Big changes are now in effect for Delta Sky Club access, primarily in an attempt to combat overcrowding. Basic economy flyers aren’t welcome and both Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve cardholders are limited to visiting a handful of times per year unless they spend $75K annually on their respective cards.
In this post, I’ve rounded up all of the various options for entering Delta Sky Clubs.
Methods for entering Sky Clubs
In all cases, to enter a Delta Sky Club you must be flying Delta or a Delta partner same-day. Below you’ll find information about entering Sky Clubs with credit cards, memberships, class of service (e.g. book Delta One), and elite status.
Credit Cards
When flying Delta same-day in any cabin other than Basic Economy, you may enter the club if you have one of these cards:
- Amex Platinum Card access is limited to 10 Sky Club visit-days per year unless cardmember has spent $75K in the current or preceding calendar year. Each of the following Platinum cards offer Sky Club access:
- Delta Reserve Card access is limited to 15 Sky Club visit-days per year unless cardmember has spent $75K in the current or preceding calendar year. Each of the following Delta Reserve cards offer Sky Club access:
Sky Club Membership
When flying Delta same-day in any cabin other than Basic Economy, you may enter the club if you have a Sky Club membership.
Only Delta elite Medallion members may purchase club memberships. Membership gives you Sky Club access only when flying Delta or a partner airline on the same day. Further, those flying Basic Economy (E) fare tickets (or similar “Light” or “basic” tickets issued by a Delta partner) do not have access to the Delta Sky Club.
At the time of this writing, Delta’s website shows the following membership options:
- Executive Membership: Unlimited Club access for the Member and up to two guests (or their spouse/domestic partner and children under 21) per visit.
- $1,495.00 or 149,500 miles.
- Individual Membership: Unlimited Club access for the member only. Members may bring up to two guests or immediate family to the Club at the rate of $50 or 5,000 miles per guest per visit.
- $695.00 or 69,500 miles
Diamond alternative: Another option for getting membership is to earn Delta Diamond status and to use Choice Benefits for a Sky Club membership:
- Individual Membership: Requires 2 Diamond Choice Benefit selections
- Executive Membership: Requires 3 Diamond Choice Benefit selections
Fly Delta One or Sky Team business or first class
Delta One is Delta’s business class which typically offers lie-flat seats. When flying Delta One internationally or within the U.S., you’ll get Sky Club access same-day. Sky Club access is also granted when flying a Sky Team partner in business or first class for all segments of their journey.
Elite Status
Depending upon what type of flight you booked, you may be able to enter Sky Clubs if you have Delta Gold Medallion status or higher, or SkyTeam Elite Plus or higher with another airline.
Delta Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Medallion Status
If you have Gold or higher status with Delta, you plus one guest can enter a Sky Club if you’re flying internationally and are ticketed into one of the following cabins:
- International Premium Select (guest must also be flying Premium Select)
- Delta One (guest must also be flying Delta One)
- First Class to Canada, Mexico, or Central America (guest must also be flying First Class)
Note that flights between the US and the Caribbean are not included.
Sky Team Elite Plus
If you have Sky Team Elite Plus from a SkyTeam airline other than Delta, you plus one guest can enter Delta Sky Clubs when flying same day in any cabin on an international SkyTeam flight or on a domestic flight connecting to an international flight.
This benefit is provided only at the departure airport and not on arrival (except when you are continuing onward on a SkyTeam flight on the same itinerary)
Note that this appears to be the only way to enter Sky Clubs when flying Basic Economy.
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Why can u keep your MQD instead of loss it every year. Say u spent 211.79 for hotel how many MQD will you get?
Greg,
I am a lifetime Delta Sky Club member since 2003 that was turned into an Executive membership in 2018. I can still enter the Sky club on any boarding pass from any airline. It does not have to be Delta or a sky team airline.
As listed on the Delta website:
*Excludes existing Delta Sky Club Lifetime Members and their guests. Lifetime Members may continue to access the Club with same-day ticketed air travel on any airline. Note: applies to existing Lifetime Members only; new Lifetime Memberships are not available.
That’s great to know, thanks!
How you get delta lifetime membership
I bought Lifetime lounge membership in 2003 for $3,250 from North West Airlines (NWA) There was no requirement to fly with NWA or their partners to get into the lounge. In 2008 NWA merged with Delta and the lifetime membership was honored by Delta. These lifetime memberships were eventually all elevated to executive level as they were grandfathered in with the same entry requirements ( don’t have to fly Delta or partner). My membership card has expiration date of Dec -2079. When I enter the lounge I make them look at this date and I get a surprised reaction every time. ( a good indication there are not a lot of these memberships around anymore). Delta lifetime memberships were only available over 30 yrs ago.
