topic Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014 in Credit Cards

Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

ayasoysis — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 21:46:20 GMT

Ok, I recently obtained this card back in October. The main reason I upgraded from the Platinum Delta is for the free lounge access. I fly Delta every week so this is a great benefit, along with the ability to obtain more elite qualifying miles through my spending on the card. I'm wondering how they are now going to justify the annual fee of $450 on this card without the complimentary lounge access. It is now going to cost $29 to get in with my card. This is nuts! I might as well have kept the Platinum because it was $25 with that card. Now, no matter what card you have, you will pay $29 to get in. Am I the only one a bit livid about these "New Club Membership Options"?.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

B335is — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 22:13:56 GMT

I guess it depends how much you've checked luggage, upgrades and how many MQMs you've earned with the card. I read another forum a Plat Medallion got only a handful of Economy Comfort upgrades and zero First Class upgrades last year. I don't blame you for being livid. $29 lounge access is nickel and dining (whats supposed to be) a premium card.

Delta continues to slowly hack away the benefits and United follows. It's driving biz travelers away from both carriers; I really hope American doesn't follow but have a gut feeling they will.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 00:51:36 GMT

You still get free acess to the lounge, the change means you can longer bring a guest with you for free. They now charge 29$ for each person you bring, but you still have free acess.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 00:58:35 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
You still get free acess to the lounge, the change means you can longer bring a guest with you for free. They now charge 29$ for each person you bring, but you still have free acess.

+1.

points guy broke it down pretty well: http://thepointsguy.com/2014/01/delta-jacks-up-sky-club-membership-fees-slashes-guest-policy/

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

ayasoysis — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 02:28:37 GMT

Ok, that's a relief!

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

CreditScholar — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 03:00:13 GMT

Amex is in quite a difficult spot these days regarding their cards and lounge access. In addition to the Delta Reserve, the Amex platinum is losing access to AA/US lounges as well. The only reason why there are cards (apart from the Centurion/Palladium) that have high annual fees of ~$400 is due to airport lounge access.

With only 3 major legacy carriers remaining, Delta is all that Amex has left. United has partnered with Chase while AA/US will be with Citibank, both with exclusive arrangements. Alaska doesn't have the coverage required, and other airlines like Southwest don't have lounges at all (nor do they cater to that crowd anyways).

Yes Amex is building centurion lounges, but they simply won't be able to replace the sheer coverage of what they're losing. They could start reimbursing for all PPS visits, but that would be extremely costly. It'll be interesting to see what Amex comes up with, but at the moment their hands are very tied IMO.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

FinStar — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 06:31:03 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
Amex is in quite a difficult spot these days regarding their cards and lounge access. In addition to the Delta Reserve, the Amex platinum is losing access to AA/US lounges as well. The only reason why there are cards (apart from the Centurion/Palladium) that have high annual fees of ~$400 is due to airport lounge access.

With only 3 major legacy carriers remaining, Delta is all that Amex has left. United has partnered with Chase while AA/US will be with Citibank, both with exclusive arrangements. Alaska doesn't have the coverage required, and other airlines like Southwest don't have lounges at all (nor do they cater to that crowd anyways).

Yes Amex is building centurion lounges, but they simply won't be able to replace the sheer coverage of what they're losing. They could start reimbursing for all PPS visits, but that would be extremely costly. It'll be interesting to see what Amex comes up with, but at the moment their hands are very tied IMO.

LMAO!

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

MACFRME — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 07:06:07 GMT

Too True. Southwest does offer an exhilarating rat race to tiny seats on full planes. That's the draw.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

CreditScholar — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 07:13:45 GMT

@MACFRME wrote:
Too True. Southwest does offer an exhilarating rat race to tiny seats on full planes. That's the draw.

Perhaps others will disagree, but I personally don't see many reasons to fly with Southwest these days other than their 2 free checked bags (which many of us get on other airlines already).

Years ago they often had lower prices due to fuel hedging, which gave them a competitive advantage over others. That coupled with their friends fly free promo and rapid rewards program (8 round trips anywhere = 1 free flight anywhere), they established themselves as a decent low-cost carrier. These days their prices are very similar to the other legacy carriers, plus with others you don't have to fight tons of families with kids for seats on a plane.

