Delta Sky Club HNL Lounge Review: Compact & Equipped but Dated
Over the past couple of years, I’ve really started to become a big fan of Delta Sky Clubs.
But on a recent trip to HNL, I had my doubts about the Delta Sky Club mostly because I knew it would be small and the prior lounges I visited at HNL were nothing special.
But luckily, my expectations were surpassed at this compact yet equipped lounge and in this article I’ll tell you all about the experience!
Getting to the Delta Sky Club at HNL
It was extremely easy to get to the Delta Sky Club which was no surprise because HNL is not very big.
The Delta Sky Club is located in terminal two just outside of security near Gate F1.
Delta check-in was located in lobby seven so that is the lobby that we entered through after going through the USDA check for our checked bags.
Once you make it past security, you’ll turn left and it’s very hard to miss the lounge.
Gate F1 also happened to be our gate so it made getting to the lounge and planning our exit as easy as could be.
We had access to the Delta Sky Club HNL via our American Express Platinum Cards because we were flying Delta back to the mainland.
Specifically, we were flying Delta One Suites from HNL to SEA and then Delta First Class from SEA to PHX.
We had just arrived from Kona to HNL about four hours before our departure and the check-in agents were gracious enough to check our bags for us.
However, the lounge strictly stuck to the three hour prior to flight window and that meant that we would have to kill some time before being able to enter the lounge. That was annoying but it’s probably a good thing they have the policy because it is such a small lounge.
When we were finally able to get into the lounge, the agents were very friendly and professional.
They made sure to tell us about all of the features of the lounge and invited us to send our own Hawaiian postcards (with postage paid for by Delta). That, to me, was a very nice and fitting touch for travelers departing Hawaii and we sent a couple of them out to family members.
The lounge had a pretty minimal amount of traffic which made it very relaxing at least for the first hour or so.
It would pick up and get a little bit busy but it never got too crazy and died down towards the end of our visit. That was nice because for small lounges like this, I always worry about the lounge becoming an unenjoyable madhouse.
There were a hand full of different seating areas and we decided to grab a couple of chairs just on the other side of the bar. Some of the seating does have counters with outlets so look out for those if you need to stay powered up.
Most of the seating options offered in the lounge were the same or similar and consisted of typical airport lounge chairs. Comfortable yet a little boring by today’s lounge standards. You can get a feel for the different seating areas with some of the photos below.
I liked the Hawaiian artwork on display and also liked that they had a profile of the artist below each piece.
Aside from the entire lounge feeling pretty dated, I did like the relaxing color scheme found throughout the lounge with teal/mint accents contrasted against woodgrain. Not necessarily the most impressive decor for sure, but I appreciated that they at least had done something a little bit different.
The drinks and dining
I went over to check out the dining options and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many different hot food items along with some tasty sandwiches.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect in this lounge since our last lounge experience at HNL definitely was nothing special.
But this exceeded my expectations with a diverse range of food options raging from Hawaiian to Japanese, and also offering your basic items like ham and cheese sandwiches and even comfort foods like chicken noodle soup. I’d say it was a pretty solid food line up.
Here’s a close look at all of the food items that were offered in the late afternoon/early evening.
Kalua pork with cabbageHawaiian shoyu chickenPancit bihon.
If you were just looking for snacks, they did have a stand with Lays potato chips.
And another station with desserts which included some type of pudding dish, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a small freezer with some sort of special ice cream.
As for drinks, the lounge has a small bar with a very friendly bartender who also was pretty efficient at serving up drinks. You never saw the line get a long at all.
The mai tai drinks, complete with decorative flower and umbrella, seemed to be a major hit for many people. I just went with my usual sparkling water but Brad had one last mai tai before we departed Hawaii.
There’s also a good lineup of different teas with honey and an easy to use hot water dispenser.
Iced tea, lemonade, and ice water were also available.
If you want some soda water they had a small soda water dispenser and if you’re in the mood for some coffee they had two espresso machines.
Near the food station, they had a pretty long row of two person dining tables along with some seats with tables found along the wall.
