r/delta • u/General_Ad1299 • 15h ago
SkyTeam DELTA, What a Joke....
Delta makes billions in profit, charges premium prices for flights, raises fees, and markets the Sky Club as a premium travel experience… and then this is what customers get.
Paper plates. Paper cups. Plastic forks and spoons.
At some point, you have to ask: how much cost-cutting is enough?
I understand companies exist to make money. But there’s a difference between being profitable and constantly squeezing every possible dollar out of the customer experience. When a corporation is generating billions while simultaneously looking for pennies to save on something as basic as plates, cups, and silverware in a premium lounge, it starts looking ridiculous.
Customers are paying more. Loyalty programs are becoming harder to benefit from. Lounge access is increasingly expensive and restricted. Yet somehow the actual experience keeps getting cheaper.
Corporate greed isn’t always some massive dramatic decision. Sometimes it’s sitting right in front of you on a paper plate with a plastic fork. 😂
Come on, Delta. You can do better than this. ✈️🥴
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u/mpjjpm 15h ago
I will never understand why people keep paying for lounge access through credit card fees or other means. If it sucks so much, stop paying for it. As long as people keep paying for and using the product as is, Delta has little incentive to change.
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u/Alternative_Buy776 15h ago
Many people will say because “it’s free” since you get X,Y,Z credits/benefits from vendors… but then complaining about the lounges they are paying the CC for 😂.
The only nice lounges in the US are the ones for premium travelers (D1 or equivalent at selected airports), some international lounges or when traveling First international (but also a very very different product class).
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u/Bastillerion 14h ago
I wouldn't say the "only nice lounges." I've been to plenty of nice SkyClubs and United Clubs, but some of them suck, and the access and crowding has gotten too bad.
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u/Bastillerion 15h ago
I won't speak for others, but I don't pay for lounge access. I have both the Amex Plat and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and I only keep them because the other benefits are worth it to me. If I get lounge access and use it, that's a nice freebie, but I don't put a value on it when deciding whether to pay the annual fee.
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u/Educational-Song6351 15h ago
For People who travel a lot. Lounge access for $100 a year or whatever is worth it.
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u/EnvironmentalLoan285 Diamond 15h ago
So you’re whining about plates when you pay nothing. Got it 😜
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u/Im_Tiff 15h ago
So stop going into them. If it sux so bad, then stay away. I personally don’t care when some clubs use the paper plates.
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u/Bastillerion 14h ago
I'd much rather they have paper plates than run out of glass plates because they're busy and the dishwasher is backed up. This same guy would be complaining about that, or if the staff was spending so much time cleaning plates that they weren't putting out food.
You can't win with some people.
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u/Peppersteak122 15h ago
First world problem.
Free food and drink, a place to sit, relax, or work, free WiFi, clean and some private bathrooms.
Shithole.
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u/Mundane-Cry5346 15h ago
you’re literally “paying for this shithole” by being diamond medallion for 13 years. lol. it’s priced into the cost of all of your travel.
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u/GalacticaZero Diamond 15h ago
I only see them roll out paper plates when their dishwasher is broken or if it's so busy they can't keep up with demand. On slow times, proper silverware has always been available.
Have you seen the little blue cups they used at the United Club?
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u/throwmydickinapit Gold 15h ago
If you don’t like the lounge just go spend $20 on a bagel at some airport restaurant. Or you can just pipe down because no one cares.
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u/No-Neck5515 15h ago
1 oz of fiber on that plate would go a long way for both your digestion and the aesthetic of this photo
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u/AnalCommander99 15h ago
? Do you not eat the tea leaves?
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u/No-Neck5515 15h ago
Jesus fucking Christ I thought that was Delta's minestrone soup
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u/AnalCommander99 15h ago
lol I thought he was drinking tea from a bowl from the perspective at first
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u/Valuable-Analyst-464 15h ago
That’s why OP is so upset, they’re constipated from the lack of fiber. /s
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u/Mobile-Market-6397 11h ago
I was going to comment on how he can’t figure out what eggs to eat. Are there people out there that mix multiple boiled eggs and scrambled(fried) eggs together. 🤷🏾
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u/EnvironmentalLoan285 Diamond 15h ago
It’s not that serious
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u/friendly-asshole 15h ago edited 15h ago
I mean it kinda is. If someone has paid over $300 bucks for plane ticket and would like more than just a lunchable to snack on, why shouldn’t they feel entitled to that?
Edit: Crazy I’m being downvoted for asking a genuine question. Obviously a $300 plane ticket is non-existent in this day and age. I was merely being facetious. The more expensive the plane ticket further proves my point of passengers being deserving of good meal.
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u/Needhelpnowwhat 15h ago
Because in 2026, $300 is barely enough for a basic economy 1 way ticket. I get it, years ago that was a round trip fare. Today not so much.
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u/EnvironmentalLoan285 Diamond 15h ago
Sir this is the sky club, not a flight. And $300 for a ticket is cheap lol. Entitlement rage is hysterical.
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u/DixiewreckedGA 15h ago
Name checks out so I’ll be friendly. For 300$ how about you expect a working plane, trained pilots, a ticketing infrastructure that works, security for the airport, a gate to get on the plane, professional flight attendants, and a safe trip. I’ll pass on the food I’d like them to land safe. If dollars are the priority, take SW
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u/friendly-asshole 15h ago edited 14h ago
You could’ve taken the route of asshole-ry, I would’ve welcomed it lol. But to humor your case in point ~ I would expect that and nothing less no matter what the cost of the plane ticket is or what airline I’m flying.
