- Delta to open ‘premium’ VIP lounges in New York, Los Angeles and Boston
- They will reportedly only be accessible to business class passengers.
Delta plans to expand its airport lounge offerings by introducing a more exclusive tier reserved only for higher-paying passengers.
Three new ‘premium’ lounges will open at airports in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston starting this summer.
Although the airline has not specified who will be able to access the new lounges, the travel website The points boy reported They will only be for business class passengers.
They will operate in addition to its popular Sky Club network of more than 50 regular locations, which became saturated during the post-pandemic travel boom, the airline said.
In September, it announced new limits on the number of times Delta SkyMiles Reserve and American Express Platinum cardholders could visit its Sky Club lounges each year. After a huge backlash, he later did a 180 degree turn.
Last year, the airline became embroiled in controversy after announcing new limits on how often certain credit card holders could visit Sky Club lounges.
Pictured is a mockup of the new premium lounges that Delta has said it will open this year.
Delta did not respond to a request from DailyMail.com to confirm that the new premium lounges would only be accessible to business class passengers.
A 38,000-square-foot space at New York’s JFK airport will be the first premium lounge to open in June and will feature dining areas, “a chef-assisted market with open kitchens,” as well as “exclusive wellness areas.”
Two more will follow, one at Los Angeles International Airport and another at Boston Logan International Airport, both of which will open in the fourth quarter, the airline said in a statement. Press release Thursday.
As it stands, Delta is the only major U.S. airline that doesn’t operate lounges reserved solely for business class passengers.
By opening the premium lounges, it will join United Airlines, which operates business-class-only Polaris lounges, and American Airlines, which has its Flagship lounges.
Business class travelers, but also eligible credit card holders and members of its frequent flyer program can access the airline’s regular Sky Club lounges.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian arrives to unveil the A220 aircraft in Atlanta in 2018
A direct mail advertisement for an American Express SkyMiles credit card
As part of this year’s lounge investment, Delta will also upgrade several of its existing Sky Miles lounges, he said.
Later this year it will also open its first Sky Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a second in Seattle. He will also expand his clubs in Miami and LaGuardia in New York.
The move is part of a trend that has seen airlines invest millions in lounges across the country in hopes of winning customer loyalty.
But in December, Transportation officials launched an investigation into the transparency of several frequent flyer programs run by U.S. airlines.
The DOT said it is meeting with passenger airlines to discuss problems with loyalty programs, including the fact that some charge customers to transfer points while others have changed rules to devalue points.