In the back corner of the lounge there was a TV area with a large screen playing ESPN. This appeared to be the busiest area of the lounge during our stay.
The lounge had a rack of literature to check out and I decided to try out a travel magazine to pass some time.
It had been a while since I had sat down with a magazine and I actually enjoyed going through it and learned quite a bit about some cool spots on different islands of Hawaii.
I definitely think I’m going to return to magazine reading as it was something I used to always do at airports and when flying but at some point I just dropped the habit.
There’s a small workstation area with a few chairs, some outlets, and a printer station. If you have something that you need to print, you can send it to the printer via email by just following the instructions.
In this back corner of the lounge there is another TV area but it’s a good amount smaller than the other section. It was also much quieter over here.
One thing that I thought was interesting about the lounge is that they came around with a cart serving mini cannolis and some type of special alcoholic tea. That’s not something I typically see in an airport lounge, especially a small one, so I thought it was pretty cool and once again a nice touch by Delta.
The bathroom
While some Delta Sky Clubs on the larger side have some pretty amazing (and huge) bathrooms, the men’s bathroom here is quite small with one urinal and one stall. I know this is a smaller lounge but only having one stall is under equipped to me.
Final word
The Delta Sky Club at HNL is pretty compact and yes it is dated.
However, the staff is great and the dining and drink options were solid and plentiful. The lounge also provided a few special touches here and there that made the experience feel a bit more premium.
Overall, I really liked the lounge and would prefer visiting this over the Plumeria lounges any day but it will be nice if the lounge can get some renovation love in the near future.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Delta Sky Club Guide: (Access & List of Locations) [2022]
If you have walked through any major airport in the USA, you probably noticed a room behind closed doors with a sign reading “Delta Sky Club.” This may have intrigued you and rightfully so because the Delta Sky Club has everything you might need to relax, appease your appetite, and rehydrate before or after a flight.
In this article, I will cover everything you need to know about the Delta Sky Club access policy, lounge features, membership benefits, rules, and a full list of Delta Sky Club locations. And finally, I’ll wrap it up and cover some Delta Sky Club frequently asked questions (FAQs).
What is the Delta Sky Club?
The Sky Club is Delta’s inhouse made lounge that is exclusively for passengers flying Delta Airlines and their partners. It offers a variety of seating and workspaces along with food, beverages, showers, bathrooms, and a private Delta help desk that allows members and guests to handle any questions related to Delta.
In the sections below, I will go into detail of what features and amenities you can find in a Delta Sky Club.
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Delta Sky Club access policy
Traditionally, people with a Sky Club membership and elites would be the only ones able to access Delta Sky Clubs. Luckily, you can access Sky Clubs through other means like credit cards.
Credit Cards
It is easier than ever to get free access into the Delta Sky Club and in my opinion, these credit cards represent greater value than the paid membership as you, the cardholder, can gain more benefits than free access to the Delta Sky Club.
The Platinum Card by American Express
5x points on flights booked directly with airlines and American Express Travel
5x points on hotels booked with American Express Travel
Annual 1-time first class, Comfort+ or main cabin companion certificate
Complimentary Delta Sky Club access
Annual miles and MQMs after spend requirement
Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases
Priority boarding
First checked bag free
20% off in-flight purchases
Annual fee $550 (not waived)
Annual 1-time first class, Comfort+ or main cabin companion certificate
Complimentary Delta Sky Club access
Annual miles and MQMs after spend requirement
As you can see, all 4 cards above offer complimentary Delta Sky Club access. However, you should note, these cards only give complimentary access to the cardholder and you would have to pay $39 for each guest.
Clearly, these cards represent greater value than the paid membership that I write more about below. The equivalent membership is $545 annually. That means if you hold any of these cards the annual fee is basically the Sky Club membership fee.
The good thing about these cards is that each one holds benefits that outweigh the Sky Club membership benefits. Both Platinum cards give you access to 1300+ lounges worldwide and the annual airline incidental credit that is up to $200. The Delta Reserve Credit Cards also offer annual 1-time companion certificate for first class, Comfort+ or main cabin.
