Delta Air Lines puts time limit on guests visiting its lounge: ‘We are not a WeWork’
Delta Air Lines rolled out the new policy at the beginning of June
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Delta Air Lines has implemented a new policy in which guests are only allowed access into its airport lounge within three hours of departure time.
The policy, which was rolled out on 1 June, requires Delta Sky Club members to wait at least three hours within their departure time before accessing the club. Exceptions to the policy change include customers with layover connections or those with delayed flights, as long as members enter within three hours of their originally scheduled departure flight.
Last summer, the airline reopened all of its Delta Sky Club following pandemic shutdowns. But as more workplaces adapt to remote schedules, implementing a time limit might disrupt frequent fliers who rely on the club’s Wi-Fi and outlets to get some work done before their flight.
“We’re not a WeWork,” Claude Roussel, managing director of Delta Sky Club, told the Wall Street Journal. Roussel, who oversees Delta’s 54 lounges, said the three hours were a “very generous amount of time” to spend in the club.
According to the Delta Sky Club website, the policy change is part of the company’s priority “to balance the popularity of the Delta Sky Club experience with the premium atmosphere and service we wish to provide for our guests”.
While the Delta Sky Club experience may be popular, the price for a club membership ranges between $545 and $845 annually. In 2018, the airline discontinued the sale of Single Visit Passes for non-members as well.
Last February, a person on TikTok went viral after they accused Delta Air Lines of rewarding their employees fake money as a bonus. The TikTok user, whose mother works with Delta Air Lines, said the company gave their mother a handful of $50 and $100 bills which read: “Motion Picture Use.”
A Delta Air Lines spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Daily Dot that the prop money as a bonus “appears to be a one-off”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments