Delta Air Lines recently opened several new Sky Club lounges, including the new Sky Club in Terminal E of Boston Logan International Airport and the new Sky Club in the beautiful Terminal A of Newark Liberty International Airport.
However, the airline has taken several steps to significantly reduce the number of flyers who have access to the Delta Sky Club, with the most drastic changes set to take effect in 2025. Here’s what you need to know about the different ways you can access Delta Sky Club.
Credit cards
An easy way to access the Delta Sky Club is to have a credit card that grants access. Here’s when you can get access with some of the best tickets for Sky Club access:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Must travel on a Delta-operated flight or a Delta-marketed WestJet flight beginning with a 006 ticket number for free entry (no entry after January 1, 2024, if traveling on Delta Basic Economy or equivalent partner fares )
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Must travel on a Delta-operated flight or a Delta-marketed WestJet flight beginning with a 006 ticket number for free entry (no entry after January 1, 2024, if traveling on Delta Basic Economy or equivalent partner fares )
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Must travel on a Delta marketed or operated flight for complimentary entry (no entry beginning January 1, 2024, if traveling on Delta Basic Economy or equivalent partner fares)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Must travel on a Delta marketed or operated flight for complimentary entry (no entry beginning January 1, 2024, if traveling on Delta Basic Economy or equivalent partner fares)
Please note: all of the above cards only grant access to the card holder. You can add authorized users to any of these cards to gain access for friends and family members, but each card will charge you a flat fee for authorized user cards. You can also pay $50 per person, per visit ($25 per person, per visit at take-away locations) to bring up to two guests or your immediate family (spouse or partner and children under 21).
However, effective February 1, 2025, Delta will limit the number of times you can visit a Sky Club in each program year (February 1 through January 31 of the following year) as follows:
- Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum: Six visits per program year
- Delta Reserve Amex and Delta Reserve Business Amex: 10 visits per program year (you still get two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes each year)
You can remove the limit on Sky Club visits until the end of the next Medallion year (January 31) if you spend $75,000 or more on one of the eligible credit cards during a calendar year. But that’s a lot of expenses to put on one card.
If you the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Cardyou can currently pay $50 per person for one-time Sky Club access for yourself and up to two traveling companions. However, this option will disappear on January 1, 2024.
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If you have the Delta Reserve Card and are traveling on a Delta partner airline on flights not offered or operated by Delta, you can enter a Sky Club for $50 per person, per visit, or a grab-and-go location for $25 per person, per location.
Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access
Paid membership
If you have elite status with Delta, you can purchase a Sky Club membership directly with cash or SkyMiles. There are two types of Sky Club memberships:
- Individual membership: One-year rate of $695 or 69,500 SkyMiles.
- Executive Membership: One-year rate of $1,495 or 149,500 SkyMiles.
These memberships include Sky Club access when you fly with Delta or select partners, as long as you don’t fly Basic Economy.
With an individual membership, only the member has access to the Sky Club. However, the member may pay $50 per guest, per visit ($25 per guest, per visit for grab-and-go locations) for up to two guests or immediate family members.
Meanwhile, an executive membership is useful for those who expect to bring guests to the club on a regular basis. You can bring up to two guests or your immediate family for free and up to two additional guests for $50 per guest, per visit ($25 per guest, per visit for grab-and-go locations).
We currently value SkyMiles at 1.2 cents each. This means that an individual membership costs approximately $834 if you pay with SkyMiles, while an executive membership costs approximately $1,794 in SkyMiles.
Related: A guide to airport lounge guest policies
Elite status
There are several ways you can gain access to Delta Sky Club as a benefit of your elite status.
For example, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members can select Choice Benefits every Medallion year. And some of the Delta Choice benefits can include access to the Delta Sky Club as follows:
- Individual membership of Delta Sky Club: Diamond members can obtain this benefit with one choice benefit selection for the 2023 Medallion year (not offered for the 2024 Medallion year)
- Delta Sky Club Executive Membership: Diamond members can obtain this benefit with two Choice Benefit selections for the 2023 Medallion year and with three Choice Benefit selections for the 2024 Medallion year
- Delta Sky Club Guest Pass: Diamond members with complimentary Delta Sky Club access through an eligible credit card can obtain this benefit with one Choice Benefit selection for the 2023 Medallion year (not offered for the 2024 Medallion year)
Delta Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members also have access to Sky Club lounges when traveling in Premium Select or Delta One seats on a same-day international itinerary. These members can also gain access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling first class to Mexico, Canada and Central America.
If you are a SkyTeam Elite Plus member on another airline, you can access the Delta Sky Club lounges when traveling on a SkyTeam international flight (excluding between the US and the Caribbean) or a SkyTeam domestic flight with a connection to or from a SkyTeam international flight.
There are also some airlines that grant Delta Sky Club access as an elite status benefit, including:
- LATAM: Signature Black Emerald, Black Emerald and Platinum Sapphire members and up to one guest receive access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling or connecting on a same-day international flight operated by Delta or LATAM
- Virgin Atlantic Ocean: Gold members and up to one guest receive access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling or connecting on a same-day international flight operated by Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Air France or KLM
- WestJet: Gold and Platinum members and up to one guest receive access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a same-day cross-border flight between the US and Canada operated by Delta or WestJet
Related: Delta SkyMiles Changes: Airline Changes How You Earn Medallion Status, With Biggest Change Yet
Premium cabin tickets
Both domestic and international Delta One passengers (which is different from domestic first on Delta), as well as anyone flying an international first or business class ticket on a SkyTeam-operated flight on the same day (you must be confirmed in business class or first class for each segment of your ticket), you will receive access to the Sky Club lounge regardless of elite status or membership. You can even gain access to the club if you’re on a domestic Delta flight connecting to or from an international Delta One flight on the same day.
Delta defines international travel as Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, Africa, Canada and Mexico (but not the Caribbean) for lounge access purposes.
In addition, Delta has partnered with several other airlines to offer Sky Club access to their premium cabin passengers:
- LATAM: Business Class passengers have access to Sky Club lounges when traveling internationally on the same day or in conjunction with a connection to or from an international flight operated by Delta or LATAM
- Virgin Atlantic Ocean: Business Class passengers have access to Sky Club lounges when traveling internationally on the same day or in conjunction with a connection to or from an international flight operated by Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Air France or KLM
- West Jet: Business Class passengers have access to Sky Club lounges when traveling internationally on the same day or in conjunction with a connection to or from an international flight operated by Delta or WestJet
Related: Premium Economy vs. Business Class: Are the Differences Worth an Upgrade?
In short
If you fly Delta regularly or live or travel in a hub city, access to the Sky Club can make your travel experience much more enjoyable.
Although Delta has tightened its Sky Club entry rules, there are still some ways to gain entry, especially if you don’t book basic economy fares. For example, top-tier Diamond Medallion members can redeem Choice Benefits for a Delta Sky Club membership, while anyone with Delta elite status can still pay cash or redeem miles for a Delta Sky Club membership.
Additionally, some premium credit cards still offer free lounge access, although visits will be capped starting February 1, 2025 unless you meet specific spending thresholds in the 2024 calendar year.