If you hold any of the other Delta co-branded credit cards like the Delta Gold or Delta Platinum, you can still access the Sky Club for $39 per guest per visit.
I personally have The Platinum Card by American Express and find it a very valuable card partly because of Sky Club access when I fly domestic flights as my status only entitles me to Sky Club access while flying internationally. Plus, I love all the other benefits like the collection of lounges I can access and the 5x on airfare.
If you’re seated in Delta One (Delta’s name for their international business class product) you have access to Delta Sky Club. This also includes Delta One transcontinental flights.
You’re even entitled Sky Club access when you have connecting flights in your itinerary. An example would be, I am flying to Johannesburg, South Africa from Atlanta in Delta One. However, my origin city is Detroit and I am flying first class between Detroit and Atlanta. As I am connecting onto Delta One, I can access the Sky Clubs in Detroit, even though my flight from Detroit is only a domestic first class flight.
And yes, first class marketed flights on Delta will not get complimentary Sky Club access. It’s only if you are connecting onto a Delta One or SkyTeam partner premium cabin flight that entitles you Sky Club access. It must be marketed as Delta One.
Flying SkyTeam international first or business class
Just like Delta One tickets, flying a SkyTeam partner airline, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Gol, and WestJet seated in business or first class (first class as in an international first class product) you are entitled to Sky Club access, even on your connecting Delta flights.
International travel includes: Customers traveling to/from Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, Africa, Canada and Mexico (excludes travel to/from the Carribean, Guam, Palau and Saipan.)
Elite status
Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members are entitled to Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta on an international itinerary. Even on the domestic legs of your international itinerary, you are still entitled to Sky Club access.
SkyTeam Elite Plus status holders are able to access Sky Clubs as well when traveling on an international itinerary. Therefore, if I have Garuda Indonesia Platinum status I will be able to access Sky Clubs flying Delta or any other SkyTeam airline as my Garuda Indonesia Platinum status includes SkyTeam Elite Plus status as well.
Sky Club Membership
Currently, there are two memberships that are being sold by Delta right now.
Individual membership: one-year is $545; 54,500 SkyMiles; or $50 for 12 monthly installments
Executive membership: one-year is $845; 84,500 SkyMiles; or $75 for 12 monthly installments
You can also get these as a choice benefit when you become a Diamond Medallion.
Individual membership entitles only you access to the lounge. You cannot bring guests for free but can bring two guests or a spouse/domestic partner and children under 21 for $39 per guest per club visit.
Executive membership entitles you and up to two guests access to the lounge. Extra guests would be $39 per guest per club visit.
Since January 1, 2019, members can only access the Sky Club when flying Delta or partner airlines. The membership only entitles you access to Sky Clubs and not partner lounges, except the SkyTeam Lounge at London-Heathrow as the membership entitles you access to that lounge.
Delta Sky Club features and amenities
Some Delta Sky Clubs do offer unique amenities and features that make them truly unique. From the various types of seating with outlets almost at every seat to the bar that is playing music and TVs, you can work and come down to earth in locally influenced Sky Clubs.
Seating and workspaces
Sky Clubs will have various seats that let you sit back and relax or get your work done. Most seats will offer outlets at or nearby the seat. Sometimes you can find cushy chairs that have a mini table or cubical like seating.
There will even be communal seating, high top seating, basically cafe-like seating. Plus, for the folks that want to relax at the bar, Sky Clubs that offer a bar will have bar seating.
JFK T4 Sky Club counter seating
Delta Sky Club Sky Deck
As an AvGeek, I die for any type of lounge that has outdoor seating with a beautiful view of the apron and runway. New York John F. Kennedy Terminal 4 Delta Sky Club and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Concourse F Delta Sky Club both offer Sky Decks with amazing apron and runway views and sounds making it an amazing hangout place, especially if you want to get some sun.
JFK T4 Sky Club Sky Deck
Delta Sky Club drinks
Delta Sky Clubs will also have free-flowing alcohol and soft drinks. Sometimes the Sky Club will offer ‘THE BAR’ with a free and paid menu or a self-service bar. There is a range of Coca-Cola products, juice, coffee, tea, liquor, beer, wine, and of course my favorite drink of them all, water.
