This year Delta raised SkyClub membership prices and eliminated single visit passes. They also started requiring passengers to be flying Delta or a partner airline to access the lounge even if they’re so-called ‘members’.

Since Delta announced the change to access rules we saw similar moves by American and by United mere days later. Of course we did.

It’s primarily an historical artifact of the regulated era that US airlines charge for lounge access at all.

Delta SkyClub Seattle, Credit: Delta

Internationally (outside of Australia/New Zealand), paid membership isn’t common — access is primarily through class of service being flown or elite status (including on purely domestic or short haul itineraries). And of course international lounges are frequently much better than what US airlines – including Delta – offer.

Many customers purchased lifetime memberships to US airline lounges years ago, the promise of up front money in exchange for always being able to access these lounges. Flying the airline was not a condition. Reader David G. shares with me that Delta has announced an accommodation for these customers.

November 2018 (sic), we announced that customers accessing a Delta Sky Club must be flying on a same-day ticketed Delta or Delta partner flight to enter the Club, effective January 1, 2019. We have made an exception to this policy for our Lifetime Members. You and your guests may continue to access the Club when traveling on same-day ticketed travel on any airline. As a reminder, eligible guests include up to two traveling companions OR a spouse/partner and children under 21.

Delta Sky Club entrance New York JFK Terminal 2

Of course Delta has made plenty of promises in the past they didn’t keep, like advertising during the Superbowl that their miles would never expire — only to expire miles, and once they moved miles off their books, reintroduced non-expiring miles. When they introduced ‘SkyMiles’ and devalued their old Delta Frequent Flyer program they promised to honor ‘old miles’ under certain conditions until they changed their minds.

So I’d say that for now lifetime members can still access Delta’s clubs as promised, until Delta changes their mind again.