The SkyTeam alliance, known for its unique lounge access policies, has announced changes to its lounge access rules today. These updates, involving airlines like KLM, Air France, Delta, and Korean Air, have both positive and negative implications.
Starting in April 2025, selected SkyTeam lounges will offer access to passengers on domestic flights. However, two new restrictions will also take effect: access will only be available from three hours before departure, and any guests must be traveling on the same flight as the status holder.
Lounge Access on (Selected) Domestic Flights
Let’s start with the good news. Unlike Oneworld or Star Alliance, SkyTeam has so far excluded domestic flights from lounge access—except for certain cases like SAS.
As of April 1, 2025, this will change. Selected lounges operated by Air France, KLM, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, SAS, Saudia, and Vietnam Airlines will grant access to passengers with domestic flight tickets.
China Eastern has shared more details, announcing extended access at 24 airports initially:
Show the complete list of lounges
| Airport | City | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| CDG | Paris | Air France |
| ORY | Paris | Air France |
| BOD | Bordeaux | Air France |
| GVA | Geneva | Air France |
| BOS | Boston | Air France |
| IAD | Washington D.C. | Air France |
| JFK | New York City | Air France |
| SFO | San Francisco | Air France |
| LAX | Los Angeles | Air France |
| IAH | Houston | Air France |
| IAH | Houston | KLM |
| CGK | Jakarta | Garuda Indonesia |
| DPS | Bali | Garuda Indonesia |
| NBO | Nairobi | Kenya Airways |
| PVG | Shanghai | China Eastern |
| SHA | Shanghai | China Eastern |
| ARN | Stockholm | SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| CPH | Copenhagen | SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| GOT | Gothenburg | SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| OSL | Oslo | SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| EWR | New York City / Newark | SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| ORD | Chicago | SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| JED | Jeddah | Saudia |
| RUH | Riyadh | Saudia |
| HAN | Hanoi | Vietnam Airlines |
There are plans to further expand this offering in the future. However, frequent flyers of Aerolineas Plus and Delta SkyMiles programs will face exceptions. Delta, for instance, has already restricted access to its SkyClubs for its own frequent flyers with economy tickets, even on international flights.
New Restrictions on Lounge Access
SkyTeam Elite Plus members can continue to bring a guest into the lounge, but starting April 1, the guest must be travelling on the same flight as the status holder. Previously, the guest could be on any SkyTeam flight, e.g. two travellers flying from New York to Paris and then continuing to separate destinations can no longer access the lounge in Paris unless they both hold eligible frequent flyer status. This mirrors a similar restriction introduced by Star Alliance in May 2021, which Oneworld has yet to adopt.
Another limitation is the maximum duration of lounge access. Previously, access was tied to the calendar day, allowing early arrivals to use the lounge as long as they cleared security. Moving forward, access will only be guaranteed three hours before departure.
The updated rules state:
Regardless of travel class, SkyTeam Elite Plus customers traveling on a same-day international flight operated by a SkyTeam member airline or with same-day transfers between flights (domestic or international) operated by two SkyTeam member airlines are entitled to a minimum 3 hours’ lounge access prior to departure. Customers traveling on domestic flights must have an itinerary comprising a transfer from a domestic flight to an international flight or a domestic flight to another domestic flight, followed by a transfer to an international flight.
SkyTeam.com
Elite Plus customers transferring between two SkyTeam-operated flights will continue to enjoy same-day/24-hour access at the point of connection. Lounge access will be provided at departure and transfer airports only and not on arrival at destination.
Lounges retain the discretion to offer extended access. However, this will depend on the goodwill of the staff or airline. The 3-hour limit does not apply when transferring between two SkyTeam flights.
Conclusion
Granting lounge access on domestic flights is a positive step. It has always been puzzling why a 50-minute hop from Paris to Amsterdam qualified for lounge access, but a six-hour flight from New York JFK to San Francisco did not. However, Delta still does not fully participate in domestic lounge access, so even after April, logistical challenges remain—e.g., SkyTeam lounges in Terminal 1 versus Delta flights departing from Terminal 4 at JFK.
These changes appear to disguise two significant restrictions under the guise of improvement. While a three-hour window may suffice for most travellers, subtracting boarding time leaves only two to two-and-a-half hours in the lounge.
For travellers like me, who often arrive at airports early due to train schedules, the new rules are a net negative. However, those frequently commuting within France or other regions might see things differently.
Sources: SkyTeam press release and Verylvke
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange