Last week, Delta agents denied me access to the LAX Sky Club in Terminal 2, even though I was traveling on an international business class ticket. Now Delta has officially weighed in on the issue.
The day after the incident, Delta reached out to me via Twitter with an apology, stating:
Hi, Matthew. I apologize for this experience. Please provide your confirmation number, so that I may check this for you. Thank you. *ATJ
— Delta (@Delta) August 9, 2018
We switched to DM, where the following exchange occurred:
I heard nothing further on Twitter, but I also reached out to my contact in the press office, asking for a comment on my blog post. Here is the reply that I received:
Hi Matthew,
We checked with our Delta Sky Clubs team, and you are correct that you should have been allowed to access the LAX club. We are following up with our team in LA to ensure they understand the policy, and we apologize for the confusion and your poor experience.
We’d also like offer you miles or single-visit Sky Club passes as a gesture of apology. I imagine you already have Sky Club access when flying with Delta but wanted to include that as an option just in case. Let me know your preference.
So there you have it: Delta admitted error and apologized. There are still a few lingering issues, though. First, what should a customer in my situation have done differently to ensure access? Second, what does “following up with the LA team” mean? A memo? Retraining? How will consistency be ensured throughout the entire lounge network? Third, what prompted this issue in the first place? Was Aeromexico not paying Delta for its passenger’s visits?
On the issue of compensation, I stressed to Delta that the most important thing is to ensure what happened to me does not happen to other passengers, especially to those who do not have voice like mine. I’ll keep you all updated if I hear back anything else from Delta on this matter.
Thanks Matthew! I’m so glad Delta owned up and offered compensation for the issue. You are spot on about infrequent travelers not knowing what to do in such a situation. That’s why your advocacy is so important.
I also was denied because i could not show my gold delta am express in Atlanta but they could have looked it up!! I had a seven hour layover in Atlanta and wss miserable on returning from europe!
A Gold Delta Skymiles card will not get you in to the Sky Club . A Platinum American Express is card is required for complimentary entrance.
As a Delta Diamond level flier, I would prefer that NO credit cards gain access to Sky Clubs- clubs should be reserved exclusively for those that, you know, actually fly large amounts of miles with Delta.
Actually you can get in with a gold card, not free though it’s 29.00
But you’re only allowed access for $29 if you pay using the Gold Delta AMEX card. Looking it up wouldn’t help if you don’t have the card to pay with
If you have Gold status with Delta and are flying on a international flight you automatically have free access to any Sky Club with or without a Delta credit card. I do it all the time, never had a issue.
This isn’t true. Agents can’t look up whether or not you have the card or not That has to deal with amex. Your skymiles is just attached to the card, and therefore they can only see the miles associates with the card. Not
if you have Americann Express.
The same thing happened to me flying first class from St Lucia through Atlanta to PHX. The representative at the lounge said that my First Class ticket from the Carribean did not qualify. I did not fight it as I only would have been able to use the lounge for 30 minutes before my connecting flight. I don’t think it is right. First class is First class and should not be dependent on the where you arrived from.
The Caribbean doesn’t count as international for the purpose of lounge access.
“*International Travel includes: Customers traveling to/from Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, Africa, Canada and Mexico (excludes travel to/from the Caribbean, Guam, Palau and Saipan).”
Matthew,
I’ll be very interested to see if Delta finally cleans this up. On July 13th my wife and I returned on a flight from PDL to JFK with a connection to WAS. Our first flight arrived at JFK very early. After clearing immigration and customs, I asked a Delta agent to put me on an earlier flight to WAS since there was still one hour until it was scheduled to depart. Even though I am a GM, the Delta agent insisted that I needed to pay a same day change fee. WRONG. It took me nearly an hour to get a Delta CSR on the phone who CONFIRMED that I should not be assessed a fee for that same day change. Unfortunately, by then it was too late for us to catch the earlier flight. She then offered compensation, but to this day I have heard NOTHING else from Delta about this issue.
In other words, don’t hold your breath when it comes to their often empty promises.
-George XS
So you can do a SAME day change without being penalized?
Any follow up or closure to the Swiss first class case? Or did you settle privately?
No follow up because Swiss doesn’t give a rat’s behind about him. He has no case.
lol
I’m actually curious as well if this was ever resolved.
Maybe I missed your post about this issue but what was the agent argument to not allow you access to the lounge if you indeed had an international business class flight with Delta?
Link is above. Was an Aeromexico flight (award ticket, business class).
