Delta Fliers Are Revenge Lounging—Will New Lounges Help?
The airline is opening flashy new lounges ahead of major Sky Club changes starting next year.
In airports across the country, lines wrap around the Delta Sky Club as if it’s the next Berghain. While this might’ve been a sign of coveted exclusivity in the past, passengers are starting to get frustrated. In an effort to abate the crowds, the airline announced restrictions to Sky Club access earlier this year. Have these limitations caused passengers to take their loyalties elsewhere, or are we witnessing a period of revenge lounging, in which those with unlimited access are making it a point to enjoy their perks before they expire in February of next year? And how will the airline’s new Delta One Lounges make a difference?
Overcrowding at Delta Sky Clubs has been a hotbed issue for quite some time now. "I can't remember the last time I was in a Sky Club and it wasn't completely packed. I get in either through my American Express Platinum card or because I often fly on long haul Skyteam flights, and can use my alliance status to access the Clubs,” says travel influencer Paul Lucas. “It's gotten so bad, and the lounges are often so weak anyway, I won't bother queueing to enter one. This has started to affect how I spend my money as a non-US based traveler; when traveling in the US, I'll now typically fly United or American Airlines instead of Delta—they don't have the same problems.”
Last September, driven by customer demand for wanting to maintain a premium experience, the airline announced that it would be doing away with unlimited access for American Express and other premium cardholders, capping the amount of times per year these customers could visit lounges. Since January, Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Platinum Business American Express Card Members, and customers traveling in economy, regardless of card type, have not been able to enjoy club access. Starting in February. 2025, Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Card Members will receive 10 club visits per year, while Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card from American Express Card Members will receive six Club visits per year.
A spokesperson from Delta noted that the policy changes that have already gone into effect earlier this year have helped the airline manage visit volume. But users on X (formerly Twitter) have still been complaining about lines. It looks like, at least for now, Sky Club members are still milking their access while they can.
There are two ways to combat overcrowding: restricting access and investing in more lounges. Delta has introduced four new Sky Clubs in 2022, five in 2023, and three new Delta One Lounges for 2024, one of which was unveiled this Tuesday, at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The ultra-luxe 38-000-square foot space—available to select, long-haul, business-class customers—features a full-service brasserie, a market slash bakery, and dedicated wellness areas, from relaxation pods to treatment rooms. While the Delta Sky Club at Concourse B has been riddled with long waits, about 35 to 40% of those customers will shift to the Delta One Lounge, says a spokesperson at Delta. Similar iterations are set to open at LAX and Boston Logan International later this year.
But not everyone is happy. While some welcome the glitzy lounges as a way to abate lines and ensure a premium experience for high-paying customers, others see it as an elitist move. As TikTok comedian Matt Buechele points out, it’s a fine line between overcrowding and accessibility at airports: “If we all have TSA Precheck, then none of us have TSA Precheck.”