| | Delta backtracks on some changes | | by Brian Kelly | |  | Probably the biggest news this year in airline loyalty was the announcement of Delta Air Lines' massive changes, making elite status much harder to attain. The qualifications have now switched to focus solely on how much you spend, raising the spending requirements dramatically for next year's qualification, as well as reducing the number of people who can get into the lounge. This removes the ability for people flying basic economy to enter the lounge and also reduces the number of visits you can have in the course of a year with your Delta cobranded credit cards, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Needless to say, the people were not happy.
I can see why. Delta's known for being the flyer-friendly airline — it was very generous over the pandemic, so this is an abrupt turn, bringing the hammer down. On one hand, I completely see the need to "thin the herd," so to speak.
Last week, I flew Delta One from Cape Town to Atlanta — and I paid full fare — so after a 16-hour flight, as a Delta Platinum elite member, I wanted to use the lounge on a Tuesday morning upon arrival. But, even though there are now two lines, the line for Delta One, Diamond and 360 was a mile long and not moving, so I was not able to access the lounge. I thought it was a pretty poor experience for someone in Delta One international business class — having to wait like cattle in a line.
This is definitely an area where Delta has to improve. Premium travelers are where the airlines make most of their money, and treating international business-class travelers like that isn't going to fly.
None of its competitors do that, and Delta is way behind the curve. There should be dedicated Delta One lounges like what's being built at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which will open in 2024, but there are no plans in Atlanta, at least that I'm aware of.
So, bottom line: Delta is making lounge access and elite status for 2025 a little bit easier than originally announced in September, but it's still a big change from today.
Zach Griff covered all of the changes in a recent article. For example, to reach Diamond Medallion status, you will now need 28,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars versus the originally announced 35,000. It's still a hefty sum, considering it used to be 15,000 MQDs for 2023 status and 20,000 for 2024.
The Delta credit cards have also updated policies for lounge access. Instead of getting a number of visits per year, you now get a 24-hour period when you can access as many lounges as possible while traveling, which will help you not to burn multiple passes on a trip.
As far as the best cards for lounge access, I think The Business Platinum Card from American Express and The Platinum Card from American Express are still the best. You'll still get access to Delta lounges when flying Delta if you hold one of these cards, and you can use Centurion lounges or Priority Pass lounges when traveling on a non-Delta flight.
Right now there is a 120,000 bonus point offer on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is currently offering 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. You can also check to see if you're targeted for a 150,000 welcome offer on the Amex Platinum Card through CardMatch (offer subject to change at any time).
If you're looking for the best card to book future flights, we've got a comparison that shows how each of the cards stacks up and which lounges you'd get access to.
Have a great weekend,
BK
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