LGA C28 Sky Club sparkling wine
Delta Sky Club food
Most Sky Clubs will offer snacks and light buffet stocked with a salad bar, hummus with pita chips, and soups bar able to make your own soup like Pho. At Delta hubs, it’s easy to fill up with hot foods like ravioli, pasta, steamed vegetables, Spanish rice, hash, roasted chicken, etc. (Once I was at a Sky Club that served hot dogs.)
Each Sky Club will offer something that is inspired by that region, as southern Sky Clubs will be influenced by southern cooking.
NRT Sky Club right-wing buffet
DTW C Sky Club buffet
Showers and bathrooms
In the hygiene department, you can find private shower rooms at select Sky Clubs that are stocked with Malin+Goetz amenities to smell fresh.
Each Sky Club will offer bathrooms within the club that is also stocked with Malin+Goetz hand soap and lotion.
Help desk
Located near the entrance, you will find a Delta help desk that is able to handle anything Delta related. These desks are really helpful as they won’t get terribly congested during a bad storm as people scramble to change their flights.
WiFi
While WiFi is common throughout airports, it’s always nice to connect to WiFi that is somewhat more exclusive and typically faster than your average airport WiFi.
Delta Sky Club rules
For a full list of Sky Club rules, please read here. In this section, I will highlight the most relevant ones.
Access to the Delta concourse
Member must have access to the Delta concourse in order to use the Club at that location.
No gate passes will be issued.
Conduct
Delta reserves the right to refuse admittance to anyone who interferes with the “business-like atmosphere” of the Delta Sky Club.
Dress code
Attire while in a Delta Sky Club must be in keeping with good taste and a dignified atmosphere.
Misc
Delta reserves the right to terminate any Membership or remove any Member or visitor for inappropriate conduct, including but not limited to conduct that’s undignified, disruptive, abusive or violent, or for failing to comply with Membership terms and conditions.
Airline, airport and industry employees are not permitted access while in uniform or while wearing Delta branded apparel or company/airport identification badge (this includes employees of other airlines, private and corporate aircraft, and charter carriers).
Business meetings, conference calls and job applicant interviews are not permitted in any Delta Sky Club.
Food and drink
Food and alcoholic beverages may not be brought into any Delta Sky Club.
Food and beverages may not be removed from any Delta Sky Club.
Day passes
As of November 15, 2018, the sale of the $59/5,000 Single Visit Passes has been discontinued.
Pets
Delta Sky Club pet policy mirrors the Carry-On Pet Policy. Pets permitted in Delta Sky Club include dogs, cats and household birds.
Monkeys, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, reptiles, frogs, mice, rats, sugar gliders and spiders are not permitted.
Pets must be at least 8 weeks old and must remain inside the kennel with the door secured at all times.
Like anything related to air travel, you might have more questions. I made an FAQ section answering questions that you might have about Delta Sky Clubs that weren’t answered above. (If you have any other questions, please drop them down in the comments below.)
Delta Sky Club FAQ
Can I buy Delta Sky Club day passes?
As of November 15, 2018, the sale of the $59/5,000 Single Visit Passes has been discontinued. However, if you hold an American Express co-branded Delta card, you can buy day passes for $39 per visit.
Can military personnel access Delta Sky Club for free?
Unforutally active or veteran military personnel cannot get complimentary Delta Sky Club access.
However, if you’re an active military officer, you can access other airline lounges. You can read more about the benefits you receive from Delta and other airlines for serving our country here.
How old do you have to be to access a Delta Sky Club?
Must be 21 years of age to access Clubs with a self-service bar, unless accompanied by a responsible, supervising adult who is also a Club member. Local age restrictions apply in non-US locations. For locations with a full-service bar, you only have to be 18 years of age.
What type of alcohol is free in a Delta Sky Club?
A range of alcoholic beverages is free in Delta Sky Clubs. There will be your selection of wine, sparkling wine, liquor, beer, and at full-service bars, there are cocktails available too.
If you don’t like alcohol, there is still a range of other drinks like Coca-Cola branded soft drinks, juices, teas, coffee, milk, and water.
