We know new rules limiting Delta Sky Club access will soon come into effect, but I predict now that we will see much more in the months ahead across airline, credit card, and other airport lounges.
Tightening Airport Lounges Access Rules: More To Come, I Suspect
I thought Dawn Gilbertson of the Wall Street Journal did a great job of summarizing looming changes that will make it much more difficult for flyers to access airport lounges in the months ahead. Changes announced in 2023 to Delta Sky Club access for American Express Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Platinum credit card holders soon take effect, limiting access unless you are willing to place significant spending ($75,000/year) on the card.
The stated goal: reduce lounge crowding.
Like most good things, when too many people have it, no one can enjoy it. If you’re just looking for a cup of coffee or a quick meal, airline and credit card lounges still offer a great refuge from busy and expensive airport concourses. But a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere? Not very often any longer.
Delta has responded to an acute overcrowding problem by dramatically slashing lounge access over the last two years, first for its SkyTeam elites traveling in economy class or credit card holders traveling on basic economy tickets and soon for its top co-branded credit card holders.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian explained:
“I feel much, much better in terms of the overall quality of the experience from our clubs…compared to where we were sitting a couple years ago, as people were clamoring, coming out of the pandemic, to try and get in the club any way they could.”
There is no doubt that lounge amenities have improved and more now have access thanks to a new generation of travelers signing up for fancy credit cards that include lounge access.
Delta’s solution to lounge overcrowding has been called “killing a fly with a sledgehammer” since it is only its key hub lounges that tend to get crowded, but the intention goes well beyond actual physical crowding and is more an attempt to bring back psychological exclusivity to these lounges and make people spend even more…either on the credit card or on tickets.
And I predict others will follow…because they can. Here’s what I am expecting:
- American Airlines will start limiting access to a set number of visits each year on its Citi co-branded credit cards and perhaps cut off its generous authorized user policy (which does not require the primary cardmember to accompany the authorized user)
- United Airlines will also limit its Chase co-branded credit card holders to a set number of visits, like 15-20 per year
- All airlines will raise annual membership fees by 30-40%, citing improved amenities and will throw a bone like more free premium alcohol
- Chase will limit access to its Sapphire Lounges to a set number of visits each year
- Capital One will limit its lounge visits in the same way
- Priority Pass Select members from all credit cards will be limited to 10-15 visits per year
I’m not hoping for these changes and certainly not advocating for them, but I do feel they are coming…and I am preparing myself already. Will that mean I change my spending habits or ditch any of my credit cards? Probably not…and that’s precisely why they will make these changes…
CONCLUSION
The heyday of airport lounge access is already coming to an end and I predict it will only accelerate this year. While I lament we are going down this path, I’m already preparing for it…and you should too. If it doesn’t happen or happens slower than I think, then all the better.
image: Chase
Wouldn’t be surprised if we see extra visits awarded after certain amount of card spend or if you booked your trip on the Chase/C1 travel portal
Or basic economy tickets no longer count towards qualifying for lounge access, you need a main cabin or better economy fare on top of your Admiral’s Club Access (whatever).
I have been a top status holder with Delta for 15 years now and I use their lounges very often. However, to be honest, only a few lounges make sense. Other than the ones at their hubs and some other large airports, Delta lounges are horrible. DEN and PHL are just two quick examples of airports with substandard Delta lounges. Just a few weeks ago at ATL, I decided to go to the Amex Centurion lounge instead of the Delta one and it was actually a much better experience. Thus, at the end of the day, it won’t be a huge deal if I do not go to those. Between my Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve cards I will have 25 visits per year (can use same day in different airports counting 1 visit) so I should be ok with that.
Just waiting for Amex to also cap Centurion Lounge visits per year… unless one spends $75,000 a year. Since Amex Plat and Amex DL Reserve cardholders have access to both SkyClubs and Centurion Lounges, the new caps on the DL side will likely drive additional traffic over to the Centurion Lounges at places where they are reasonably accessible to DL gates (i.e. JFK, LAX, ATL).
Amex should ban non card holders from their Centurion lounges. That should be enough to reduce crowds. Even my teenagers have their own Amex Platinum cards (paid as additional to my card). Not a card on your name, no access. The one at ATL a few weeks ago was a zoo. There was a huge line outside and once we got our seats we could not leave otherwise we would lose them. Crazy.
