Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a lounge guest policy?
Lounge guest policy is the set of rules that decides whether a traveller who is allowed into an airline lounge may bring other people in with them, and on what terms. Guest permission is granted separately from lounge access itself and depends on the programme, the lounge network, the membership product, the status tier and the ticket; at Delta Air Lines, for example, a Diamond Medallion member who takes a Delta Sky Club Executive Membership through Choice Benefits receives two complimentary guests, while the Individual Membership covers unlimited club access for the member [2].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Admission and guesting are two different permissions: a rule that lets a member into a lounge says nothing on its own about the people travelling with them.
- Where a programme publishes a guest allowance, it is usually attached to one specific membership product or tier rather than to elite status in general [2].
- Delta Sky Club guest numbers depend on which membership option a Diamond Medallion member selects through Choice Benefits: the Executive Membership carries two complimentary guests, the Individual Membership is described as unlimited access for the member [2].
What is a lounge guest policy?
A lounge guest policy is the part of an airline lounge programme that deals with other people. Entry rules answer one question — whether the member may walk into the lounge — while guest rules answer a chain of follow-on questions: how many companions may come along, whether those companions must be on the same booking or the same flight, whether a fee is charged, and which lounges honour the privilege. Because the allowance belongs to the member rather than to the guest, it is normally used by the member in person at the lounge desk.
Guest rules are also narrower than entry rules. A programme can widen entry without touching guests, and it can attach a guest allowance to one product while leaving another product on member-only terms. That is why two travellers with apparently similar standing can be treated differently at the same lounge door.
Why is guest access separate from lounge access?
Entry and guesting sit on different layers. Entry is usually created by a status tier or by a paid membership, and it is often described at tier level: Singapore Airlines lists access to more than 1,000 lounges among the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the tier a member reaches with 50,000 Elite miles earned within 12 consecutive months [2+3]. Guest permission is a second entitlement layered on top of that entry.
Four things typically decide the answer. The membership product matters, because a purchased club membership and a status tier can carry different guest terms. The tier matters, because higher tiers are often given more generous allowances than lower ones. The ticket matters, because a guest allowance can be conditioned on the member and the guest flying with the airline or its partners. The lounge operator matters, because a lounge run by an airline, an alliance partner or a third party can apply its own house rules alongside the programme's rules.
How does Delta Sky Club set guest numbers?
Delta Air Lines shows how a guest allowance can hang on the membership product rather than on status alone. Diamond Medallion members may choose a Delta Sky Club Executive Membership or an Individual Membership as a Choice Benefit, and the two options carry different guest terms [2].
| Membership option | Choice Benefits used | Guests and access |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Membership | Three [2] | Two guests, or a spouse or domestic partner and children under 21, are complimentary [2] |
| Individual Membership | Two [2] | Unlimited Delta Sky Club access for the member [2] |
The Executive Membership goes further than the complimentary pair. The member may also bring two additional guests while paying the applicable guest fee, provided that the member and those guests are flying on Delta or its partner airlines [2]. The Individual Membership, by contrast, is described as unlimited club access for the member themselves [2].
Timing is part of the rule as well. Either membership runs from the moment of selection to the end of the Medallion Year — 31 January 2027 for a 2026 selection and 31 January 2028 for a 2027 selection — and the Choice Benefit may be selected only once per Medallion Year, whichever Medallion tier the member holds [2].
Exceptions and limits
- Not every tier can choose it. The Delta Sky Club memberships are listed as a Diamond Medallion option and as not available at Platinum Medallion [2].
- The allowance is product-specific. The two complimentary guests and the spouse-or-partner version both belong to the Executive Membership; the Individual Membership is unlimited access for the member [2].
- The extra pair is conditional. The two further guests are admitted on payment of the applicable guest fee and only when the member and guests are flying on Delta or its partner airlines [2].
- The window closes at the end of the Medallion Year. A membership selected for 2026 runs until 31 January 2027, and one selected for 2027 until 31 January 2028 [2].
- Selections are final. Once redeemed, Choice Benefits cannot be exchanged or replaced [2].
- Location and operator still apply. A guest allowance granted by one programme describes that programme's lounges and membership products; a different programme, a partner-run lounge or a third-party lounge can set its own conditions, so the entitlement should be read for the specific lounge being visited.
Frequently asked questions
How many guests does a Delta Sky Club Executive Membership allow?
Two guests, or a spouse or domestic partner and children under 21, are complimentary with the Executive Membership [2]. The member may also bring two more guests while paying the applicable guest fee, if the member and guests are flying on Delta or its partner airlines [2].
Which Delta Medallion members can choose a Delta Sky Club membership as a Choice Benefit?
Diamond Medallion members may choose either an Executive Membership, using three Choice Benefits, or an Individual Membership, using two [2]. The option is listed as not available at Platinum Medallion [2].
Does a Delta Sky Club Individual Membership include guests?
The Individual Membership is described as unlimited Delta Sky Club access for the member, while the two complimentary guests form part of the Executive Membership option [2].
Do guests have to be flying Delta to use the guest allowance?
Yes for the two additional paid guests: that allowance applies when the member and guests are flying on Delta or its partner airlines [2].
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other programmes and alliances, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Emirates Skywards, Qantas Frequent Flyer and the oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance lounge networks, are not covered here; the lounge access checklist covers the wider picture.
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Choice Benefits, checked 18 October 2026
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Elite Silver and Elite Gold qualification, checked 18 October 2026