Are there any other reasons people choose Southwest?

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

sailor_mercury — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 07:18:15 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
@MACFRME wrote:
Too True. Southwest does offer an exhilarating rat race to tiny seats on full planes. That's the draw.
Perhaps others will disagree, but I personally don't see many reasons to fly with Southwest these days other than their 2 free checked bags (which many of us get on other airlines already).

Years ago they often had lower prices due to fuel hedging, which gave them a competitive advantage over others. That coupled with their friends fly free promo and rapid rewards program (8 round trips anywhere = 1 free flight anywhere), they established themselves as a decent low-cost carrier. These days their prices are very similar to the other legacy carriers, plus with others you don't have to fight tons of families with kids for seats on a plane.

Are there any other reasons people choose Southwest?

I work and relax in Las Vegas and live in San Diego. They are the only carrier with a direct non stop flight from San Diego to Vegas. Everyone else I have to go to/change planes in Phoenix or Los Angeles.

I only use them to fly to Vegas.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

B335is — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:49:13 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
@MACFRME wrote:
Too True. Southwest does offer an exhilarating rat race to tiny seats on full planes. That's the draw.
Perhaps others will disagree, but I personally don't see many reasons to fly with Southwest these days other than their 2 free checked bags (which many of us get on other airlines already).

Years ago they often had lower prices due to fuel hedging, which gave them a competitive advantage over others. That coupled with their friends fly free promo and rapid rewards program (8 round trips anywhere = 1 free flight anywhere), they established themselves as a decent low-cost carrier. These days their prices are very similar to the other legacy carriers, plus with others you don't have to fight tons of families with kids for seats on a plane.

Are there any other reasons people choose Southwest?

Yeah their boarding process is certainly an experience, but what airline isn't these days. Everybody insists on crowding the door no matter what. IMO that's really the biggest thing that differentiates their product from any of the other majors (who I might add seem to be endlessly re-writing their own boarding processes). Southwest's seat pitch is the same as any other U.S. based domestic coach class. Lounge access is nice, but often times it's standing room only and leftover tidbits from those awful King Nut inflight snacks.

In 15 years of working for one of Southwest's competitors, it's all about getting from point A to point B quick and reliable (for me) and I can't think of a time Southwest wasn't there to bail me out as an airline employee - even if I wasn't one of theirs. IMO, that says a lot about a company and it's leadership and I have to respect that.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Repo-ed — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 11:04:11 GMT

I fly SWA if at all possible.

I get the early bird for A boarding pass, and only pay $5/way fuel surcharge.

I'll then fly delta/US Airways if I can't get a SWA direct.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

longtime_lurker — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 11:09:36 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
@MACFRME wrote:
Too True. Southwest does offer an exhilarating rat race to tiny seats on full planes. That's the draw.
Perhaps others will disagree, but I personally don't see many reasons to fly with Southwest these days other than their 2 free checked bags (which many of us get on other airlines already).

Years ago they often had lower prices due to fuel hedging, which gave them a competitive advantage over others. That coupled with their friends fly free promo and rapid rewards program (8 round trips anywhere = 1 free flight anywhere), they established themselves as a decent low-cost carrier. These days their prices are very similar to the other legacy carriers, plus with others you don't have to fight tons of families with kids for seats on a plane.

Are there any other reasons people choose Southwest?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10568135/Southwest-Airlines-flight-lands-at-wrong-airport.html

The thrill of not knowing exactly where you'll land?

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 12:35:51 GMT

I don't fly as much as some of you guys I'm sure, usually 2 or maybe 3 trips a year, BUT I'll always pick a SWA flight if at all possible vs. pretty much anyone else. Yes, you need to do early bird checkin to get a decent seat, and their prices aren't amazing these days. But, i've found that their customer service beats other airlines, and that alone is worth it for me. I've had poor experiences with Delta and US Air and they have hefty baggage fees. Also, they're one of the only direct MCO to LAS flights we have and that's one of my favorite destinations (I try to make it there at least once a year) :-P

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Open123 — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 16:10:22 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
Yes Amex is building centurion lounges, but they simply won't be able to replace the sheer coverage of what they're losing. They could start reimbursing for all PPS visits, but that would be extremely costly. It'll be interesting to see what Amex comes up with, but at the moment their hands are very tied IMO.