The PHL Centurion lounge can be an absolute zoo. I will give the staff credit, they do a great job and finding seats for guests 9getting people to move bags off chairs, moving a seat to make room for two travellers to sit together, etc.)
We meet the annual spend by March each year and with three card holders (one being a teen) the number of guests we could bring to the lounge would make a crowd.
@Heather … Why would anyone put a bag on a chair ? That’s like putting a “service dog” on an aircraft seat , no ?
We may never get answers to some questions……..
In November, we were initially denied access to the PP lounge at BDA because there was “no seats”
I said I had no problem asking people to move their bags, which I did, and was granted access.
I also saw a “service” dog (very) briefly occupying a chair at the PHL Centurion lounge. I am telling you, those employees have zero tolerance for nonsense!
I’ll second Alec’s comment, in that Chase and Cap One probably will limit free visits per year unless you either spend greater than $X (probably $50-75k) on the card in a year, or book your flight through their travel portal.
I’m not sold that AA will follow suit, though. The Admirals Clubs/Flagship Lounges just don’t suffer the same level of overcrowding as DL.
Why can’t airlines run lounges the same way they run airplanes?
If you are willing to pay or demonstrate you are worth a certain level to the airline, you get First Class Lounge, others get Premium Econ Lounge, and remaining customers get Economy Lounge. And anyone below Economy Lounge sits at the regular airport.
Real estate…
And how would them segment the lounge to deliver that strategy? I have seen Amex lounges that have a separate place for Centurion card members. I have seen airlines with First and Business class lounges separate. But not sure how you can separate normal passengers like you said. Biggest problem with most lounges is that they are crowded, serve cheap alcohol and bad coffee plus lots of processed food. Their bathrooms are sometimes better than the ones at the terminals but not much more than that. Thus, the value is really not there. Who would pay $50 to access a US airline lounge? Same goes to some EU lounges. I had a chance to visit the AF and KLM lounges in Paris and Amsterdam last year. There was nothing special about those places. I would never pay to get access to those.
First, it was the gutting of the frequent flyer program. Then it was the gutting of free and easy advanced seat assignments. Next will be the gutting of the airline lounge.
I am mentally prepared for simply making my own lounge, which is to bring or buy food and eat it at an unused gate. The main thing that is difficult to duplicate are showers but most lounges don’t have them. A few airports have free or low cost showers, such as Gatwick, Singapore, Taoyuan (Taipei)
AMS has free showers, but like the free showers at TPE and some other airports in A-P region, bring your own towel/soap or prepare to pay for a towel and soap. At TPE, the next door Priority Pass lounge sells an amenity basket to use for the shower and that has towels and more.
All of this is a sign of peak capitalism: Instead of demand creating an incentive to provide more of a good thing and cheaper, we get $6 eggs.
Hate to bring up politics, but it’s interesting how there’s a sort of mini-civil war in MAGA between those who are more protectionist and working/middle class centric and the Reagan and Libertarian supply siders. When Bernie Sanders is more on the side of the MAGA electorate than Trump and Musk are, that’s a sign of a cultural tectonic shift.
it would be wonderful if American airports had the following amenities of developed countries, including China:
1) Transit zones for international passengers.
2) Comfortable areas to sit and even sleep for normal passengers.
3) Leisure areas that make the experience memorable: Museums, aquariums, play areas for kids, effectively, public “lounges”
4) MORE lounge and affordable food/beverage facilities.
It’s an interesting sign of the times that someone whose on the cutting edge, such as Matt, is increasingly a “free agent” and the disparities in travel are being exacerbated. On the other hand, Spirit airlines which was the low income model is in bankruptcy along with Dollar General.
>Instead of demand creating an incentive to provide more of a good thing and cheaper, we get $6 eggs.
How long were the lines for eggs in soviet Russia?
>it would be wonderful if American airports had the following amenities of developed countries
It’d be fun too if I got a massage while I waited for the flight to board, who is going to pay for that?
Americans fly a lot relative to the world, and flying is more accessible due to the low costs. Running a bunch of projects like airport aquariums that no one is willing to pay for in the first place is a silly way to increase costs and make flying an activity for the rich.
