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Spending time in an airport lounge before or after your flight is one of the easiest ways to make air travel more enjoyable. Lounge access is a perk that you don't want to overlook, offering benefits like free food, drinks, Wi-Fi, comfy chairs, and outlets galore. Delta Sky Club lounges are a great place to take advantage of all of the benefits that a lounge can offer.
Recently, Delta has made it harder to gain Sky Club access and cut down on how early you can visit the lounge before a flight, but you still have plenty of options to access these lounges. Let's take a look at what they are.
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About Delta Sky Club
Delta Sky Clubs are a network of lounges associated with Delta Airlines.
There are currently more than 50 domestic locations, along with one international location in Tokyo's Haneda airport. Additionally, there are over 100 partner lounges available through Delta's SkyTeam partnership. Delta allows you to access Sky Clubs for up to three hours before your departure time and for the length of your connection time if you're between flights. Certain guests also can access the Sky Club after arrival, even if they don't have an onward flight.
Over the past few years, Delta has had significant issues with Clubs being overly crowded. As a result, the airline has added new rules and reduced access to help control the crowds. That being said, Sky Clubs also received some major upgrades.
New locations and updates
Delta continues to open new locations and expand previous Sky Clubs. There were four new locations in 2022: New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Chicago-O’Hare, and Delta's first international Club at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Kansas City's new airport development plan included a new Sky Club, as well, opening on February 28, 2023.
There were also major expansions of both the Nashville and Boston locations. This was done in hopes of creating more space for people to be able to access the Clubs. For more information on the latest Sky Club news, check out this link.
How To Access a Delta Sky Club
You want to get into a Delta Sky Club? One of the simplest ways to gain access is to hold one of the following credit cards. Each has its own set of benefits and perks related to the card. You can read this article for help on how to choose the right Delta card.
It's important to note that lounge access benefits are only available on the Platinum and Reserve cards. Keep reading to get more information on each of them!
Access with a Delta credit card
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Get access to Delta Sky Club® at a rate of $50 per person per visit for you and up to two guests or immediate family when traveling on a Delta flight from now until 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Delta Platinum Card, up to two times through 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card provides access to Delta Sky Clubs when you're flying on a same-day Delta flight, but it's not free. You'll pay $50 per visit, and you can purchase up to two additional guest passes for $50 each. Visits are permitted before departing flights or after arrival. (Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available – Learn more.)
Other cardholder perks include:
- An annual companion certificate received on each account anniversary, which you can use for a domestic, economy-class round-trip ticket (just pay taxes and fees of up to $80).
- Up to $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit (available every four years).
- First checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
- Priority boarding.
- Earn 3X on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets, and earn 1X on all other eligible purchases.
- TakeOff 15 benefit for a discount of 15% on award bookings.
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $8,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Bonus Miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 6 months. Offer Ends 10/25/23.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Members save 15% when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- You can receive a domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Earn more miles on big purchases with 1.5 miles per dollar on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (that's an extra half mile per dollar), up to 50,000 additional miles per Calendar year. If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply (ex. you would earn 3X miles on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels instead of 1.5X).
- Delta Sky Club® Access - Get access to Delta Sky Club® at a rate of $50 per person per visit for you and up to two guests or immediate family while flying together on Delta. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
- With Status Boost®, earn 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to 2x per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
- Terms and limitations apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases with hotels
- 1.5x miles on eligible purchases over $5,000 (up to 50,000 bonus miles annually)
- 1X miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card offers many of the same benefits and perks as its personal counterpart above. That includes the same visit and guest rules for Delta SkyClubs.
- Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Enjoy Delta Sky Club® access at no cost and bring up to two guests or immediate family at a rate of $50 per person per visit. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- With Status Boost®, earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card through 12/31/23, up to four times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
- Eligible Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Receive a domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $550 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card isn't for everyone, but it offers a few important perks to consider:
- Complimentary Sky Club access when traveling on a same-day flight operated or marketed by Delta
- Access to American Express Centurion Lounges when flying on a same-day flight operated or marketed by Delta.
- Receive an annual companion certificate each year on your account anniversary, which can be used for a domestic round-trip ticket in First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin (just pay taxes and fees of up to $80).
- Two free guest passes per year
- First checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
- Priority boarding.
- Earn 3X miles on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 mile on all other purchases.
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
With the Delta Reserve card, you can purchase up to two guest passes to the Delta Sky Club for $50 each.
(Starting 2/1/25, Reserve Card members get 10 Delta Sky Club visits yearly. Spend $75,000+ on the card between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24 for unlimited visits, and each calendar year thereafter – Learn more.)
Related: Current Welcome Offers on Delta Credit Cards
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Bonus Miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 6 months. Offer Ends 10/25/2023.
