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A social media post suggests “members only” hours would curb airport lounge overcrowding — and specifically mentions children as culprits.
But are families really public enemy number one? Are “members only” hours a feasible answer?
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“Stop letting people bring guests to the lounge during certain times…”
Reddit user u/JulienWA77 wrote a post titled “If you want to fix crowding in the lounges” (pasted as written):
Then either build more, or…. Stop letting people bring guests to the lounge during certain times or at certain locations so that people who actually are supposed to have access can get it. I had a three hour layover in MSP this morning and waited 30 minutes in line to get in. I get inside and it’s just nothing but families with little kids.
This is the problem. Instead of restricting cardholders—just crack down on the guests. Everyone on that lounge should have status or each person who doesn’t should be charged an admission fee. Problem solved
Airport lounge overcrowding is nothing new. The new joke is that airlines are banks/rewards credit card issuers who also fly airplanes. Many of those rewards cards come with airport lounge access. More cardholders means more people in lounges.
Delta‘ lounge network has dealt with some high-profile overcrowing.
On the same token, Delta’s done a great job of opening large, beautiful Sky Clubs (including a long overdue but welcome Atlanta location this past week) across its system. I really like their new lounges.
It also rationed how many “Visits” certain American Express cardmembers receive. “Visits” are now unlimited entrances to Sky Clubs within a 24-hour period when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated or Delta-marketed trip. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members may enjoy up to 15 Visits between February 1 of a given year and January 31 of the following year. The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express receive up to 10 Visits during the same time period. Visits are $50 each after you’ve exhausted all of your allotment.
Delta Reserve Amex and Delta Business Reserve Amex members receive four guest passes they can use every cardmember year. (Guests must be accompanying the primary cardholder.)
Guests may also be brought in for $50 per Visit. (Make sure to get a receipt.)
On top of that, primary account holders may add additional card members for a fee — and those people also receive their own Sky Club visit rations:
- Delta Reserve: $175 annual fee per additional card member. (Rates and Fees.)
- Delta Business Amex: $175 annual fee per additional card member. (Rates and Fees.)
- Amex Platinum: $200 annual fee per additional card member. (Rates and Fees.)
- Amex Business Platinum: $200 annual fee per additional card member. (Rates and Fees.)
Not Just Credit Card Holders
But these aren’t the only ways people can access Sky Clubs. Delta One passengers (where there aren’t Delta One Lounges), SkyTeam Elite Plus members traveling internationally on other SkyTeam airlines, First or Business Class passengers on certain partner airlines, and actual Delta Sky Club members also may enter the clubs.
“I get inside and it’s just nothing but families with little kids.”
I doubt that but it’s spring break season. This is a busy time for family travel. About 98% of the people we saw in airport lounges during our most recent trips were adults.
I know people who do not like children. You know that saying that goes something like, “People who look for trouble find it”? Well, people who look for kids in airport lounges generally find them. (Or hear them.)
Maybe I’m lucky. Perhaps the hundreds of times I’ve visited airport lounges around the world were the only days when they weren’t full of kids. Perhaps most of the children I encounter in airport lounges are the unicorns who are well-behaved.
Unlike some adults who love sharing their conversations with us.
Limit Guests? Or Additional Cardholders?
I traveled with a group of five last week. Four of us had Sky Club access:
- Me: Delta Business Amex
- Mrs. Carley: Delta Reserve Amex
- Daughter: Guest pass from Mrs. Carley’s Delta Amex
- Father-in-Law: Authorized user on my Amex Platinum
- Mother-in-law: Authorized user on my Amex Platinum
There was my pesky family of five taking up space in Sky Clubs — but only one person was a guest (because she’s too young to be an Amex card member).
The Redditor suggests that Delta stop “letting people bring guests to the lounge during certain times or at certain locations so that people who actually are supposed to have access can get it.”
I understand their frustration. But if you have a Sky Club that holds 450 people and there are 1,000 eligible cardholders — “people who actually are supposed to have access” — what can you do? Delta is building bigger and more lounges. There’s only so much space at airports.
Let’s look at my example. We had four eligible cardholders — and only one guest.
What’s the solution?
Do you think families are the cause of airport lounge overcrowding?
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Not to mention the kids running around and screaming all while sticking their hands in the buffet! It is no longer a retreat but a Golden Corral!
My experience, as well. I’m not looking (nor listening for this!) -it’s sadly unavoidable.
I think parents of children are inured to the noise and disruption however.
And what’s the problem with a Golden Corral? 😉
@Chris – Ewwwww! Just ewwww!
Many years ago I got me, my spouse and 3 kids their own Reserve cards at $550 (now $650) each. I spend over $75k per year so now to get around their 15-limit max I downgraded them all to Delta Amex Platinums for $350 each and got them each $150 Reserves under my card. So they still get companion certs and I still save net $150 each and they now have no SC visit limits. Not sure why Amex hasn’t closed this loophole yet. $150 for unlimited SC access is a steal.