I’m chuckling about your Soviet eggs question because my wife was born in the USSR and she told me some interesting stories:
In the USA, we have our own “egg” lines you know: At Costco, where eggs are better priced, the lines are notoriously long, sometimes reaching to the back. A Russian friend of mine waited in line on Black Friday for a whole day and didn’t get the item he wanted. It was as bad as the USSR.
Now in regards to the cost of amenities: So what? Should we have to pay for toilet paper in the airports then? The cost of making airports a first world experience isn’t all that much more than the basics, really. I just googled the emplanement fee between frankfurt and dulles, two airports I routinely use. Surprise, surprise, Frankfurt was slightly cheaper at 15 euros instead of 16 dollars!
A few amenities wouldn’t cost that much. I used to think that Americans were so tough but most of us are such bootlicking sheep.
The US doesn’t need transit zones for passengers. US is almost exclusively O&D, with primarily domestic connections beyond. US doesn’t really have geography or borders for transit in the same way that’s necessary for Europe, East/SE Asia, etc. People flying from Asia to Europe are not going to overfly the US.
Have you ever tried travelling between the Far East and Central America/Colombia/Ecuador? There’s maybe two airports with the odd Aeromexico flight, everything else involves either a ridiculous detour (e.g. via Europe, maybe YVR if you’re lucky) or a connection in the US for which most people would need some kind of visa/evisa.
Thank you! Part of the reason why many international passengers may not connect in the USA is because the airlines don’t bother because it’s such a hassle. If we had transit zones, it would make life a lot easier for everyone as well as generate revenue and I, daresay, even help the environment a bit instead of transiting in Canada or something like that.
Not only that, but when I travel internationally to Europe, even with connections within EU/Schengen, I’m able to pick up my baggage at the end point without having to recheck it. Super convenient.
Silly me, I think our wonderful system is supposed to make things BETTER.
So I have the United Club Card and live in Honolulu and fly to Asia a lot. I RARELY use the United lounge, it’s usually the ANA lounge or some other Star Alliance lounge overseas. I’m guessing this won’t affect me too much if United changes to a set number of visits.
I’m not quite sure United will limit the number of visits for its members. I saw the survey UA sent out and it seems they will make changes ( limiting guest access, tiers, exclusive seating area for big spenders) but there wasn’t anything in it about limiting visits. Of course, I could be very wrong.
Intoxication from the income earned by their co-branded credit-cards has become a rod for airlines’ backs by alienating their core customers – the people who fly most regularly on flexible fares. It’s encouraging to see lounge access privileges and award availability being redirected to that core customer demographic.
There are no airlines with credit cards. There are credit card companies that fly planes.
Funny how Delta in particular keeps crowing about how they make obscene amounts of money from chumps getting their credit cards while those same chumps continually get less for being a cardholder. Moves like that are why I dumped Delta years ago and have happily not flown them for several years.
My DL MM status has barely moved in well over a decade. I fly them a bunch but stopped crediting flight activity to Delta many years ago. And I try not to play the airline credit card game. [I still have never had an airline credit card; and since there are better frequent & big spender programs than airline loyalty programs, I do just fine without them.]. I will probably do just fine if they cut my lounge access, but then I will probably save money by closing some accounts and/or traveling differently.
20 visits a year in UC or Centurion would be okay with me. I just don’t like limits on guests, as I often fly with family, so my Centurion visits are way down. They were getting way overcrowded and had dropped in food quality anyway. The 75k Amex policy has had me shift more of my prior Amex spend to AA (to get OW Emerald), and get the companion pass on BA.
It’s funny – one of the reasons I think Delta has done financially this recent cycle is that their customers have had good experiences in lounges over the past 10-15 years. You used to be able to get into SkyClubs even with their introductory Gold Delta card (as long as you paid $29 or whatever). I would bet a larger majority of Delta customers have visited an airline lounge versus United and American. You don’t want to kill this part of the brand. And they haven’t as 10-15 vitas will be plenty for casual users. More frequent users will have to ration their use.
In terms of your overall point – I think there will be shifts in both directions. For example, with the new Citi/AA deal, I wouldn’t be surprised if Citibank launched a new premium Thank You based credit card that also provided Admirals Club access (basically copying the Amex Platinum) – this would be a new way to access Admirals Clubs. I also could see them reducing the authorized user access as you described for the executive card.
