Air Lines cites overcrowding as reason, changes draw ire from influencers and passengers
Delta Air Lines passengers who have long enjoyed access to free meals, alcohol and a quiet place to relax before their flight are in for some major cutbacks in coming years.
The Atlanta-based airline said it plans to cap the number of entries to its Sky Clubs starting Feb. 1, 2025 for holders of the American Express Platinum Card as well as the Delta Reserve American Express Card. Those holding the Platinum Card will be allowed six visits per year, while the Delta Reserve Card holders will get 10 annual visits. Delta Air Lines has recently introduced substantial revisions to its SkyMiles loyalty program as well. Under the new policy, elite status will be based on the amount of money spent rather than miles flown.
Those who book a basic economy ticket will no longer be allowed in Delta’s lounges starting Jan. 1, 2024, regardless if they carry a Platinum Card or any other premium credit card.
The news originally was leaked on a Portuguese-language website and was confirmed by a Delta spokesman.
The news may not come as a surprise to Delta customers who have visited a Sky Club at Delta’s major hubs like JFK Airport or Atlanta, where lines to access Sky Clubs have been a common occurrence. Delta is poised to open a second lounge in Terminal 4 at JFK to relieve some of the original club’s overcrowding.
The Platinum Card has become American Express’ most popular product, despite its high annual fee, among Millennials and Gen-Z partially due to its travel perks. Free lounge access to Delta’s Sky Clubs has long been one of the biggest selling features for American Express to justify its high annual fee to card members, and it’s likely to result in AmEx’s customers potentially reevaluating paying for the card each year.
Without a premium AmEx card, the lounge was only available to those traveling on business or first-class flights or those willing to pay $695 a year for a membership.
The news does not impact access to AmEx’s 15 Centurion-branded airport lounges, which American Express owns and operates. In a statement, AmEx said they expect despite the changes “the vast majority” of card members will continue to have access to the Sky Clubs based on how much they fly. AmEx customers who spend $75,000 on their card annually — which is far higher than the median AmEx card member spends on their cards — will also get unlimited access to lounges.
Along with the lounge cut backs, Delta is also making it increasingly more difficult for its customers to qualify for status on its SkyMiles program. Passengers will no longer earn status based on the number of miles they fly with Delta, but instead will earn status based exclusively on the amount of money they spend with the airline.
This shift, while altering the landscape of elite benefits, has triggered discontent among numerous frequent flyers. Many have expressed their frustration and disappointment on social media platforms, including “X,” where influencers are openly sharing their dissatisfaction and contemplating a potential switch to other airlines, reveals the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Numerous influencers active on “X” have voiced their discontent regarding the alterations made to Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles program. This has prompted many customers to contemplate severing their loyalty ties with the airline and exploring alternative options. The prevailing sentiment among these influencers leans overwhelmingly toward negativity, reflecting customers’ perceptions that the Delta Medallion modifications fail to adequately acknowledge their loyalty.”
Below are a few popular influencer opinions captured by GlobalData’s Social Media Analytics Platform:
Jake Williams, Faculty at IANS:
“Changes to the @Delta SkyMiles program is a shameless cash grab in an attempt to get people to book rental cars, hotels, and vacation packages through Delta. That’s it. Period.”
Sherrell Dorsey, TED Tech Host:
“The biggest L of these @Delta skymiles changes and new policies is that there are very few high-quality airlines that deliver as well as the Delta experience. So you can’t even truly switch in protest.”
Steve Matthews, Reporter for Bloomberg Economics:
“Lots of @Delta customers who have been loyal because of the elite program are going to be moving to other airlines when their schedules are more convenient.”
Michael J. Miraflor, Chief Brand Officer at Hannah Grey VC:
“I’m about 100K miles away from Million Miler Status on Delta, but I might not get there… starting next year I’m going to break my decade+ long diehard loyalty to the airline bc of changes to earning Medallion status.”
Christina Warren, Sr Dev Advocate at GitHub:
“The Delta Medallion changes are absolutely abysmal. I can’t realistically change airlines but I can change who I fly internationally and man, these changes make a great case for OneWorld or something.”
Kelly Vaughn, Director of Engineering at Spot AI:
“Delta completely gutting the SkyMiles Medallion program as someone who lives in Atlanta is… extremely disappointing. Tough to stay loyal to my local airline when that loyalty is not returned.”
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