How To Access Delta Sky Clubs

Every airline has a different approach when it comes to offering lounge access, though Delta is in a whole different league when it comes to discouraging memberships and day passes, and rather focusing on offering lounge access through credit cards. The Atlanta-based airline also has the most restrictive policies in terms of how long before departure you can access lounges.

In this post I wanted to take a closer look at how Delta Air Lines lounge access works, especially in light of the major access changes that have been implemented as of February 2023.

What should you expect from Delta Sky Clubs?

Delta operates a network of over 50 Sky Clubs around the world (find all the locations here). In my opinion, Delta Sky Clubs are superior to American Admirals Clubs and United Clubs, as they generally have much better service, and significantly better complimentary food.

I find that Sky Clubs have actually decent and enjoyable food that’s often better than what you’ll find aboard, and also better than the cubed cheese and veggies you’ll find in many other airport lounges.

Sky Clubs also have complimentary beer, wine, and cocktails, and then they have premium drinks available for purchase. Funny enough, some of the premium drinks can be a great value with miles.

The catch with Sky Clubs is that they also tend to be the most consistently crowded airline lounges you’ll find among any of the “big three” carriers, even with all the new access restrictions we’ve seen added. It’s not unusual to see lines outside of Sky Clubs, to the point that Delta has even set up priority entry lanes for Sky Clubs.

Delta Sky Club three hour access rule

Before we talk about the different ways to access Delta Sky Clubs, I wanted to briefly talk about Delta’s three hour rule for lounge access. Among the “big three” US carriers, Delta is the only one that restricts how long before departure you can visit lounges.

With few exceptions, Delta Sky Clubs can only be accessed within three hours of a flight’s scheduled departure. The exceptions include the following:

• Those with Delta 360 status and those with the Amex Centurion Card can access Sky Clubs more than three hours before departure
• If you have a connecting itinerary, you can access the Sky Club more than three hours before departure if your connection is that long
• Select eligible travelers can use Sky Clubs upon arrival, in which case there’s no limit to how long you can stay

How to access Delta Sky Clubs

Among the “big three” US carriers, I’d say Delta gives people the most options for accessing lounges, though the airline also has so many restrictions associated with each type of access. Delta has by far the highest percentage of non-club members using lounges, to the point that the airline even discourages and restricts buying lounge memberships.

Let’s take a look at all of the options for accessing Sky Clubs, ranging from a membership, to having the right credit card, to buying access.

Buy a Delta Sky Club Executive Membership (elite only)

The only way to consistently be able to bring guests into Sky Clubs is to buy an Executive Membership. This is exclusively available to SkyMiles Medallion elite members (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, and Silver), and an annual membership costs $1,495 or 149,500 SkyMiles. As I’ll explain below, Diamond Medallion members also have another way that they can get this membership.

With an Executive Membership:

• You can bring two guests, or a spouse/domestic partner and children under 21
• You can also bring up to an additional two guests for $50 each per club visit
• You can only use Sky Clubs when traveling on Delta or a partner airline same day
• You can’t use Sky Clubs as a member when traveling in Delta basic economy

Buy a Delta Sky Club Individual Membership (elite only)

While the Executive Membership comes with the most privileges, you can also purchase an Individual Membership annually for $695 or 69,500 SkyMiles. This is exclusively available to SkyMiles Medallion elite members (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, and Silver), as non-elite members can’t purchase this membership.

With an Individual Membership:

• You can’t bring any guests for free, though you can pay to bring two guests for $50 per person per visit
• You can only use Sky Clubs when traveling on Delta or a partner airline same day
• You can’t use Sky Clubs as a member when traveling in Delta basic economy

Select access as a Delta Diamond Medallion Choice Benefit

Delta Diamond Medallion members can select three Choice Benefits every year. You can redeem all three of your Choice Benefits to select a Sky Club Executive Membership. There’s no longer an option to redeem Choice Benefits for an Individual Membership.

The same access policies apply regarding having to fly with Delta or a partner airline the same day, and not being in basic economy.

Have an Amex Platinum Card

There are several cards that offer Sky Club access when flying with Delta same day. Let’s start with the Amex Platinum cards, which include the following:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express (review)
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review)

If you have one of these cards then you can access Sky Clubs either on departure or arrival, as long as you have a same day Delta ticket. You’re allowed to bring in two additional guests for a fee of $50 per person.

Have a Delta Reserve Card

In addition to the Amex Platinum Card, the Delta Reserve cards also offer Sky Club access:

• The Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card (review)
• The Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card

You need to be flying Delta same day to access Sky Clubs with these, though there are a couple of additional things worth noting:

• Those with the Reserve Card get two Sky Club guest passes per year, which they can use to bring guests into the lounge at no additional cost (each is valid for one person for one visit)
• Those with the Reserve Card can bring up to two additional guests or immediate family members into Sky Clubs at the rate of $50 per person per visit
• Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 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. Once all 15 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits (including Grab and Go) at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card.

