Loyal Delta flyers are bracing themselves for a long-feared crackdown on lounge access that begins in a week.
It is the latest in the ongoing quest by airlines and credit-card companies to control crowds, and boost profits.
Delta first mooted a raft of changes to its frequent flyer program - including access to to its Sky Clubs for those with premium American Express cards - in September 2023, and rolled out some at the start of 2024.
For example, those who book a basic economy ticket are no longer be allowed into Sky Clubs with select Amex cards as they were prior to January last year.
But by far the most controversial change starts on February 1. Those who get access to Delta's 52 lounges is via one of American Express's top tier cards will be limited to ten or 15 visits a year.
Until now, there has been no limit. Over the 15 visits Delta Reserve cardholders or ten for Amex Platinum customers is $50 per visit.
Customers can still get 'free' unlimited visits but they need to spend big, and rack up $75,000 a year on the card. They can also book pricy Delta One tickets, or a separate unlimited lounge pass for $695.
The limits could be stricter, though. When first announced in September 2023, the cap was as little as six visits a year.
After enormous backlash it U-turned on some of the harsher new rules, and also upped the annual limit.
Some Delta frequent flyers have vowed to ditch the airline over the changes - and instead fly Spirit.
Benjamin Carter, a veterinary chief medical officer, is one of those fliers and is considering using a Big Front Seat option with Spirit Airlines.
Delta claims most customers who access lounges with Amex cards will not be affected - since they visit fewer than ten times a year.
But it will be a blow to frequent flyers. Five round-trip flights will eat up ten free Sky Club visits.
Some frequent flyers have been working on the best strategy ahead of the changes.
Matt Ridley, a supply-chain director from New York, told the Wall Street Journal he has visited Sky Miles lounges 50 times last year with thanks to unlimited access with his Delta Reserve American Express card
'I've become accustomed to the Sky Club life,' Ridley says.
But with limits kicking in, Ridley plans to alternate visits between Sky Clubs and the American Express Centurion lounges, which remain free of limits.
If a Centurion lounge isn't an option, he's ready to skip Sky Clubs altogether when time is tight.
For now, he enjoys quick 20-minute stops for a bagel and coffee during his travels but won't waste one of his 15 free visits on such a short one.
Other frequent fliers are taking their planning to the next level. On the FlyerTalk message board, one savvy Delta traveler shared a detailed four-point workaround.
The plan? Book shorter layovers on the way to business meetings, skip lounges entirely, and save the Sky Club perks for the return trip—maximizing access with visits at both the departure airport and layover stop.
Branded credit cards are big business for Delta and the other airlines. Delta made $6.8 billion in 2023 from its partnership with Amex, up 22 per cent on the year prior.
Aviation expert Kathleen Bangs told DailyMail.com last year that it was common for airlines to rely on their loyalty schemes for profit.
'What most people don't realize is most airlines make more money from their credit card programs than they do carrying people,' she said. 'Airlines are just banks that operate flights.'
Meanwhile, Delta has launched new premium Delta One lounges for its highest paying passengers at airports in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston last summer.
The JFK lounge measures almost the same as three Olympic-sized swimming pools, has a fine dining restaurant, a covered terrace looking out over the runway, a treatment room and sleeping booths with reclining chairs.
The lounges are reserved is for those flying in Delta One, its business class cabin for international flights. They will operate in addition to its 52 Sky Clubs.
Cardholder Veronica Reign was caught off guard by the new policies in January 2024, and shared her experience on TikTok just before boarding a Delta flight.
'Finally, I get an Amex Platinum card. I come to the Delta terminal,' she said. 'And as of January 1 you cannot go into the Delta lounge with your Platinum Amex unless you are flying above basic economy.'
She added, 'I want to say to Delta and the Delta lounge that it's so disrespectful. Because we pay $700 f**king dollars a year for the Amex Platinum, and now I don't have access to the Delta lounge.'
It attracted a flurry of comments from other members who were not aware of the changes.
