Posted on 05/05/2022 3:35:55 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
The airline will now tighten the rules on access to its SkyClubs.
If you travel a lot, one of the least aggravating ways to spend time in an airport is in an airline club or lounge. If you need a quiet place to get a little work done, have some coffee or a light meal, or just want to avoid the mass of travelers, a lounge isn't a bad place to wait for a flight. Some of them are even pretty nice.
For example, Delta has recently made a big deal of the investment it is making in its lounges, known as SkyClubs. I recently toured the new flagship SkyClub at Los Angeles International Airport and it's very nice, indeed.
Even though lounges seem like an exclusive place where only special people get to hang out, it's not at all hard to get access--most airlines will sell a membership to anyone willing to pay $500 or so. Depending on the airline, you can also sign up for one of any number of credit cards, like the American Express Platinum Card, for example.
Apparently, too many people are doing just that, because Delta announced on Wednesday that it was implementing new rules for access starting June 1. Now, you'll only be allowed to access a SkyClub beginning up to three hours before your flight, and you won't be able to access a club when you arrive at your destination.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
IMHO Delta needs to rethink access venues, it's too easy to get to the lounge. They need to stop giving access for having a credit card.
You used to also be able to use SkyMiles to gain access. I don’t know when that policy changed, but it was in effect on Dec. 30, 2021. We were then allowed access as a guest of the employee at the desk. That was nice as we had a very long wait for our plane (long story, I won’t share).
Used to get in with a first class ticket, then that changed to first class international only. Platinum Card didn’t work all the time either.
I quit flying in 2012 with almost a million miles on Delta. Got tired of the TSA BS and passengers turning into the Greyhound bus crowd.
People aren’t passengers to airlines.
They’re cargo.
At one time I had over 1 million frequent flyer miles, around 700,000 on US Air, 300,000 on Delta and maybe 150,000 on what was Continental.
Every couple of months I would look into getting a membership in one of these clubs, it never seemed like a good deal, I only went into one of the clubs when I got a promotional award that offered a free visit to try the place out.
I use to spend plenty of time in airport bars which were usually more convenient because they are everywhere versus the Sky Clubs, etc....
Just my opinion.
Waaaaa, first world problem.
I’ve belonged to the Delta SkyClub (and its forerunner, the Delta Crown Room Club) for close to 40 years. I guarantee you that the changes were noticed—immediately.
There are now some substantial lines to get into the clubs at many of Delta’s hub airports. They probably had to make some changes. Long time members are not pleased.
That said, club membership fees are worth it if you fly a lot (I average 75,000 miles per year on Delta). It now costs an arm and a leg to eat in an airport restaurant (Cleveland airport, which is my new base, does not have a Delta club, and a hamburger, beer and tip at a sit down place in the B concourse in CLE cost me $36. The total annual fee for the SkyClub, including a special AMEX card, is $550. Plus, in the event that there is a storm or other trravel disruption, personnel in the clubs can get you alternate travel arrangements first and fast.
Well if I paid $500-$700 a year to be able to use the clubs and was denied entry I’d be pissed… first world or not
Every time the club staff would refill the cooler, the Saudi passengers would empty it. Finally, they put in some generic American brand (Budweiser as I recall) which they mostly left alone until the caught their flight.
Then the staff filled in the gaps with Heineken. I've been to gatherings of "good old boys" from the south who couldn't drink that much beer. Maybe the Saudis were hiding the cans in their robes!
I was in the Emirates lounge in Dubai a couple of weeks ago and it’s worlds different. A full buffet spread of great middle eastern and Indian food, fridges stocked with soda for the taking, and a full open self serve bar with high end liquor & wine.
Delta just comes off cheap. Just let me get a Diet Coke for my $3000 ticket without having to wait 10 minutes for the one bartender to acknowledge me. Put in a self serve fridge or soda fountain for Christ’s sake.
Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.
The food sucks ass in the clubs. I’m somewhere over seven million miles now, and I just eat in the terminal. However, if I have to kill three or four hours, I’ll sit in the club.
Exactly.
I try not to be at domestic airports long enough to use their clubs, anyway. The Cathay Pacific lounges in Hong Kong were pretty nice, though...
I agree people are cargo, but I’d suggest they began acting like cattle instead of flyers. Recall the days when you actually dressed in business casual, or Sunday go-to-meeting clothing and behaved in a civil manner when flying. Now “customers” come dressed as if their mother’s never checked them going out the door and act in obnoxious, aggressive, and demeaning manners.
Dress doesn’t always correlate to rude behavior.
Starting with the radical security ramp up after 9/11, I got increasingly frustrated at the hassles and increased time from point A to point B. Most of my traveling would be multiday at a client's location. Each travel day would typically eat up a full day. Home to airport, park at a remote lot, ride shuttle, check in luggage, slog thru security, check in at gate, board, eventually up in the air, air time, land and taxi to gate, wait for luggage, shuttle to offsite car rental, drive to destination, check into hotel.
What made the grind bearable for me during the heavy travel years was a liberal courtesy 1st class upgrade and automatic upgrade at booking if on a Y-class coach ticket.
In the early 2000s, my air travel radically decreased. I evolved to driving instead of flying if a destination was within 500 miles or so and spending a couple of days onsite. If a destination was <1000 miles, I'd drive if I was spending a full week. Mostly though, I was flying on day trips of round trip from ATL, rental car and a few hours at client's location. Leave home at 5AM and get back at 9PM.
Airlines compete for the “least worst” position in the industry, They all suck.
Agree that dress does not correlate with behavior. Customers of all sartorial styles can and do demonstrate less than courteous deportment.
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