Delta Customer With Amex Platinum Card Pays $800 To Fly From Florida To Atlanta. Then She Tries To Enter The Sky Club: ‘Not Right’

Over the past few years, an increasing number of premium lounges have begun popping up in airports around the country.

The reason for this expansion, it seems, is credit cards. When credit card issuers realized they could start advertising lounge access as a perk with a premium card, more people were suddenly able to access these spaces. Consequently, they filled up—and so, card issuers had to start building more spaces to accommodate them.

According to J.D. Power, 34% of U.S. airport lounge visitors enter using credit card perks, compared to just 21% who enter through frequent flyer status. This has resulted in overcrowding, a problem solved in part by having card issuers open their own lounges.

The other way the overcrowding problem has been solved is by being stricter about who can and cannot enter an airport lounge. This can occasionally result in some absurd situations, as TikTok user and golfer Gabi Powel (@gabipowel) recently shared.

What Went Wrong At This Airport?

In a video with over 219,000 views, Powel explains that she bought a plane ticket with Delta from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Atlanta, Georgia. The total flight time is just under two hours—and yet, she paid $800 for a Basic Economy ticket.

That’s not the only problem, however.

“I pay, what, $900 a year for my AmEx Platinum card, and I am not allowed to go into the Delta Sky Lounge, Delta Club, whatever, because I bought a Basic? A Basic that was worth $800!” she exclaims.

“It’s just not right,” she concludes.

In the caption, she writes, “Iike come on.. starting with only 10 lounge visits… to not being able to go in with a ‘basic’ ticket because I got a ‘deal’ on my flight ?? ONE HOUR FLIGHT FOR OVER $800 like wtf Delta.”

What’s All This About?

Powel is complaining about a relatively recent change to Delta and American Express policy regarding Sky Club access.

For context, the American Express Platinum card is a premium credit card—with an equally premium price tag. For $895 per year, card holders get an advertised $3,500+ in benefits. This includes hotel credits, restaurant credits, rideshare credits, and more.

Until a few years ago, one of those benefits included Sky Club lounge access. At participating airports, AmEx Platinum card holders could use their card to enter a Sky Club, no matter what level ticket they had.

However, in 2023, Delta announced that eligible American Express cardholders traveling on Basic Economy tickets would no longer receive Sky Club access. This change took effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Just over a year later, Delta imposed another restriction. Rather than be given unlimited Sky Club access with premium tickets, AmEx Platinum members with eligible tickets would get just 10 visits per year.

From Powel’s perspective, the high cost of the credit card, in addition to the high cost of the Basic ticket, should be enough for Delta to allow her to access the Sky Club. That said, her experience is consistent with Delta’s stated policies.

Who Is In The Wrong?

In the comments section, some users took the side of the airline and airport enforcing their stated policies.

“I’m so sorry you had to follow the rules,” wrote one user.

“Well if you’re a AMEX Platinum cardholder you should already know basic economy tickets are excluded,” added another.

That said, others said that her experience was another entrant on the list in ways air travel quality in the United States is deteriorating.

“All the airline companies and perks are going downhill,” declared a user.

“There is no airline that could care less about their customers,” offered a second. “Planes fall out of the sky amd they dont care.”

“As a 3M miler with Delta, services are going down the toilet,” echoed a further TikToker. “I prefer any other international airlines, Qatar, Turkish air, Etihad.”

BroBible reached out to Powel via email and Instagram direct message, American Express via email, and Delta via media relations contact form.