SkyTeam Lounge Access Changes: Domestic Access & 3-Hour Rule

This week, the SkyTeam alliance announced some changes to its lounge access rules, and they’re a mixed bag. While I first covered this several days ago, I want to provide an update, as I’ve received clarification on a few important points.

Details of SkyTeam lounge access rule changes

The SkyTeam alliance plans to make a series of changes to its lounge access policies for visits as of April 1, 2025. These changes impact first and business class passengers, as well as SkyTeam Elite Plus members. Let’s cover the details below.

SkyTeam adding domestic lounge access

Currently, SkyTeam Elite Plus members only receive lounge access when traveling on international itineraries. That’s in contrast to the policies of oneworld and Star Alliance, which allow lounge access on all itineraries, with just some restrictions for those participating in frequent flyer programs in the United States.

With this change, SkyTeam Elite Plus members will finally start getting lounge access on domestic flights. This will initially be available at the following select lounges:

• Air France lounges in Bordeaux (BOD), Boston (BOS), Geneva (GVA), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG & ORY), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington (IAD)
• Garuda Indonesia lounges in Bali (DPS) and Jakarta (CGK)
• Kenya Airways lounges in Nairobi (NBO)
• China Eastern lounges in Shanghai (PVG & SHA)
• Scandinavian Airlines lounges in Chicago (ORD), Copenhagen (CPH), Gothenburg (GOT), Newark (EWR), Oslo (OSL), and Stockholm (ARN)
• Saudia lounges in Jeddah (JED) and Riyadh (RUH)
• Vietnam Airlines lounges in Hanoi (HAN)

There are just two exceptions to this rule:

• SkyTeam Elite Plus members with the Aerolineas Argentinas Aerolineas Plus program won’t receive lounge access on any domestic itineraries worldwide
• SkyTeam Elite Plus members with the Delta SkyMiles program won’t receive access on any domestic itineraries within the United States

This is a pretty significant development. For example, if you have SkyTeam Elite Plus status through an eligible program, you could use Air France lounges even when traveling within the United States.

SkyTeam adding three-hour access restriction

With these changes, SkyTeam Elite Plus members, as well as SkyTeam first and business class customers, will increasingly be subjected to a three-hour lounge access rule, meaning they can only use lounges up to three hours before departure. Those transferring between two SkyTeam-operated flights will continue to receive access for longer connections, as needed.

Currently the SkyTeam alliance at large doesn’t have a three-hour rule on lounge access, though some individual lounges do have such a policy. The one thing worth noting is that this won’t apply to all lounges. As it’s written, this policy “will be introduced at more lounges.” We don’t yet know at exactly which lounges this will apply, though.

SkyTeam adding lounge guesting restrictions

With these changes, SkyTeam Elite Plus members will continue to be allowed to bring one guest into lounges, though that guest must be traveling on the same SkyTeam-operated flight as the member. This is a departure from the previous policy, which allows travelers to guest anyone on a SkyTeam flight, with no need for them to be traveling on the same flight.

My take on SkyTeam lounge access policy changes

As you can tell, these changes to SkyTeam lounge access rules are a mixed bag. The addition of lounge access on some domestic itineraries is a hugely positive development, the change to guesting rules is mildly negative, and the three-hour rule is hugely negative, at least in my opinion.

Now, regarding the new three-hour restriction on lounge access, I’m curious to see if that’s consistently implemented across airlines or not. Obviously this policy already exists at Delta Sky Clubs. As the change is described, we’ll see the three-hour rule “introduced at more lounges.” That’s not necessarily to say it’ll be introduced at all lounges, though I guess time will tell.

Selfishly, for the purposes of reviewing lounges, that makes my life much harder. I always like to be at lounges the second they open, so that I can get “clean” pictures without anyone in them. Of course I’m the exception rather than the norm.

The SkyTeam lounge access policy has long trailed both the Star Alliance lounge access policy and oneworld lounge access policy, especially when it comes to lounge access on domestic itineraries. That being said, even with these changes, I can’t help but think that SkyTeam’s rules are just unnecessarily complicated. There are so many exceptions and exclusions, much more so than with other alliances.

Bottom line

SkyTeam is updating its lounge access policies as of April 2025. On the plus side, we’ll see SkyTeam introduce lounge access for SkyTeam Elite Plus members on many domestic itineraries. However, the rest of the changes are bad news, including restrictions on who can be guested into lounges, plus a new three-hour rule that will reportedly apply to many lounges.

What do you make of these updates to SkyTeam lounge access?