Yeah, I don’t like the fact that there’s a wait for a lounge (not a Sky Club) and the person called in ahead has 6 kids as dependents. Yes, I have reason to think they are dependents when only one card is scanned. I think that the limit of non-paid guests should include dependents. You bring in 1-2 people with you for free. That’s it. Don’t care who they are. If the kids are dependent card holders or elites (heck, I had elite status on TWA at 15) who are eligible for entry then no problem at all.
I have witnessed a few occasions of unruly children (I’m so glad I grew up in the time where my parents could still smack me in public without someone getting offended or accusing them of abuse). I’ve also seen the UA agents at the UA Club at MCO eject families (once was a 6-ish year old who was running around between chairs yelling “HEY SIRI!” to activate peoples phones). And little hands reaching directly into bowls on the food counter of several lounges. I’m not against kids in the lounge, just ill-behaved with parents who don’t even make an effort. If parents are attentive or trying then I’m fine with that. But this isn’t just lounges – I feel that way anywhere. I’ve done the 4 hour flight with a crying lap baby in the middle next to me and been perfectly fine with it – both parents were offering things, taking turns holding, etc. That’s all anyone can ask.
The issue isn’t kids, or kids who are qualified to enter on their own regard. The issue is that for the same price/ticket/access, some people are getting 3x the benefit while others are declined entry.
I’m in Delta Sky Clubs a lot during the year and I’d love to know what ones you’re going to where kids aren’t a problem? I absolutely don’t look for them, and don’t have to. They aren’t well behaved, their parents don’t control them, and there are so.many. I don’t know that they are THE problem with over-crowding, but pretending they aren’t A problem is disingenuous.
I’m not being disingenuous. Check out the part where I wrote, “Maybe I’m lucky. Perhaps the hundreds of times I’ve visited airport lounges around the world were the only days when they weren’t full of kids. Perhaps most of the children I encounter in airport lounges are the unicorns who are well-behaved.”
I’m the LAX T3 club on the regular and rarely see a problem. Same with MSP G18. DCA last week? No problems. No issues in ATL F or E two weeks prior.
Completely agree.
My solution would be to not admit anyone under 21. Lounges are bars and bars have traditionally been adult only. I see kids in the clubs about half of the times I visit. I don’t have a problem with well behaved kids but as other commenters have noted there do seem to be a lot of kids without parental supervision. An age limit would really help with overcrowding and still allow for adult guests.
Kids running around and touching the food on the buffet can be a problem but have not seen it as much recently.. I do have a problem with people feeding their dogs at the table or sitting on the couch(dog hair) -giving their emotional support animals people food !!!Also with the limits to lounge access we should see traffic slow down soon I think.
The first image in this post was shot in the SFO Sky Club in which I have spent 40 hours thus far this year. While children’s behavior and overcrowding may be an issue in some Sky Clubs, it’s certainly not the case at SFO. I’ve only seen children there once or twice. They were well-behaved. And I never observed overcrowding.
I haven’t seen any kids misbehave in lounges, but I have seen plenty of adults do things, like make a mess and leave it for staff to clean up, have loud phone calls or electronic devices, save empty chairs by putting bags on them and no one ever joins them, and take things from buffet with their hands. I also don’t think the kids are to blame it is inattentive parents.
Flying out of MCO often, I’ve seen as many as 8 on 1 exec. membership and even asked how many are allowed …no limit. So many kids running without supervision and the staff can’t say a thing. I especially like when the kids go through the buffet line from the exit as its closed for switch over.
Its no longer the Sky Club its the Kids Club!
I guess I’m in the middle here? I’m in various Sky Clubs a lot and I’ve seen way too many kids to almost none at all. The common denominator with mis-behaved kids, however, is in fact the parents. Kids are kids. But the parents are adults. It is absolutely their job to reign in the little humans and far too many do not. That said…I don’t think they’re the reason for the over-crowding. Will the visit limit actually work? I suppose we’ll start to see that (or not) by Q3.
This is really only applicable to lounges in the US where you can expect the children to be ill-behaved entitled brats and the parents to be too busy posting to social media to look after them.
But if parents don’t post about the trips, see, then others won’t know they ever took them!
The real problem is greed by the airlines and the banks. As one example Amex doesn’t offer as much access as it does for fun – it does so because Delta forces the issue. That exacerbates crowding problems. The solution? Allow cardholders a certain number of visits – say 10, with authorized users getting 5 per user. Allow the cardholders to use these visits however they like within a calendar (or cardholder) year. If there’s a family of five then they can all visit twice a year or a couple visiting five times or whatever. Either Delta, other airlines, and the credit card companies that have lounge networks need to find ways to open lots more and larger clubs or else limit access.