I’m really curious about whether the Amex Platinum will still allow you to pay for guests on the six visits. Haven’t seen an answer to that anywhere. It was a way for me to use the airline credit in the car and ensure I’m not ditching my traveling companion.
As of 2024, I was able to pay for guests with the airline fee credit.
Me too, but I wonder whether that changed on 2/1 with the introduction of the 15 visit per year limit.
Yes that should absolutely still work
Excellent but slightly incomplete discussion of Sky Club access options. Missing is an access option currently used by many including myself and clearly described in current Sky Club rules: Lifetime Sky Club members who formerly were Western Airlines Lifetime Crown Room members are now Lifetime Sky Club members, a current membership no longer available for purchase.
Delta seems dead set on finding as many possible ways to alienate customers as possible in the shortest time possible.
So far, quite successfully.
How to get into Delta Skyclubs? You forgot the most important part. First look for the long line snaking through the terminal. Go to the end of it. Then wait 2 hours.
[…] check the Promotions tab in Gmail at all. That was a mistake. On Tuesday, I was sitting in the DCA Delta SkyClub about to return home from a short trip when a message popped up on my phone saying that it was time […]
Having left both my AMEX Platinum and Delta Gold cards at home (I wasn’t originally flying on DL but ended up booking a last minute ticket due to a flight cancellation) by SW), I resorted to the last way to enter the SkyClub. Pay the $59. It was worth it not to wait in the terminal for 4 hours and to have access to DL agents in case of additional IRROPS. Totally agree that the lounge at DCA was beautiful.
You missed one: The Merrill-Lynch+ card. With $50k spend on the card, you accrue 50k M-L points, which is valuable for 2x $500 ticket purchase, AND at the $50k threshold you can opt for a “free” Delta Skyclub Executive membership (the one that allows up to two guests).
At my normal MS cost basis, I spent $691 for $1000 of airfare and the $745 Skyclub membership. Pretty pleased with that ROI.
It sucks, supremely, that as of 1/1/2019 the clubs become stupidly restrictive… but I’m getting good use this year.
(PS: Perhaps you skipped on purpose because it’s no longer available for applicants?)
You can do the same with the CNB Crystal Visa Infinite card. I left it out because it seems very niche to me. I was trying to focus this on things that would make sense for a wide audience
Ed, you are a scholar and a gentleman. Your poise and refinement are readily apparent. Your insightful wit inspires envy among all. But, what I don’t understand is why you’re reading a blog you seem not to like.
I am in the process of completing the 50k on the ML+ with the intentions of getting the SkyPass to use next year. I was unaware that delta was changing their policy requiring you to fly delta in order to use their lounges. What a bunch of crap. I dont fly delta (they’re always the most expensive option from my airport). Delta has turned into arrogant airline IMO.
they have always been arrogant. recall they cancelled their interline booking arrangements because they were too good for everyone else…only to have multiple massive IT meltdowns in short period of time, leaving delta fliers with little alternatives.
Why would your recommendation for one or two people *not* be the Ameriprise Platinum card? Seems like a better option than the Business Plat or Morgan Stanley Plat… at least for the first year.
Good point. I agree
Fly International on ANY Class AND Skyteam Elite Plus. (Delta Gold, etc)
Yeah, I should add that. I was trying not to over-complicate the article, but that’s not too complicated
Are those pics from the renovated lounge at DCA?
Yep
As someone with a child who’s not old enough to be added as an authorized user, what recommendations are there (aside from paying $29 to guest them in)?
I think that the best bet is to get one of the Amex Platinum cards, pay the $29 guest fee, and recoup it via the card’s $200 in airline incidental rebates (as long as you pick Delta as your preferred airline with Amex)
If I’m not mistaken, you have to pay with Delta Amex cards to get $29 entrance price, other payment card – $59. So, you cannot use your $200 air rebates. At least, what Skyclub agent told me.
The agent was wrong. You can pay with any card. The Ritz card’s $300 travel credit would also work, and you’re not restricted to a specific airline.
Nice write up. Do you know how much a guest is if you are accessing the lounge via Amex Plat card? We are flying HNL-ATL-ORD in December and would like to access the lounge in both HNL & ATL but only have one Plat card between us. Thanks
Yes, guests are $29 each.
Greg, thanks for the great breakdown of all the possibilities! Question: Do any of these options permit Sky Club access when you are not flying Delta (or a Delta partner)?
As of January 1 2019, no. Incredibly, starting next year, even full Sky Club membership won’t allow access unless you are flying Delta