Delta Sky Club attendants, probably

A new Delta policy went into effect this month, restricting how early travelers can access its Sky Club lounge before its flights. Good news though: if you have a layover, Delta 360 status, or Amex’s Centurion Card (aka the ‘Black Card’), you're exempted.

💰💳🛀 Background: Airline passengers can access Delta’s lounges – featuring free food, drinks, and often showers – in airports across the world by purchasing a membership (between $545 and $845 per year), or by enrolling in certain high-interest credit cards or frequent flier programs.

📣 Back to the announcement... While previously passengers could come-and-go as they please, Delta's new policy limits Sky Club access to within three hours of departure time. 

• When the new policy was first announced, Delta had said travelers also wouldn’t be able to access its lounges upon arriving at their destination, but the company quickly reversed course after customer backlash.
• A Delta spokesperson told the WSJ the change was necessary to manage larger crowds while maintaining a high level of service, as travel demand picks back up after the pandemic despite record-high prices.

🌎✈️ Zoom out: Major US airlines are on track to hire more than 10,000 pilots this year, which would be roughly double the previous all-time record.