Alaska Airlines Elites Will Now Pay More For Lounge Access
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you're an Alaska Lounge member you might be in for a surprise when it's time to renew your membership. While the standard membership rate is staying the same, at $450, the discount rates paid by Alaska Airlines flyers with elite status are going up.
Milage Plan MVPs can expect their new rate to be raised by $25 while Milage Plan MVP Gold members will see a hike of $55. However, Alaska is adding a new discounted level for Milage Plan MVP Gold 75K members, which will save those top-tier elites $150 off the standard lounge membership.
Membership gains you access Alaska Lounges, along with more than 95 partner lounges.
How does Alaska's lounge access compare to other airlines?
Delta Sky Club
Delta has nearly 50 Admirals Club® lounges worldwide. Sky Club offers two levels of membership.
Individual Membership:
- Cost: One-Year Rate: $545.00, 54,500 miles or $50.00 for 12 monthly installments
- Grants access to Delta Sky Clubs for the member on dates of travel with Delta
- Members can bring a guest into the club for $29
Executive Membership:
- Cost: One-Year Rate: $845.00, 84,500 miles or $75.00 for 12 monthly installments.
- Grants access for the member and up to two guests per visit
Delta no longer allows passengers to buy Sky Club day passes. If you're a frequent flyer with Delta the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express might be a good addition to your wallet and it includes a membership to the Delta Sky Club.
Admiral's Club
American Airlines operates Admirals Clubs worldwide. Unlike Delta, it only offers a single membership level. What a member pays for access is based on their level of status with the airline. You can join the Admirals Club by paying for access, using miles to join or become a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® holder.
Admirals Club members, like Sky Club members, will only be allowed access if they are flying with American on the same day they wish to access the club. You also have the option to purchase single day passes to the Admirals Club for $59. This can come in handy if you don't travel enough to make the yearly cost of lounge access worth the price, but want to enjoy the lounge if you have a long layover to get delayed.
United Club
There are United Clubs around the globe and United's membership in the Star Alliance also gets you access to other participating clubs as well. United, like Delta and American, are set to start requiring same-day boarding passes for club access effective November 15, 2019. You can join the United club starting at $600 or 77,000 miles or apply for the United Club Card, which comes with a free airport lounge membership.
Bottom Line
Of course, with most airlines now requiring a same-day boarding pass on the airline or moving to that in the near future, figuring out which club to join is going to be based on which carrier you fly most often. If you're a frequent flyer though, lounge access on those long trips or when you experience an extended delay can be a life saver. Not to mention most of the clubs have customer service representatives that can help you in the club rather than having to stand in line at the customer service desk with all the other passengers who might also be experiencing issues with their flights.
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Featured Photo by Alaska Airlines
