If you rely on an AMEX Platinum or Delta Reserve card to enjoy Delta Sky Club lounges, this year is different.
As of February 1, 2025, unlimited Sky Club access is no longer the default for most AMEX cardholders. Instead, Delta introduced annual visit caps—something that sounded abstract when it was announced, but is now very real as the first full reset period is underway.
These changes were first announced in September 2023, then adjusted a month later after heavy customer backlash. Now that the first spending counters have reset, many cardholders are encountering the rules for the first time—not just reading about them.
To make sense of it all, it helps to understand one key thing upfront: there are two different clocks you need to track. Here’s how Delta defines the rules.
The Two Calendars You Have To Track
- Sky Club Visits: These reset on February 1 each year and run through January 31 of the following year.
- $75,000 spend for unlimited access: This resets on the calendar year (January 1–December 31).
This split is easy to miss—and it’s why some travelers are surprised when lounge access works differently in January versus February.
Platinum Cardholders
For AMEX Platinum Personal and Business cardholders, Delta now allows 10 Sky Club Visits per Medallion Year (February 1–January 31).
Once you’ve used all 10 Visits, you can still access the lounge—but you’ll pay $50 per Visit.
Delta and American Express state that both Basic and Additional Card Members receive their own Visit allotment, and spending by Additional Card Members counts toward the $75,000 threshold.
What Counts as a “Visit”?
Delta defines a Visit as all Sky Club entries and/or Grab and Go usage within a 24-hour window, starting from your first entry.
- You can visit multiple Sky Clubs in different airports during that 24-hour window and it still counts as just one Visit.
- Grab and Go usage on the same day is included in that Visit.
You can’t re-enter the same Grab and Go location within three hours at the same airport.
How To Stretch A Single Visit
This is one of the few parts of the new rules that actually works in your favor.
- Connecting flights: If you use a Sky Club at your departure airport and again during a connection, that can still count as a single Visit.
- On arrival: Delta’s rules allow Sky Club access at your arrival airport too—as long as you enter before leaving the secure area and stay within the same 24-hour window.
Important caveat: None of this applies if you’re flying on a Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) ticket. Those fares are not eligible for Sky Club access, regardless of your card.
Guest Access
- You may bring up to two guests or your immediate family (spouse/domestic partner and children under 21) for $50 per guest, per location.
- Unlike cardholder Visits, guest fees only cover one Sky Club location.
- Children under 2 years old may enter for free.
- Guests must be traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight (or Delta partner flight) and must be accompanied by the cardholder.
Unlock Unlimited Access
You can regain unlimited Sky Club access by spending $75,000 on your AMEX Platinum card during a calendar year.
- Unlimited access activates within 1–12 weeks after reaching the threshold.
- Once active, it remains valid for the rest of the current Medallion Year, the entire following Medallion Year, and through January 31 after that.
For example, reaching $75,000 in May 2025 would grant unlimited access through January 31, 2027.
This spend threshold also unlocks two complimentary guests at AMEX Centurion Lounges.
Delta Reserve Cardholders
Delta Reserve and Reserve Business cardholders receive 15 Sky Club Visits per Medallion Year.
After using all 15 Visits, additional entries cost $50 per Visit.
What Counts as a Visit?
The same 24-hour Visit rules apply:
- Multiple Sky Clubs in one day count as a single Visit.
- Grab and Go usage is included.
Guest Access
Reserve cardholders receive four complimentary Sky Club guest passes per year.
- After those passes are used, guests cost $50 per person, per location.
- Guest passes are not valid for partner-airline-only access.
Partner Airline Access
When flying on Delta partner airlines:
- Access on non-Delta-marketed partner flights costs $50 per Visit.
- Guest passes cannot be used in this scenario.
Unlock Unlimited Access
Reserve cardholders can also unlock unlimited access by spending $75,000 in a calendar year.
Note: Unlike Platinum cardholders, this does not unlock complimentary guests at Centurion Lounges.
Final Thoughts
This is the first year most AMEX cardholders are actually living with Delta’s new Sky Club rules—not just reading about them.
For many travelers, nothing will feel different until they suddenly hit Visit #10 or #15. For others, especially those who connect often, understanding how to consolidate multiple lounge stops into a single Visit can make a real difference.
Whether chasing $75,000 in spend makes sense is a personal call. But one thing is clear: Sky Club access is no longer “set it and forget it.” A little planning now can prevent an awkward surprise at the lounge door later.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