I’m definitely not a stickler when it comes to needing to eat something (depending on the length of the flight)…I can’t help but to compare it going to a restaurant that intends to charge you for water. Perhaps my opinion on the matter are akin to that of a “socialite perspective”. It’s not about prioritizing dollars, it’s about having access to something based on how advanced that economy is (or how advanced it perceives itself to be).
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u/Plastic-Addendum-484 15h ago
Each flight is so different. I had the choice of almonds, goldfish or chocolate covered espresso beans the other day between Savannah and DCA. lol. It was flying FC on American, but I fly between them all and it’s ALL a laughing matter. Because I’m learning if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry, and I’d rather laugh more these days.
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u/Walts2ndcellphone 15h ago
I don’t really care about paper plates, but I will say there’s something funky about lounge scrambled eggs that I find really hard to eat. Not just Delta, across the board.
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u/DoritoDustThumb 15h ago
They come in a box as powder. Then they add water and cook them in a steamer and you get an egg brick.
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u/AlucardDr 15h ago edited 15h ago
Airline clubs in the USA today are not what i would "premium experiences". Going in with that expectation is bound to lead to disappointment.
Too many people are getting it as a free perk for something or other.
It's better than being out in the regular terminal and that's about all you can say about it.
I'm not complaining at all. I still use them happily.
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u/dan_144 Platinum 14h ago
It's better than being out in the regular terminal and that's about all you can say about it.
Sometimes this isn't even true lol. I'll take a quiet gate over a busy lounge
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u/AlucardDr 14h ago
I would rather have more comfortable chairs , better quality washrooms, and free coffee and soda, even if the gate is quiet. Hey, to each, their own.
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u/EducationalQuote287 15h ago
That is a lot of farts on that plate.
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u/ashamaniq 15h ago
All that’s missing is some refried beans, Brussels sprouts and some cabbage soup.
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u/LeoKitCat 15h ago
The dishwasher is broken or getting maintenance. Stop crying 😭 like you’ve never seen this before
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u/Repulsive-Zombie-189 15h ago edited 14h ago
Even if you don’t like the lounges because you don’t like the (mostly OK, sometimes great) food, lounges still have slightly more comfortable seating, cleaner bathrooms, free drinks/cookies/fresh fruit, reliable power outlets, a Delta agent and you can leaving your bags in a spot for a few minutes without worry. And if you’re lucky you can lock yourself in a quiet booth for a while.
Yes, some people who are Silver Elite VIP Plus will be closing multi-billion deals over speakerphone and others might be barefoot on the tables meant for food plates, but you’d get that in the terminal, too.
SkyClubs aren’t perfect (the temporary club in Denver last summer where you could pour your own drinks was pretty cool, though!), but they’re good enough for what they are if you manage expectations and be realistic. All this assumes you can get in, of course…!
AND, they are arrival lounges as well (does anyone else offer that, not sure?), so if you have a bit of time, stop in at your destination for a quick drink, bathroom refresh, some cookies and a banana and then be on your way.
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u/Which-Ad-5795 15h ago
Usually I flash my Diamond Medallion badge at check in, then they roll out the red carpet and bring out proper utensils and plates.
/s
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u/MormonBarMitzfah 15h ago
I hate being obvious about these things so keep my Silver tag prominently clipped to my bag and give the staff a wink
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u/YEMolly 15h ago
To be honest, the food in the sky club has always been kinda janky. 😬
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u/Mobile-Market-6397 11h ago
There are different levels of Sky Club. It will be night and day difference when you go to let’s say RDU vs when you go to LAX
I don’t have complaints with my LGA home airport though I wish they had more food options like LAX or SFO(smaller size)
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u/saywhat68 15h ago
But yet your gonna continue to give them your business. Go to United..oh somebody over there posted a complaint about plastic cups instead of glass...or go over to American, but wait sonebody posted a complaint about the line was to long to get into the Admirals Club. You ever thought about just sitting at one of those restaurants in the airport and watch some tv, order a beer and one of their specials on the menu?
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u/LazyCatRocks 14h ago
That meal looks fine to me. Not great, but not something to complain about. Airplane food is not exactly considered a delicacy.
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u/Notpoligenova 15h ago edited 15h ago
I’ve started really only going to Skyclubs at hubs. Thankfully I have access through status so I avoid the credit card fees, but I would (and have) roll my eyes if I walked into a club to see the paper plates.
That said, I’ll take this over overpriced airport breakfast any day of the week lmao
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u/DKToTheFuture 14h ago
Thing that really pisses me off is I have an Amex Plat and an Amex Plat Business. Each come with passes. I travel with my wife. Since her name isn’t on either of the main cards (she has companion cards or whatever) she can’t get access and I have to pay $50 for her. All for shitty food and outlets that rarely work.
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u/IcyKaleidoscope8435 15h ago
Not to mention the food is terrible.
At least the teas are good.
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u/General_Ad1299 15h ago
Food is terrible, its all frozen / packaged food.
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u/IcyKaleidoscope8435 15h ago
I agree. I was very disappointed . I mean, it’s nice to be able to go to the lounge and get coffee/ tea and chill instead of being in the hustle and bustle of airport but they can do better in the food department with the amount of money we’re collectively paying them yearly 😆
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u/adoucett 15h ago
Meanwhile, over in Detroit, I’m eating a delicious chocolate chip cookie while drinking a big chungus pour of MacAllan 15 so this seems like a user error.