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If you are going to charge a TON more for club access, you had better have a product to match it when so many others, often right across from you at your biggest hub, has a much better experience for less money.
Well as you can see from the official PR release point for Delta Air Lines (i.e. FlyerTalk since it is NOT out on the official news site however they are also sending an e-Mail blast as well) , Delta is testing lots of new “complimentary” stuff including:
“Test products and services include:
– More food options, including pancakes and upgraded bagels for breakfast; sandwiches and hot soups mid-day; and hors d’oeuvres, antipasti and desert choices in the evening.
– Nourishing snack choices, including energy bars, fresh fruit, popcorn, nuts and smoothies.
– Select complimentary services, including shoe shines, manicures and relaxing chair massages — perfect for a busy day of travel.
In addition, based on your feedback, we will immediately upgrade the current complimentary vodka offered across all Clubs to Finlandia Vodka.
Test Locations:
– Atlanta A17 and Concourse F
– Detroit Central (across from A-38)
– LaGuardia Terminal D
– Los Angeles
– Seattle
– Miami, Indianapolis, Raleigh-Durham and Dallas-Fort Worth Clubs will participate in a smaller-scale program” – DLCorpGal – FlyerTalk
Now keep in mind all of this is being financed by the +1 $29 fee starting 1MAY2014 but if most of these stick it will be a real UPGRADE to the clubs. I love getting a chair massage and frequent the XpressSpa’s often when I fly so this would be great but I bet the waiting list is going to be VERY long. The food options look very good.
What do you think. Does this make it worth it to you to pay $175 more for a 2nd Delta AMEX Reserve card for your +1 or to pay the full fee to have guest access for the club? – René
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It’s going to be mechanical massage chairs, not an actual masseuse. Like delta would do more than bad pancakes and “premium” bagels. Whoopee.
It makes me nervous that they use the word “premium” products and services. I’m hoping they’re not going to go the same route as the drinks where they start charging for them.
Tell me, what part of “complementary” in the sentence “we will immediately upgrade the current complimentary vodka offered across all Clubs to Finlandia Vodka” do you not understand?
@Darth Chocolate – keep in mind this upgrade is just a return from the downgrade before. We got back ONE better drink after the MANY that were downgraded. Kinda like the “more” 1st class seats on the A320’s, we had 4 rows, wend to 3, now soon to be 4 again. Upgrade? Yes, but only back to what was.
@Bob: You do know there is a difference between a “massage chair” and a “chair massage”, right?
Interesting. Maybe now that they partner with Virgin Atlantic, they have picked up some good ideas from them. It’s been a while since I was in a Virgin Atlantic lounge, but they had manicures, haircuts, shoe shines, chair massages (also inflight on trans Atlantic flights). The chair massage was a real person massaging you while you sit in a chair.
As for massage chairs (electric vibrating), some of the SkyClubs in Atlanta used to have them but they were broken half the time. I hope chair massages refers to a person massaging me in a chair, rather than a machine doing it.
Call it what you will. The majority of points people never learned their economics. When everybody has status, nobody has status. As the price of something goes to zero, the demand goes to infinity. They raised prices, and that may thin the herd. Good. Those who value a service will be willing to pay for the service.
Did you see, in the email they sent, they are upgrading the Vodka immediately? How about some of the other adult beverages as well that they downgraded last year?
I won’t assume that Delta knows the difference between chair massage and massage chair. They are not trustworthy when it comes to money and if the lounge has 100 people in it when will you ever have a long enough layover to get a 15 minute massage from the at most 1 masseuse if it is a real person? And anytime they call something premium it seems to have additional costs even when it is part if a complimentary service. If only they would have something better than lite beer I would be happy. And I believe the 26K I spent on airline tickets should allow me to bring in my wife a few times a year when I am on vacation as a way to recognize my loyal travel with a grateful airline.
The ultimate lounge scam: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/01/28/man-uses-one-first-class-ticket-to-get-free-airline-lounge-meals-for-year/?intcmp=features
I just got an offer for 100k skymiles, 1 year of platinum status, and 1 year of SkyClub access if I buy a business elite fare in the next 60 days.
Now they throw in fresh pancakes and free massages too, seems like a good deal.
Couldn’t agree more with Bob. And, i know Rene is tired of hearing me say it but I can’t resist: how much money is delta making off me when I have been known to charge close to $200000 on my credit card in a years’ time? Also, I got my Amex card before delta, or anybody else for that matter, was offering sign up bonuses. Wouldn’t it be nice if some business would offer an “old” customer bonus?