Can I access the Delta Sky Club after I land?
Yes, you can access the Delta Sky Club after your flight flying Delta. I have done it personally and works great when I am connecting onto a non-Delta flight.
How much is a bottle of Dom Perignon Brut Champagne?
A 750ml bottle of Dom Perignon Brut Champagne is $250 or 12,500 SkyMiles. Which in my eyes is a good valuation as it makes your miles worth 2 cents per mile.
(Sometimes, you can get a bottle of Dom for $200 or 10,000 SkyMiles.)
Dom Perignon is also served on airlines like Singapore and Emirates in first class
Final word
The Delta Sky Club is one of my favorite domestic lounges that are currently being updated throughout the system. While Delta has no flagship lounge, like the United Polaris Lounge or American Airlines Flagship Lounge, Delta makes a more consistent decent domestic lounge that isn’t bad and better than other membership lounges like Admiral Clubs and United Clubs.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Delta Sky Club PHX (Terminal 3) Review [2022]
Almost all of my flying around the US has been on United, American, and Southwest. But recently we decided to dabble with Delta and our flight started off with a visit to the Delta Sky Club at PHX.
It was a nice morning lounge visit and below I’ll break down the whole experience so that you’ll know what to expect when you visit this lounge found in Terminal 3.
Trip overview
This Delta Sky Club visit was the beginning of a fast-paced trip where we flew Delta First Class from PHX to BWI with a connection in MSP.
The goal of this trip was to finally explore the Northeast.
We rented a car and spent eight days hitting up 13 states in the northeast region and exploring some of the fall color change along the way.
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Getting through the airport
We had bags to check and, while we were flying Delta first class, the baggage check-in experience was a little underwhelming.
That’s because the line was backed up and with only a couple of staff members it appeared to be going even slower than the standard line.
It ended up being that classic scenario where you don’t realize another line is moving quicker until you have already progressed quite a way in your own line, so we just stayed put.
The good news is that we breezed through security with TSA Pre-Check and CLEAR.
Delta Sky Club Location
The Delta Sky Club is located in Terminal 3, across from gate F8.
Terminal 3 serves Delta Airlines among many other airlines at this American Airlines hub.
The entire Terminal 3 South Concourse consists of 15 gates and was opened in early 2019 which is the same time this lounge opened up.
It’s a pretty nice little airport terminal if you ask me with some notable eating spots like Shake Shack and Panera Bread.
As mentioned, you will find the lounge across from gate F8, just after you pass up Shake Shack. The entrance to the Sky Club doesn’t stick out that much but you still shouldn’t struggle to find its clear blue doors.
Access & hours
The lounge is open daily from 5:15am to 12am.
We got in to the Delta Sky Club at PHX free of charge with our Amex Platinum cards.
With the Amex Platinum, you can get free access to Delta Sky Clubs but the catch is you have to be flying Delta that day.
Your guest cannot get in for free but you can pay to get up to two guests in at a discounted rate of $39.
In this case, I had made Bradley an authorized user on the Platinum Card so he had his own Platinum Card and was able to get in for free.
The authorized user fee is $175 for up to three users which actually turns out to be a pretty good deal if you can max it out.
We were flying domestic first class to MSP where we would have a layover and then another short first class flight to BWI. Unfortunately, like other domestic airlines, you don’t get lounge access automatically when flying first class domestically.
Opened in early 2019, the 7,500-square-foot Delta Sky Club boasts design “inspired by the Southwest desert landscape.”
As someone who recently moved to Arizona in the spring of 2020, the look and feel of all things Southwest has grown on me exponentially. So I was interested to see what they did with the lounge.
Throughout the lounge you’ll find earth tones with pops of rich colors and some of the walls showcase artwork from local artists. The Southwest influence is definitely there but it’s still pretty subtle in my opinion.
There’s a small printer station in one of the corners which was out of order when we visited.
The center of the lounge has a beautiful modern chandelier with a lot of seating options that to be honest looked a tad bit crowded.
