Delta Air Lines—which along with American Airlines and United Airlines has seen a continued uptick in premium demand since the pandemic—is investing in premium lounges currently set to join Sky Club lounges at three U.S. airports, the carrier announced Thursday.
The first premium lounge is slated to open in June at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. At 38,000 square feet, including a year-round terrace, the premium lounge will be the largest in the Delta network, according to the carrier. The lounge will complement Delta's recently opened Sky Club in Terminal 4 near Gate A7, along with a third club on Concourse B.
The other two premium lounges are planned to open during the fourth quarter of 2024, in each Los Angeles and Boston. The Los Angeles International Airport lounge will be 10,000 square feet, feature an outdoor terrace and be directly accessible by elevator from the Delta One check-in area. The new premium lounge will join Delta's Sky Club, which opened in 2022, as part of the carrier's LAX modernization plan.
At Boston Logan International Airport, the premium lounge will join three already-opened Sky Clubs, the most recent of which debuted in August 2023. The premium lounge will include 6,300 square feet for up to 120 guests and will be connected to the BOS-E Delta Sky Club, according to Delta. Premium lounge guests in Boston will have access to both lounge spaces, however "access guidelines" to the JFK and LAX premium clubs "are still being finalized."
The existing Sky Clubs and the new premium lounges "will be separate products with separate features," according to a Delta spokesperson, and the carrier does not have current plans to reposition existing clubs. The airline provided no further detail on the new lounges' features.
As travel returned following the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, airport lounge demand increased to the point where there were long lines to gain access to some clubs. A little more than a year ago, Delta tried to address this challenge with increased Sky Club membership prices and restricted access in order to "preserve a best-in-class experience."
"We want each of our guests to receive a highly personalized and dedicated level of service," Delta VP of Sky Club and lounge experience Claude Roussel said in a statement. "Premium lounge customers should feel welcomed and known when they walk in the door, just as they would at their favorite hotel or restaurant."
Additional New, Expanded Delta Sky Clubs
In addition to the new premium lounges in the works, Delta has plans to open or expand four more Sky Club lounges this year.
New clubs are projected to open during the fourth quarter in each Charlotte and Seattle. Delta's first lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport will be nearly 15,000 square feet and seat more than 250 people. The lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Terminal A will be more than 21,000 square feet, according to Delta.
Scheduled for an early summer 2024 debut is an expanded Sky Club at Terminal C in New York's LaGuardia Airport, with the addition of a Sky Deck and more than 100 seats. Delta also during the second quarter plans to open an expanded Sky Club at Miami International Airport, which when complete will be about 12,000 square feet and accommodate up to 320 guests, according to Delta.