Right, the value for the AmEx Plat has been diminishing steadily for quite some time now.

It will be more difficult for them or cadmember's to justify the $450 fee, unless every single feature is utilized, which is almost never the case. Partly, the $200 airline credit was a measure to make up for losing some airline lounges, but as it stands, down to three, I'm not sure it makes up for the hefty fee. The best part of the card had been having access to all these lounges, which made it incredibly convenient carrying a single card.

In my view, for the majority of their cardmembers, I don't find this card a particular compelling value, unless one were applying for the 50K or 100K bonus. To remain relevant, I really think AmEx needs to consider adding in some bonus spending categories, otherwise we may see this venerable Platinum card become irrelevant.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

sillykitty1 — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 17:02:14 GMT

@Open123 wrote:
@CreditScholar wrote:
Yes Amex is building centurion lounges, but they simply won't be able to replace the sheer coverage of what they're losing. They could start reimbursing for all PPS visits, but that would be extremely costly. It'll be interesting to see what Amex comes up with, but at the moment their hands are very tied IMO.
Right, the value for the AmEx Plat has been diminishing steadily for quite some time now.

It will be more difficult for them or cadmember's to justify the $450 fee, unless every single feature is utilized, which is almost never the case. Partly, the $200 airline credit was a measure to make up for losing some airline lounges, but as it stands, down to three, I'm not sure it makes up for the hefty fee. The best part of the card had been having access to all these lounges, which made it incredibly convenient carrying a single card.

In my view, for the majority of their cardmembers, I don't find this card a particular compelling value, unless one were applying for the 50K or 100K bonus. To remain relevant, I really think AmEx needs to consider adding in some bonus spending categories, otherwise we may see this venerable Platinum card become irrelevant.

Amex Plat just had another benefit removed.

Beginning May 1, 2014, all customers who receive complimentary Delta Sky Club access as a benefit of their eligible credit or charge card will no longer receive complimentary guest access. A $29 fee per guest will apply.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

CreditScholar — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 02:53:05 GMT

@B335is wrote:
@CreditScholar wrote:
@MACFRME wrote:
Too True. Southwest does offer an exhilarating rat race to tiny seats on full planes. That's the draw.
Perhaps others will disagree, but I personally don't see many reasons to fly with Southwest these days other than their 2 free checked bags (which many of us get on other airlines already).

Years ago they often had lower prices due to fuel hedging, which gave them a competitive advantage over others. That coupled with their friends fly free promo and rapid rewards program (8 round trips anywhere = 1 free flight anywhere), they established themselves as a decent low-cost carrier. These days their prices are very similar to the other legacy carriers, plus with others you don't have to fight tons of families with kids for seats on a plane.

Are there any other reasons people choose Southwest?
Yeah their boarding process is certainly an experience, but what airline isn't these days. Everybody insists on crowding the door no matter what. IMO that's really the biggest thing that differentiates their product from any of the other majors (who I might add seem to be endlessly re-writing their own boarding processes). Southwest's seat pitch is the same as any other U.S. based domestic coach class. Lounge access is nice, but often times it's standing room only and leftover tidbits from those awful King Nut inflight snacks.

In 15 years of working for one of Southwest's competitors, it's all about getting from point A to point B quick and reliable (for me) and I can't think of a time Southwest wasn't there to bail me out as an airline employee - even if I wasn't one of theirs. IMO, that says a lot about a company and it's leadership and I have to respect that.

Gate lice seem to be a problem everywhere, but they seem to be a lot more bothersome on Southwest since seats aren't pre-assigned. I personally like knowing that there is a seat just for me, and it's the one I've chosen online (typically E+ for short-haul domestic flights).

I typically don't fly the major routes like SFO-JFK where the majority of people on the flight could be elites, so being able to stroll up at your leisure is a nice perk. I never rush to be one of the first people on the plane. I just wait until the premier line is empty, and then walk through.