- Save 15% On Award Travel With TakeOff 15. Card Members now enjoy savings on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With complimentary access into Delta Sky Club®, you can relax before your Delta flight, or find downtime between connections.* You'll also receive two Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year so you can share the experience with others when you're traveling together. *Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
- When you purchase a Delta flight with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, you will receive complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge - The Centurion® Studio Partner.
- After you spend $150,000 on your Card in a calendar year, you earn 1.5 miles per dollar (that's an extra half mile per dollar) on eligible purchases the rest of the year. If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply (ex. you would earn 3X miles on purchases made directly with Delta instead of 1.5X).
- Enjoy 3x miles per dollar on Delta purchases.
- With Status Boost®, earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card through 12/31/23, up to four times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status.* MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights.*Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more.
- Terms and limitations apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1.5X miles per dollar on eligible purchases after spending $150K per calendar year
- 1 mile on every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is the small business version offering the same benefits and perks. That includes the same access privileges to Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounges.
Access with other credit cards
If you're wanting to access a Delta Sky Club, you don't need a card that says Delta on the front.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
- $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
With The Platinum Card® from American Express, you get access to numerous lounges, including Delta Sky Club locations when flying Delta that day. Other lounge benefits include Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, certain Lufthansa lounges, and more. At Sky Clubs, you can bring up to two guests for $50 each.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline to your Card.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers the same lounge benefits as its personal counterpart above. Guest prices at the Delta Sky Club are the same, as well.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
If you have any of the cards above, the process for getting into Sky Club is pretty simple. Just present your card, same-day boarding pass, and government-issued I.D. at the Sky Club check-in. That's it!
If you're flying in Delta One (domestically or internationally) or on a domestic flight to connect to an international Delta One flight, you can visit the Sky Club but can't bring a guest. You also can visit if you're traveling in first class or business class with a Sky Team partner. This doesn't include travel to the Caribbean, however.
If you're flying in business class with LATAM, you can visit the Sky Club before your flight or before a connecting flight onward to your international flight with LATAM. You can't bring any guests into the lounge, though.
WestJet passengers in business class or connecting to an international business-class flight with Delta or WestJet can visit the Sky Club but can't bring guests.
Gain access with elite status
Another way to get into Delta Sky Club is to have Delta status as a Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Medallion Member AND be flying internationally in a premium cabin.
When flying internationally in Delta Premium Select or Delta One (or an equivalent cabin on a partner airline), these elites can enter the Sky Club and bring one guest (who must meet the same cabin criteria). This access also extends to elites flying in First Class to Mexico, Canada, or Central America. One guest is permitted. Note that travel to the Caribbean does not count. Sky Club membership also is an eligible Choice Benefit for Diamond Medallion members.
If you have SkyTeam Elite Plus status from another airline (not Delta), you can access the Sky Club with one guest when traveling on a SkyTeam international flight (in any cabin) or on a domestic flight to connect onward internationally. You cannot visit Sky Clubs on arrival at the end of your journey, however.
If you have LATAM Pass Signature Black Emerald, Black Emerald, or Platinum Sapphire status, you can visit the lounge when traveling in any cabin if you're flying with Delta or LATAM internationally that same day. This also includes access prior to your domestic connecting flight to get you to the airport for the international leg. You can bring one guest.
With Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold status, you get access to the lounge before international flights with Delta, Air France, KLM, or Virgin Atlantic, as well as prior to domestic connections to reach that flight. You can bring one guest.
If you have WestJet Gold or Platinum status and are flying between the U.S. and Canada on a WestJet or Delta flight, you can visit the lounge and can bring a guest.
Purchase a membership
You can buy a membership to the Sky Club, but only if you're a Delta Diamond Medallion member.
- Individual membership: $695 or 69,500 miles. This membership allows you to bring up to two guests for an additional $50 (or 50,000 miles) each.
- Executive membership: $1,495 or 149,500 miles. This membership allows you to bring two guests free of charge.
Day passes
Unfortunately, Delta no longer sells single-day passes. You'll need one of the above access methods, or you must enter with someone who has guest privileges.
Bottom Line
Delta has reduced who (and when) can access the Sky Club in order to combat overcrowding. The sale of memberships and day passes has been reduced, as well. On the other hand, there are still multiple ways to get inside, which is nice considering the fact Delta is opening more locations and renovating/expanding existing clubs. If you want to visit a Sky Club, look through the options above to see which works best for you.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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I’m unclear when you can access Delta lounges on arrival
Do you have more information.
I have Amex Business Platinum and I’ll probably be flying coach on one trip and business class on another out of LAX
thanks
Hi Paul – Delta has specifically spelled out that those with Delta Amex Reserve and Platinum cards may access lounges on arrival. It’s not mentioned for anyone else, which makes me think it’s likely not possible. Check the info listed for Amex Business Platinum and also the “fly in a premium cabin” sections of this article for your 2 trips.