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SkyTeam improves its lounge access rules – many domestic flights now included

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SkyTeam has announced a number of changes to the way that you will receive lounge access if you have elite status.

This is especially relevant at the moment as both Flying Blue and Virgin Flying Club are matching British Airways Executive Club status. The Flying Blue deal is superior, especially if you only have BA Silver status.

On the whole it’s a mixed bag, with some improvements and some restrictions, but most people will be better off.

SkyTeam improves its lounge access rules

Here is what is changing on 1st April:

Get lounge access on domestic flights

For the first time, SkyTeam will offer lounge access to Elite Plus (eg Virgin Flying Club Gold) passengers travelling on domestic flights.

To be honest, you may (like me) be surprised to find out that this was previously banned! With Virgin Atlantic not running any domestic flights it wasn’t an issue for anyone flying from the UK.

This is will initially only be available at selected lounges with the goal of adding more later. AWe have the full list below.

Guesting rules are tightened (slightly)

Elite Plus passengers will continue to be able to guest one person into the lounge, but this passenger must now be travelling on the same flight. You were previously able to guest someone travelling on a different SkyTeam flight.

More lounges will impose a time limit

‘More’ lounges will limit access to three hours before departure for Elite Plus, business and first class passengers. Elite Plus customers connecting between two SkyTeam flights will continue to have 24-hour access during their stopover, but not at their point of departure.

SkyTeam improves its lounge access rules

Which lounges will offer access to domestic passengers?

Loyalty Lobby published the following list of lounges taking part in the domestic flight access scheme.

This only kicks in from 1st April 2025.

You’ll note that Delta Air Lines is not allowing SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers into its lounges when flying domestically, although there are a good number of US airports where Delta elites will be welcomed at other lounges.

AirportLounge Provider
Paris Charles de GaulleAir France
Paris OrlyAir France
BordeauxAir France
GenevaAir France
BostonAir France
Washington D.C. (Dulles)Air France
Houston (IAH)Air France
New York (JFK)Air France
San FranciscoAir France
Los AngelesAir France
JakartaGaruda Indonesia
Bali (Denpasar)Garuda Indonesia
NairobiKenya Airways
Shanghai PudongChina Eastern
Shanghai HongqiaoChina Eastern
Stockholm (Arlanda)Scandinavian Airlines
CopenhagenScandinavian Airlines
NewarkScandinavian Airlines
GothenburgScandinavian Airlines
OsloScandinavian Airlines
ChicagoScandinavian Airlines
JeddahSaudia
RiyadhSaudia
HanoiVietnam Airlines

The lack of blanket domestic access rules does mean it a lucky dip as to whether you’ll get access or not – there are so many exclusions that it will be hard to know when and where you can get in. It would be useful if SkyTeam updated its Lounge Finder tool with the relevant information.

Conclusion

I suspect that, for the majority of customers, these changes are neutral to good. Most people do not turn up at the airport more than three hours prior to departure, so limiting access is unlikely to have a huge effect. Equally, I suspect the amount of passengers guesting people in on other SkyTeam flights is probably relatively small.

The big change is opening up access to lounges on domestic flights. This is a benefit I would have enjoyed last year when I had a domestic Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi and had to opt for a third party lounge via Priority Pass instead.

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Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.

Category

Air France KLM and Flying Blue, SkyTeam alliance partners, Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (22)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Roberto says:
    22 Jan22 January 05:34

    The original source https://www.verylvke.com/en/2025/01/20/skyteam-to-add-lounge-access-to-domestic-flights/

  • Dev says:
    22 Jan22 January 06:12

    Tbh, I had no idea that there was a restriction on domestic flights. I used to take NBO-MBA regularly and KQ always allowed us into the domestic lounge in T1D at NBO. (It was tiny but at least you could get a tusker before your flight!).

    • riku says:
      22 Jan22 January 07:20

      The rule was there for the USA to prevent status card holders getting lounge access on domestic USA flights. One World and Star Alliance have a similar desire but their rule blocks only to those who hold cards from AA/UA/AS.
      The original Sky Team rule sort of forgot that countries outside of the USA might also have domestic flights.

      • Gerry says:
        22 Jan22 January 12:53

        Each alliance has different rules, so I doubt anyone has forgotten about anything. What about OW granting lounge access to silvers (sapphire) across the network?