I completely agree with Southwest being well-run in many respects compared to it's competitors. I've flown them many times before and the service I've received has usually been good. Their CSRs on the phone have also been quite pleasant. However my personal preferences dictate that the service you mentioned isn't enough to enter the zoo of non pre-assigned seats. I'd rather stick to UA or AA, and I avoid DL like the plague.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

CreditScholar — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 02:59:11 GMT

@Open123 wrote:
@CreditScholar wrote:
Yes Amex is building centurion lounges, but they simply won't be able to replace the sheer coverage of what they're losing. They could start reimbursing for all PPS visits, but that would be extremely costly. It'll be interesting to see what Amex comes up with, but at the moment their hands are very tied IMO.
Right, the value for the AmEx Plat has been diminishing steadily for quite some time now.

It will be more difficult for them or cadmember's to justify the $450 fee, unless every single feature is utilized, which is almost never the case. Partly, the $200 airline credit was a measure to make up for losing some airline lounges, but as it stands, down to three, I'm not sure it makes up for the hefty fee. The best part of the card had been having access to all these lounges, which made it incredibly convenient carrying a single card.

In my view, for the majority of their cardmembers, I don't find this card a particular compelling value, unless one were applying for the 50K or 100K bonus. To remain relevant, I really think AmEx needs to consider adding in some bonus spending categories, otherwise we may see this venerable Platinum card become irrelevant.

I'm in complete agreement with you in that they need to improve their product before it goes the way of the dinosaur, but the question then remains what can be added? The Amex platinum was always designed to be a benefits card (as opposed to a rewards card). If the bonuses become too good, then it may siphon off charges that would have been put on their other cards (SPG or PRG) instead. Amex would have to be careful that they don't "rob Peter to pay Paul".

The other option for rewards is to increase the base earning rate to say 1.25 MR points per dollar. However in this case, that's be roughly the same as the current Ameriprise version (5k bonus for every 20k spending), so that would have to be re-negotiated. The other special versions would then need to be reviewed to remain suprerior (MS version, GS, etc.)

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Open123 — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 05:52:00 GMT

@B335is wrote:
Yeah their boarding process is certainly an experience, but what airline isn't these days. Everybody insists on crowding the door no matter what. IMO that's really the biggest thing that differentiates their product from any of the other majors (who I might add seem to be endlessly re-writing their own boarding processes).

I've never been able to get used to this, even after having gone through this so many time on all of my SE Asia routes over the years. I just don't understand. Do people think the plane will take off without them? On SW, I sort of undertand, since you have to...er...find a seat. But, with an assigned seat, I don't understand the compulsion to rush.

Re: Delta Reserve Card No Longer Providing Complimentary Lounge Access after May, 1,2014

Open123 — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 06:09:39 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
The other option for rewards is to increase the base earning rate to say 1.25 MR points per dollar. However in this case, that's be roughly the same as the current Ameriprise version (5k bonus for every 20k spending), so that would have to be re-negotiated. The other special versions would then need to be reviewed to remain suprerior (MS version, GS, etc.)

I think setting 1.25 base would be a start. Since Amex cards are so well compartmentalized, I agree they'd need to be very careful on not implementing changes that will cannibalize their other products.

With Chase's exclusivity with UA/Cont and Citi's with AA/US, I don't see how Amex could replace these two lounges. Because of this, not only is there is a lack of organic growth in the Platinum's membership, but also their inability to stem the attrition rate of existing Platinum cardmembers will eventually make it hard to justify continuing this card without some significant enhancements. So far, if you look at the past several years, new Platinum members have been primarily those who apply for the bonuses, and cancelling the card either within 3 months, or before the next year's dues.

Many would disagree, but in my estimation, Amex giving this card to just about anyone with a pulse reaps of their desparation to breath new blood into this venerable product. I think the Zync was their plan to introduct the "charge" concept to social media users and college students to prepare one day for the higher profit margin fee products, such as the Platinum.

It didn't work. Or, failed miserably, would be a less diplomatic way of putting it. Frankly, I'm not even sure Amex has any degree of certainty what to do with this product. However, I do know they *must* enhance it beyond what it is currently for it to become appealing and relevant with their preferred and targetted demographics.

*Edited* PS - It was primarly these views which lead me to opt for the Ritz over the Platinum.