I would say that this airport lounge is one of the more beautiful airport lounges I’ve seen for a domestic airline. I loved the aviation artwork and overall peaceful color scheme.
American and United have also done a pretty good job of renovating and giving their new lounges a fresh modern feel. To see what I mean check out a couple of the photos below.
Here’s an image from one of the newer Admirals Clubs:
And here is one of the newer United Clubs:
At the end of the Delta Sky Club there is a long wall with decent views of the neighboring gates but I believe the closest runway is on the other side of the terminal so you don’t get those close/direct views.
Along the wall, you’ll find a long conference table with plenty of outlets for getting work done.
Most of the seats had power outlets or USB ports near the seats. So charging your devices should not be an issue but I would still be careful with plugging directly into USBs.
There’s a TV on both sides of the main central living area, which again felt a little bit cluttered with the seating.
After scoping out some of the seats we decided to head to the back where the bar is. Since this was still really early in the morning, the bar was not open and not serving alcohol.
But if you do come during later hours you can take advantage of seasonal cocktails including the Agave Experience – “an extensive selection of tequila and mezcal that can be sampled in individual pours or tasting flights.”
They also have wine selected by Delta’s Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson.
It looks like they had removed a couple of seats from the bar area for social distancing.
However, there were still a lot of seating options in this section of the lounge. If you need a power outlet consider getting a spot at one of the high counter seats located next to the partition.
Personally, I really like the vibe of this wooded area.
Dining
We passed on breakfast and so I was really interested to see what type of food we would be able to enjoy at the lounge.
I was happy to see that there was a self-serve line and that they had some pretty hearty options like this breakfast casserole along with sausage and scrambled eggs.
You could also go with hard boiled eggs and throw in a little bit of red salsa if you wanted.
They had a nice little section of fresh fruit including pineapple, cantaloupe, and melon along with grapes and strawberries. And to my surprise they even had blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
Overall, the breakfast options were much superior to what I experienced at non-hub Admirals Club lounges when arriving early for breakfast. I could actually fill up if I wanted do at this lounge versus just getting by with light bites.
There was a whole mixture of yogurt including plain Greek yogurt and vanilla yogurt.
And if you were looking for cereal they had Cheerios, raisin bran, and rice crispies. The cereal dispensers were tricky for some people so my pro tip is to be a little gentle with the levers. I almost witnessed an early-morning disaster.
There’s a soda machine with Coke products including Coke Zero, Dr Pepper, Minute Maid lemonade, and ginger ale.
You could also pour up some fresh orange juice which can be found next to the utensil dispenser. They had a sparkling water machine but I was not able to get it to work which resulted in pouring a glass of some very pathetically carbonated water.
We grabbed our food and then locked down a table in the corner area which gave us plenty of space from other travelers as the lounge did not have much traffic this early in the morning.
Shortly after we sat down to eat there was a morning surge that came in and then also quickly thinned out after only about 20 to 30 minutes.
The lounge seemed to have pretty decent views of some of the other gates where we found Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
However, given the morning hour there wasn’t much to see beyond our own reflections in the window.
I took a quick visit to the bathroom which was very clean and modern. It’s always a good feeling to avoid those airport terminal bathrooms.
Final word
Overall, this was a very solid lounge experience. I thought that the lounge was beautiful, clean, and not overcrowded. The breakfast was hearty and had some nice additional options like fresh berries. The Wi-Fi was fast and there were no issues with anything really. Just a great lounge visit.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
For those who frequently fly Delta Airlines and are interested in airport lounge access, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve is a great option. It comes with a number of different lounge access benefits but how exactly do these benefits work and what are the limitations?
In this article, I will break down all of the details related to Delta SkyMiles Reserve lounge access, including things like the guest policies.
Like many other credit cards with a high annual fee, one of the core benefits of this premium card is airport lounge access.
Over the past couple of years we have seen the lounge access for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve expand to include more options, thus bringing more value to cardmembers.
As a cardmember you are now given access to the following lounges:
Delta Sky Clubs
Centurion Lounges
Escape Lounges
However, there are a lot of terms that apply to your entry and to any guests you may want to bring along. So keep reading below for more details.