        And there have already been places where SkyTeam elites were getting lounge access on domestic flights – eg in Indonesia on Garuda.

        • John says:
          22 Jan22 January 17:40

          OWS is like Star Gold

          • AL says:
            22 Jan22 January 22:16

            Having been OWE and *G, simultaneously and separately, *G is world’s apart from OWE, never mind OWS.

          • Throwawayname says:
            22 Jan22 January 23:48

            I agree that the comparison between *G and any kind of oneworld status borders on the absurd.

            I’m sure oneworld status is alright for some people who travel often to specific places for work, but that alliance doesn’t work for anyone who wants/needs to visit anywhere that’s even slightly off the beaten track- whether you’re thinking of going to Bastia, Belo Horizonte, Brazzaville* or even Busan, you can relax in the knowledge that oneworld don’t fly there!

            *Not strictly true- the amazing Royal Air Maroc does fly there in considerable style (using a 738) a couple of times a week. Enjoy the world-class lounges in Casablanca!

    • ADS says:
      22 Jan22 January 11:28

      reading the article, I wondered whether the ban was actually enforced !

      although another comment says the ban doesn’t apply to domestic flights on your own FFP airports

      • Rob says:
        22 Jan22 January 11:49

        Probably true – we’re talking about Elite Plus benefits, a FFP is allowed to give a different deal to its own members.

  • Neil Cunningham says:
    22 Jan22 January 08:17

    I flew Hanoi to Hue last week and indeed was not allowed to use the Vietnam Airline lounge in Hanoi despite being Elite Plus. However I could and did purchase lounge access via Vietnams app for the equivalent of just £11!

  • Throwawayname says:
    22 Jan22 January 09:05

    I don’t really view this as a positive step. It just makes the rules more complicated and may end up giving airlines an incentive to deny E+ pax access to contract lounges even for international flights.

  • Concerto says:
    22 Jan22 January 09:55

    The domestic lounges list is pretty sparse. Really useful would be to have Ho Chi Minh City SGN, but that airport is a story unto itself. I would love to get access on domestic Spanish flights, but I believe Air Europa don’t operate any of their own lounges. I get access on domestic AF flights in France anyway, but that was one of the SkyTeam quirks where you got domestic access on your home FFP. That was always the case and I used it a lot when flying domestic from Paris.

  • Pangolin says:
    22 Jan22 January 10:43

    Note that ITA lets you use their lounges at FCO and LIN for domestic flights.

    • Concerto says:
      22 Jan22 January 11:27

      That I did not know. Thank you very much. Like a plonker, I just assumed it wasn’t possible (LIN-FCO) and didn’t want have an embarrassing moment at the lounge door

    • Ziggy says:
      22 Jan22 January 18:26

      Just a heads up: The ITA Airways Piazza della Scala Lounge at Linate has been closed for renovations since 13 January. No idea when it will reopen.

  • PL says:
    22 Jan22 January 14:43

    Officially, Saudia wont let elite plus into their lounges on domestic flights (al fursan gold etc are accepted). The trick is to flash the digital boarding card for scanning, which won’t show your airline status/tier. It only shows “sky priority”. The scanner always accepts it. If you show your paper pass, the staff will see the AF gold or whatever printed on it and reject you.

  • Red says:
    22 Jan22 January 19:41

    I’m SkyTeam Elite Plus. If I fly from HEL to LHR via Oslo with SAS in economy, will I get lounge access in Helsinki?

    • VickyTM says:
      22 Jan22 January 20:06

      No. Helsinki airport Sky Team lounge only accepts passengers flying on Air France and KLM.

      • Red says:
        22 Jan22 January 21:05

        Ah thanks. I’ll book the lounge on Dragon Pass then. If I’m flying via Oslo to London would I need to book the Schengen side lounge or non Schengen?

    • David says:
      23 Jan23 January 16:02

      I’m learning too that not all Sky Team Elite Plus are the same. Seeing similar restrictions for ST Elite Plus with SAS in DUB.

      • Red says:
        28 Jan28 January 12:12

        I got access with Sky Team plus to Plaza Premium lounge at Heathrow and used Dragon Pass at Helsinki. I used the lounge in Stockholm but missed the lounge in Oslo as I didn’t realise it was prior to boarder control’ TBH I would not have had time anyways.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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