunity cost for 75,000 DL miles, which is 1.7 cents/mile. (That’s before factoring in the annual fee for the DL Reserve, which I’m willing to consider as the value of a F companion certificate, although those haven’t exactly been easy to use.)
DL will probably raise the cost of paid lounge access sometime in 2024 to make the credit card math more favorable, but it’s just not logical.
You’re not counting the 7500 MQDs though you’ll also get from the DL reserve.
Lounge using Delta Reserve costs 550$ a yr; while premium rewards is 95$ a yr
DL miles cost more than 2c and give back 1c in value
You are lighting fire to your cash
Not sure I agree with your math as IMO you’re overvaluing the spend in the first case at over 2.6c per $.
If you said .02c/pt (a strong cash back option) then 75k = $1500 – 695 = $805 net
DLReserve = 75k skymiles or 1.07c/mile which is below reasonable redemption.
This will also get you $7500MQDs in the process.
IF (big part) that helps you hit a higher level of status and you value the companion cert this may make sense for some people
*My guess is that number is a lot smaller than last year!
I don’t think 2.6c is unreasonable if you take BoA preferred rewards as the alternative like he is.
The overlap between people who would dump $75k on a Delta Reserve and people who have $100k plus in cash and securities seems like it would be pretty significant. Even if you disagree, 2.25 for the next tier down ($50k) is still 12% higher than using a 2c hurdle rate.
Premium Rewards earns 2.625c per $ for unbonused spend.
Hey Greg thanks for the summary, what about Authorized Users on the Amex Platinum (and other cards)?
I was wondering about that as well. AU fee is now $195 per card. So does each AU get their own 6X Sky Club visits?
Yes, Platinum AUs get their own 6 visits and Delta Reserve AUs get their own 10 visits. If the account overall has $75K spend then all users get unlimited access. I added a FAQ section to this post with that information.
Thanks, Greg!
Another Big Nerf to Amex Platinum .
The Delta Reserve Card is being significantly devaluated if we compared it with the United Quest or the AA Executive Card.
I feel like the whole DL loyalty program: elite status, lounge access and point value is devalued in a big way compared to AA. Of course unless this materially lowers numbers of folks flying on DL medal then this is the way it will be whether we like it or not.