Delta Sky Clubs are the branded lounges for Delta Airlines that you can find in many locations. With the Delta SkyMiles Reserve, you will be granted two different types of Delta Sky Club access: 1) complimentary entry and 2) one-time guest passes.
Complimentary entry
Delta SkyMiles Reserve receive complimentary Delta Sky Club access when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
This access is only for the individual cardmember which includes the primary cardholder and also authorized users.
Card members traveling on a Delta partner flight that is not marketed or operated by Delta can still access the lounge but at an exclusive per visit rate of $39 per person, per location.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve members can also bring up to two guests or immediate family members at the exclusive per visit rate of $39 per person, per location. (Children under 2 years of age may accompany the card member for free.)
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card must be used as the payment method to receive the exclusive per-visit rate.
Also, guests must be flying on same day Delta or Delta partners.
In order to gain entry you must present your card, same day Delta or Delta partner boarding pass, and your government issued ID. The name on your boarding pass must match the name on the card.
Also, individuals must be at least 18 years of age to access the Delta sky club and 21 years of age to access locations with a self-service bar, unless they are accompanied by a supervising adult who has access to the club.
Guest passes
As a Delta SkyMiles Reserve cardmember, you will also receive two one-time guest passes when you open up your account and each account anniversary after that.
This means that you can bring a guest with you for free up to two times every year.
You will be able to find these guest passes in your Wallet in the Fly Delta app and in My Profile on delta.com under Certificates, eCredits, and Vouchers.
These guest passes will expire within one year from the date of issuance. If your account anniversary month changes your passes will be issued within your new renewal month.
In order to use this guest pass, you must present your card, same day Delta or Delta partner boarding pass, and your government issued ID.
Something super important to note is that the Basic Card Member must be present in order to use the one-time guest passes. Also, the guests must be traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
You can only use two one-time guest passes per visit.
They are known for having some of the best food, service, and decor especially when compared to the lounges offered by the major domestic carriers. They are usually associated with Platinum Cards but access was opened up to certain Delta cards relatively recently.
When you book your Delta flight with the Reserve card, you can get complimentary access to Amex Centurion lounges. This applies to both the basic card member and the authorized users.
Note: the eligible flight must be booked on a U.S. issued American Express charge or credit card.
You can also bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person but guests must be traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
To get access you will need to present your card, a boarding pass showing a reservation for Delta Airlines, and a government issued ID.
A card member must be at least 18 years of age to enter without a parent or legal guardian. If there is a self-service bar, the cardmember must be of the legal drinking age in the jurisdiction to enter without a parent or guardian.
Escape Lounge access
Escape Lounges offer complimentary food, drinks (including alcoholic beverages), high-speed Wi-Fi, charging stations, and areas to relax and enjoy some comfortable space away from the crowds. Many of these lounges are found at smaller airports but you can also find these at bigger airports like Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
They now go by the new name “Escape Lounges – The Centurion® Studio Partner.”
It sounds a lot fancier but as far as I know this was just a re-brand of the name and nothing substantive about the lounges has changed as of yet.
However, one thing that did change with the re-brand is that access was given to Delta SkyMiles Reserve cardholders.
The key thing to note here is that access was given to card members when flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
This is the big distinction between the Platinum Card which offers access regardless of which airline you’re flying on.
To access these lounges you will need to present your Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, a boarding pass showing your reservation for same-day travel on Delta, and also your government-issued ID.
If the cardmember is under 21 years old, they may need a parent or guardian to be with them for some lounges.
Something else to note is that the eligible flight must be booked on a US issued American Express credit card.
This means that you could still use the Platinum Card to purchase your airfare as long as you still had your Delta SkyMiles Reserve on hand.
As far as guests go, the terms state that card members may bring up to two guests at a per visit rate equal to the guest fee of the Escape Lounge location. You should also note that guests must be traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
Final word
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve continues to receive more lounge benefits and it is quickly becoming one of the best cards for lounge access. I would still go with the Platinum Card above this card for lounge benefits not to mention all of the other perks but the value is definitely starting to rack up in the lounge department for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
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