Hartsfield-Jackson International airport in Atlanta is home to nine different Delta Sky Clubs, the most of all of Delta’s hubs and Sky Club locations. However, there is one stand-out lounge that offers showers, an outdoor deck with live music, and other amenities that are worth exploring if your layover enables enough time for you to travel there.
Last week, I was in-transit from Dallas Love Field to Brussels, Belgium, and while my departing gate was in Concourse E, I was recommended to check out the Sky Club in Concourse F. This is the terminal where most of the non-Delta airlines depart from at ATL airport (Air France, KLM, Turkish, Qatar, Lufthansa, British Airways, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, etc) and the lounges are located on the Mezzanine level. As this terminal opened in May 2012, this Sky Club is one of the newest in Atlanta airport.
American Express Platinum cardholders are entitled to use this lounge when traveling on any Delta-operated flight and are allowed two additional guests for a fee, per the access policies on Delta.com. Transit between Delta concourses is fairly easy and painless thanks to the underground rail, but if your gate is at one of the far ends of the concourse, it is important to budget that into your commute time as the walk to the train in each center of the concourse is time-consuming.
The exterior of the Sky Club is gorgeous, and there is a separate entrance area to the shower section for passengers who simply want to use these facilities rather than wandering through the main foyer of the lounge. The setup is also designed to optimally flow guests into one of three sections: to the quiet area on the right, the social area on the left, or the upper level “loft” which has a few extra chairs and sofas. The entrance to the outdoor deck is located to the left when you proceed past the food and beverage areas.
The shower section is located to the far left of the concourse. I was very pleased with the attentiveness and courtesy of Wade, who was one of the attendants scheduling appointments for guests, and her staff. I snapped a few photos of the shower centers, even though I wasn’t planning on using them today. However, having flown into ATL airport after a long-red-eye flight in the past, I know that this would be very useful for visiting customers. There were also some cool aviation-themed quotes on some of the glassware, including one by Charles Lindbergh that I enjoyed.
The bar section of the lounge has a selection of complimentary beers, bubbles, white/red wines, and liquors, including vodka, gin, scotch, whiskey, tequila, and cordials. There are premium brands that are available for either $8, or 400 miles, or $10, and 500 miles.
Delta has also expanded the menu options for its Sky Clubs, by incorporating a wider array of items to the breakfast, lunch, and dinner spreads. As I was there during the late afternoon, there were the traditional bar foods, dips, and vegetables out on display, along with some heavier hors d’oeuvres such as a mac-n-cheese station, noodles, a salad bar, roasted spring vegetables, pesto pasta, couscous, and soup, among other things. Desserts included assorted cheesecakes, chocolate chunk cookies, lemon cooler cookies, and brownie cups.
Of course, the highlight for me was visiting the outdoor deck. Even though June is hot and humid in Atlanta, there was some shade covering on the deck, and to the delight of many, a band playing live music. The group was jamming out and having a great time, which led to a really neat vibe.
To top it all off, the lounge attendant came by and offered everyone a cup of frose (frozen rose) which really added a nice touch to the stay. I also had a glass of 420 IPA and chatted with a Professor from University of Madison-Wisconsin who was leading a group of MBA’s to South Africa for their global trip (a throwback to my journey to the Baltics a year ago!)
I was sad that I wasn’t able to spend more than 30 minutes in this lounge, as I had to make my way back to the gate at Concourse E for boarding. That being said, I was really happy that I was able to check out this lounge and some of the cool perks that it offered to visitors.