Just red your previous post. Interesting to see they say Mexico and Canada are international. I confirmed with Delta at the airport and by phone and they DO NOT allow business class tickets to Canada to have access to the lounge unless you have a lounge pass or Amex Platinum card. I can guarantee you that is the case since it happened to my boss in front of me. Holding a paid business class ticket from MSP to YVR and denied access to Delta Sky Club.
Hmm, I did DAY-MSP-YVR on an award business class ticket and was granted admission. I specifically asked at check-in and the agent said all international destinations “even Canada” (her words) are granted admission. That was in October, so I don’t know for fact if it’s changed or not.
@Santastico: My experience has been the exact opposite, in line with what @Mfb123 and Matt have said. Late last year I flew on a paid Delta flight from EWR-MSP-YEG return in business class (I have no status with DL) and received entry to the SkyClubs in MSP and EWR without any problems. My mother also flew YEG-MSP-BOS return in paid business class (again, no DL status) and gained Skyclub access with no problems. Prior to my mom’s flight, I contacted Delta to confirm she would have Skyclub access on a Canadian flight in business class and Delta said yes. Their policy, as Matt posted, explicitly includes Canada and Mexico (but not Caribbean) as falling under “international flights” which qualify for Skyclub access with a premium cabin ticket.
What would be fun to do is to re-book the same type of flight at LAX and attempt to recreate the entire situation to document if it changes say a month from today. That would also be a super great blog post btw.
I second the idea. A great way to see if this is all talk or not.
Yes
Yes. Would love to see how “reaching out” works in the real world
Way to hold them accountable, awesome work!
As if this will change anything for the rest of us non-blogger travelers.
So, did you take the miles?
I’ll opt for the miles and report back once I find out how many Delta posts.
Well since day passes go for $59, I say 5,900 miles should be fair compensation
Skypesos aren’t worth a each. Plus need recompense for the hassle – 50K minimum
@Santastico: That has not been my experience. I flew Delta in business class EWR-MSP-YEG return last year and was granted access to the Skyclubs in MSP and EWR without any problems. A family member of mine too had done a YEG-MSP-BOS rtn flight and got Skyclub access. I specifically reached out to Delta beforehand prior to my family member’s flight and they confirmed that flights to Canada DO get Skyclub access. I presume because Air Canada provides Maple Leaf Lounge access to their business class fliers and Delta has to compete
My, my.. didnt they know how important you are?!… and a blogger no less!
lol
Thank you Matthew for the follow up. As a diamond myself, I can’t even comprehend half of the lounge access policy. A post like this help all of us to be aware of our rights.
Thank you Matthew for doing this! I’m tired and annoyed that airline employees make up rules because they feel like they can. In many cases it makes you feel humiliated and never want to come back to confront them on their wrongdoing.
Hello Matthew,
I’d love to tell you about my “customer service” experience on Delta with a business class seat. Interested??
Yes! Feel free to comment below or use the contact form at the top of the page.
Dude, I’m a million miler and guess you missed Delta’s announcement at least two years ago that international passengers not owning a Sky Club Membership would no longer have access to the Sky Club in addition to not allowing Sky Club Members like myself bring one guest with me. Not sure why your shorts are in a wad over this.
You’re TOTALLY misinformed. See my prior post, which listed the specific lounge rules pulled directly from the Delta website.
Million Miler on Delta is the definition of clueless…
Good – look forward to hearing how it works in practice
Next week you’ll see “Toni” working over at the United Lounge.
That made me laugh.
Its a local rule – she can work at any lounge she likes.
Lol
Note what they offer you costs them nothing, while what this incident cost you quite a bit (time, frustration, discomfort and embarrassment). How nice with it be if they offered you anything of real value that actually cost them nearly as much as it cost you.
I would argue Matthew got a good story for a couple posts, and a fair amount of buzz on the posts. You literally can not buy that type of press.
This is a repeat abuse of airlines ,like shrinking seats ,no extra luggage ,disgusting meals. Or no meals ,hypocrisy ,lies ,scape goats and even accusing passengers by calling airport security because people just can not tolerate more of the trash handling luggage an public relations ,mere courtesy ! Just go to read every day Nasdac ,or just see how much money is going to the share holders at your ,mine ticket ! Well we never learned ? Should we start make real complaints ,to washing hands FAA OR NTSB ? We have means to stop this abuses ,bad employees and bad CEO’S , SPEAK UP LOUD TILL CONGRESS ,AND FAA GET THEIR ASSES IN GEAR ,BUT START FROM HOW LOUD WE ARE GOING TO SHAKE THOSE IN CHARGE AND THOSE BAD APPLES AT THE AIRLINES ,TILL WE GET DECENT RESPECTFULL SERVICE AND THE HEADS OF AIRLINES STOP THE CORPORATE GREED BS OF COST OF OPERATION ,VERSUS THEIR BONUSES AND LAVISH SALARIES ,YES AT OUR COST ,OUR AGRAVATION OUR BROKEN SCHEDULE AND THEIR BROKEN PROMISES AT EVERY AIRPORT !