Good points on new premium Citi card and on how many Delta customer have been able to experince the lounges.
Many years ago Citi Prestige provided Admiral’s Club access as well.
At some point, opportunity cost just means buying lounge access if you want it… instead of putting spend on a credit card well in excess of the value of the benefit you could get from using another card. $75000 in spend on a 2% credit card gets me $1500 in hard cash. Why would I not spend $600 for lounge access and pocket the other $900?
I agree with Mike R, it’s going to be like flying first class on points. It might just be better to buy it and move on. No searching for awards, meeting spending, begging to be let in to the lounge, etc. The airlines and credit card companies are going to kill the golden goose I think.
Proof read the title? Nah!
I’ve never had any issues accessing lounges with my *G and/or STE+ status, and I don’t foresee that changing soon.
US airline lounges are solving a problem that really shouldn’t exist.
If airports had consistently: short check-in and security, clean bathrooms, and reasonably priced concessions offering normal (not massive) package sizes, I bet most people wouldn’t look for a lounge.
I don’t care. I fly upfront and pay for it. When I fly domestically I’m not in the airport that long. When I fly internationally I’m usually on one the ME3 and am granted lounge access without question if I care to use it.
What these people are selling are like an upgrade to Costco or Walmart. Who gives a F and what kind of loser wants to spend hours at an airport.
Any and all credit card, banned! Where did this non sense start anyway?! You either PAY for an annual membership, like bueno be or you’re booked in a premium cabin. End of crowding right there!
Why would anyone pay for a benefit that’s included in their frequent flyer status?
Who is going to pay $525 (or 30-40% more) for a United Club card if the lounge visits are limited to such an extent? That card has little other benefit
@ Matthew — With fast, free airport wifi and improved gate seating at many airports, lounges just aren’t worth the cost or standing in line. They are now filled with a bunch of greedy pigs, rather than frequent travelers.
Even where I have lounge access, I increasingly head to somewhere closer to my departure gate or to the gate because the free wifi and power plugs near the gate area are convenient and sometimes even way more relaxing than a lounge full of business class travelers milking the lounge bar/fridge to get their buzz.
GOOD! Keep out the riff raff. 😉
I was in the VERY crowded MCO UA – I found a high work station by the emergency exit – I went to get my free food and came back to a mother chastising her child directly behind the chair I found to sit it – she was sooo involved, she didn’t see me standing there for :05 minutes – patiently waiting to sit!
It seems I must have found a seat in the “Time-out” corner.
Riff-Raff=children!
Airline lounge access should be limited purely to class of travel or frequent flyer status, period. Credit card members should make do with third party pay-to-use lounges where they are available.
I am the odd man out. Bought Lifetime Memberships in the 5 main carriers that served ORD in the mid-‘70’s as a hedge for future travel. At $150 a pop then thought it would pay dividends when I was retired and traveling for fun. Only 3 survived, now just 2. Crowds are crazy, especially during Holiday Peak Season. Yes, it has gotten out of control. Some sort of constraint has to be part of a control system where Premium Class Travel is rewarded first then pay per visit would be the only entry point afterwards. Lastly, one would have to be flying that carrier that day. No free riders. Perhaps this might help over crowding.
If you want to increase relaxation decrease the number of people who bring their kids and use the lounge like a playground or nursery., while taking up 3-4 tables
100% this. Capital One lounge at DFW has been a zoo the last few times I’ve been there. Too many large families. Glad the rules are changing.
Like many “Road Warriors” the new normal for travel is less frequent than pre Covid however the Credit Card affiliation lounges are either overrun with guests with substandard manors or visitors that should be educated on the proper decorum when visiting the complementary lounges.
Recently visited the AMEX Lounge at DCA , absolutely out of control on a Wednesday afternoon- no reason for the lounge to full of first time travels with no care or concern for others –
If the airlines were smart they would make sure the experience far exceeds the valued customers expectations with a very thoughtful approach!
I for one am looking forward to the changes Capital One is making to lounge access for everyone but Venture X cardholders. The one at DFW has been ridiculously crowed the last few times I’ve been there.