New Delta Sky Club Lounge Access Rules Take Effect February 1

New rules for access to Delta Air Lines Sky Club lounges go into effect today — Saturday, February 1.

The new, more restrictive rules are the last part of a drastic plan by Delta to restrict access to its lounges, which is a bid to address the overcrowding that has affected Sky Clubs for years.

In 2023, the airline introduced higher thresholds to attain its Medallion elite status. At the same time, in an attempt to reduce crowding, Delta and American Express also drastically curbed Sky Club access for flyers who hold some of the most expensive American Express and Delta co-branded credit cards.

The new lounge access rules have been known for more than a year, but now is a good time to revisit the changes as they take effect.

Let’s look at how you can get into Delta Sky Clubs beginning February 1, 2025.

Who Can Access Delta Sky Clubs and How?

First of all, access to Delta Sky Clubs is permitted only within 3 hours of your flight’s departure, except for passengers with a connecting flight. They can access a Sky Club at the connecting airport without the 3-hour rule.

Second, only passengers who have a boarding pass for a Delta flight on the same day are eligible. Passengers flying basic economy fares do not have access, regardless of their credentials.

Accessing Sky Clubs via Credit Cards

As of February 1, passengers who have certain American Express cards will be allotted a certain number of days to visit Sky Clubs every year.

Visits are measured by a 24-hour period, including unlimited entrances in any given period. So if you are connecting and visit a Sky Club at your origin airport and another at the connection airport, that will only count as 1 day’s worth of visits.

Cardholders will be allotted days according to the following structure:

• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card: 15 days annually
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card: 15 days annually
• Platinum Card^® from American Express: 10 days annually
• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express: 10 days annually

Delta Reserve card and Reserve Business cardholders can invite 2 guests by paying $50 per guest per visit. Additionally, Delta Reserve cardholders get 4 one-time free passes for guests (issued after account opening and after account renewal each year), but they can only redeem 2 per visit.

Cardholders of any of the aforementioned cards can purchase Sky Club access for $50 per entry if their allotment is used up.

And, if you have more than 1 eligible card, you can stack your days. For example, if you have the Amex Platinum card and the Delta Reserve card, you’ll have 25 total days in the year to visit Sky Clubs.

Purchasing a Sky Club Membership

Members of Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program who have any level of Delta Medallion status can buy a year of Sky Club membership.

The cost is $695 for an individual membership or $1,495 for an executive membership, which includes 2 complimentary guests per visit. Both types of membership offer access to Sky Clubs any time you fly Delta without limits.

Membership can be paid for with SkyMiles, too, costing either 69,500 miles for the basic level or 149,500 for the executive. This values a SkyMile at 1 cent apiece, which is 20% less than our valuation of 1.2 cents per mile.

If you do not have Medallion status, you cannot purchase a Sky Club membership.

Spending $75,000 on an Eligible Credit Card

Cardholders can spend $75,000 annually on any of the cards mentioned above to earn unlimited Sky Club access for the year in which the spending threshold is met, plus the following Medallion year. 

Once earned, unlimited visits will last through January 31 of the following year.

For example, if you spend $75,000 on your Amex Platinum card in 2025, you will unlock unlimited Sky Club visits through January 31, 2027 — the end of the 2026 Medallion year.

Using Your Choice Benefits as Diamond Medallion

Members who have Diamond Medallion status can choose Sky Club membership for 1 year as part of the 4 Choice Benefits they are allotted every year. An individual membership requires 2 of the 4 Choice Benefits, and an executive membership (which allows 2 guests per visit) uses 3 Choice Benefit redemptions.

Flying International in Premium Select or Above as Medallion

Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion elite status holders can access Delta Sky Clubs ahead of an international flight, but that only applies if they are flying in Delta Premium Select or Delta One. Those are Delta’s names for premium economy and business class. Those Medallion members also have access when flying premium economy or business class on Delta’s partner airlines.

International flyers in economy class (except basic economy) can enter Sky Clubs if they have another method of access, like a Delta Sky Club membership or an eligible credit card.

Passengers in Delta One can access dedicated Delta One lounges, however only 3 currently exist. They’re found in New York-JFK, Los Angeles, and Boston.

Having SkyTeam Elite Plus Status on International Flights

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, and flyers who have SkyTeam Elite Plus status from an alliance carrier — excluding Delta’s own Medallions — can access Sky Clubs when flying internationally. Notably, this also applies when flying economy and includes free access for 1 guest. These members also can access Sky Clubs on a domestic flight when connecting to or from an international flight on the same day.

For example, a passenger with SkyTeam Elite Plus status from Air France can access a Sky Club if they are flying from Atlanta to Paris on any SkyTeam carrier — including in economy. If they were flying from Atlanta to Paris via Boston, they could access the Sky Club in Atlanta and in Boston.

Alternatives to Delta Sky Clubs

With access to Delta Sky Clubs now limited, you may find yourself looking for an alternative lounge — either because you’ve run out of your allotted days or you want to save up access for longer stays.

At airports where there’s an Amex Centurion Lounge, cardholders can visit any number of times.

Entry to any American Express Centurion Lounge is complimentary for cardholders of the Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum card (with a same-day boarding pass on any airline), plus Delta Reserve card and Delta Reserve Business card get access when you book your same-day Delta flight with the card. Access is also open to those who have the ultra-exclusive Centurion^® Card from American Express.

There is also a vast network of Priority Pass lounges, with more than 120 locations in the U.S. If you have a membership, these can provide an alternative before your next flight.

Final Thoughts

Delta Sky Clubs, which you can even access upon arrival from a same-day Delta flight, are among the best airport lounges in the U.S.

Since the resumption of travel after the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been overcrowded as more people fly and hold credit cards giving them lounge access. In response, Delta introduced more restrictive rules for access to its Sky Clubs, and those rules go into effect on Saturday, February 1.

With some planning, you should be able to gauge whether your current method of accessing Sky Clubs works for you. If it doesn’t, you can change it or add another one. In any case, there are alternatives to Delta lounges at many airports.