Breathe, correct you are but breathe 🙂
Not surprising. They denied me access to the T2 club as a Diamond because they said the lounge was full. Bulls**t. I’m the type of customer they’re supposed to kick people out for. When I was underage I had issues with access as a platinum, they wouldn’t let me in even though there was a fully tended bar. (In JFK & BOS they just told me to stay away from the bar and we’d be fine).
Get a life.
Dude, Delta made a mistake. They admitted it. They offered to compensate you. Get over it. Not a life changing event.
You seem like a feckless [deleted].
Watch the language, please.
It’s amazing how a simple article such as this could generate such angry comments! People have nothing better to do than hate. Haters will hate. Sad.
Good article and don’t listen to the JEALOUS haters 🙂
I traveled overseas for work back and forth every 3 weeks. My company flew me business class, full fare tickets. I had this argument MANY MANY TIMES with Delta airlines access to the business lounge in Seattle. I even had arguments with the onshift manager with NOOOOO satisfaction. I finally told my agent to never use delta airlines again. I do not fly in Delta if I can avoid it. Even if it cost me more money
Thanks Matthew for doing this. The whole “local rules” thing is what is mystifying. Is there such a thing? If so where does Delta expect a traveler to find these let alone understand them?
Appreciate your efforts!
I was trying to purchase a day pass at T3 LAX on 11 Aug. I was told to go over to T2 as T3 was too small to handle day pass buyers. I took the shuttle over to T2 and was made welcome. I dont know if this is a local standard or what.
I recently flew with a first class ticket on a Delta flight from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale. The Delta in flight magazine had a commentary by the president of the company touting how their 2 chefs have created fine a fine dining menu. My meal choice was fish or ravioli. I chose the ravioli. Putting it bluntly, a twelve year could have made a better meal. And my seat had a partition behind it that did not allow me to put my seat back but a few inches. The seat across the aisle did not. Delta makes a lot of claims which are publicity oriented but not customer oriented.
i am medallion member (delta amex card hardholder too) also. I am almost platinum,I do not expect to be given priority over people that fly more than me. i was told i could pay for a day pass to access the sky club by Delta. When i was in terminal 3 LAX I was told I was not allowed to access that sky club in terminal 3. I could only access terminal 2 sky club. It was the first time i chexked a bag in also. Delta in LA requires Sky Priority to check your bag in terminal 2 then either walk to terminal 3 or take a bus to terminal 3 vua the tarmac. Needless to say, I think the bag check process and then being refused the access to the club requiring me to take a bus back to terminal 2, disciuraged me from even purchasing the sky club membership. Then that exact trip they lost my luggage for two days… losing faith in Delta
What a meaningless response from DL. The only reason why they would even care about this is because of who you are (and even you had to get in touch with your press contact to follow up for a response). What chance for recourse is there for the rest of us when we experience such issues?
All those incompetent lounge employees should be disciplined.
You actually wrote an article about this pissant non-event in this world filled with actual earth shattering events? Talk about self-absorbed…
Thanks for nailing it.
This Delta Uranium elite member is not impressed.
Delta denied my wife access to the sky priority check in line in Copenhagen. She had a first class ticket.
Delta canceled a flight to Billings Montana at the last minute. Delta knew they had no plane for the route 11 hours earlier. The cancellation cost me more than $1500, Delta offered me $110 and 30000 Delta miles. I said no thanks. I’ll try United on my next trip in 5 weeks.
I just don’t know how you managed to survive such a horrible ordeal. Reading the comments just confirms how entitled Americans have become.
I have been back from my trip to Malaysia and when I got in FORT LAUDERDALE Florida airport come to find out I have no Luggages. I was giving two numbers to call about my bags each time I call I can’t get NO ONE! on the phone what’s the point in the numbers that s gonna keep you on hold tomorrow will be 3weeks and I still haven’t heard nothing from Delta. Can anyone give me some type of info on how to make a report about my Luggages all my information was put on my Luggages and no one has tried to call me.