Buy access for $50 with Delta Platinum Amex

While the Delta Platinum Amex cards don’t offer complimentary Sky Club access, they do offer discounted access. The following two cards are eligible:

• The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card (review)
• The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card

You need to be flying Delta same day to buy access to Sky Clubs:

• You can buy access for $50 per person per visit
• You can buy access for up to two additional guests or immediate family members at the rate of $50 per person per visit
• Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.

Book an eligible Delta One ticket

Delta One is the name of the Delta’s business class experience. If you’re booked on a Delta One ticket then you receive access to Sky Clubs throughout your same day travel journey (both at your long haul gateway and on connecting flights, though you don’t receive lounge access purely on arrival).

This includes domestic flights marketed as Delta One (like New York to Los Angeles), as well as international Delta One flights, including to Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, South America, Central America, Africa, Canada, and Mexico (travel to the Caribbean, Guam, Palau, and Saipan, is excluded).

This means that a standard domestic first class ticket won’t get you Sky Club access, while a flight marketed as Delta One will get you access.

Business class passengers can’t bring any guests into the lounges for free.

Book an eligible SkyTeam business or first class ticket

Beyond Delta One, you also get access to Sky Clubs if you have a same-day international SkyTeam business or first class ticket. The definition of international is the same as for Delta One.

This means if you’re flying Air France from Atlanta to Paris you’d get Sky Club access in Atlanta, if you’re flying Kenya Airways from New York to Nairobi you’d get Sky Club access in New York, etc.

Business class passengers can’t bring any guests into the lounges for free.

Book an eligible WestJet business class ticket

WestJet business class passengers can access Delta Sky Clubs with a same day international WestJet business class ticket, even at connecting airports on an itinerary. No guests are permitted.

Be a SkyTeam Elite Plus member on an eligible itinerary

SkyTeam Elite Plus status offers Sky Club access, though the policy differs based on which program you earn status through:

• Generally SkyTeam Elite Plus members can access Sky Clubs when traveling internationally the same day on any SkyTeam flight; you can even bring a guest into the lounge with you for free
• There’s one specific carve-out — if you earn SkyTeam Elite Plus status through Delta SkyMiles and are flying Delta, you can only access Sky Clubs when traveling internationally in Premium Select (premium economy) or Delta One (business class), meaning you can’t access Sky Clubs if traveling in Delta Main Cabin or Comfort+

Lounge access is provided at all connecting and transfer points, though not upon arrival. The only “international” flights that don’t qualify are travel between the United States and the Caribbean.

Be a WestJet Gold or Platinum member on an eligible itinerary

WestJet Gold and Platinum members have Delta Sky Club access with a same-day transborder boarding pass on either Delta or WestJet. These members are allowed to bring one guest into the lounge with them.

Delta doesn’t sell Sky Club day passes anymore

This is perhaps specifically worth calling out. Aside from the above eligible passengers, Delta no longer sells Sky Club day passes. If you don’t have access through one of the above means, you can’t just buy a day pass to a Sky Club anymore.

Is Delta Sky Club access worth $50?

As you can see above, many options for Sky Club access involve paying $50 for guests. Is it worth paying $50 to be able to access a Sky Club? Since Sky Club access is generally only granted three hours before departure, realistically you’ll have at most two (or so) hours in the lounge.

I’d say if you’re hungry and/or plan on having a couple of drinks, it’s probably worth it, at least compared to alternatives in the terminal. Meanwhile if you just have 30 minutes to relax in the lounge, I’d say it’s not really worthwhile.

In many cases, terminals have gotten better, with more comfortable seating options, power outlets in gate areas, and free Wi-Fi. In this situations I’m just as happy sitting in the gate area as sitting in a lounge.

I would say that you should view the math a bit differently if you have complimentary access and you have to pay $50 for your companion. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t use a lounge and leave my companion to fend for themselves in the terminal.

So for me the question becomes whether it’s worth paying $25 per person to access the Sky Club, since I view it as a package deal. Of course not everyone will think that way, but for those that do, I think that’s worth keeping in mind.

Bottom line

As you can see, Delta is unconventional when it comes to lounge access. The airline doesn’t sell day passes without having the right credit card, and in many ways, the airline discourages you from getting a membership. Furthermore, Delta places limits on how long before departure you can access lounges.

Assuming you’re not traveling on an eligible international ticket or a SkyTeam Elite Plus member, the best way to access Sky Clubs is with an Amex Platinum or Delta Reserve Card.

Hopefully the above clears up everything you could want to know about Delta Sky Club access. If I missed anything, please let me know.