Lounge Review: Delta Sky Club - Atlanta (ATL) Concourse D
Key Takeaways
- The Atlanta (Concourse D) Sky Club has plenty of room to spread out, with varied seating, work areas, and a large central bar.
- Two identical buffet serving stations make it easier to grab food without everyone crowding into one line.
Recently, I visited the Delta Sky Club in Concourse D at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). This beautiful new lounge spans 24,000+ square feet (2,230 m²) and has seating for around 500 guests. Delta has eight Sky Club Lounges in Atlanta, but this is the only one in the D concourse. I arrived on a Wednesday around lunchtime and spent about 2 hours inside, which flew by.
Location and Access
The entrance to the Sky Club is located at gate level close to Gate D18. Once inside, you can check in at an electronic kiosk or with a lounge employee behind the desk. Once checked in, you can take the elevator or stairs up to the top level, where the lounge is located. When I arrived at the lounge, there was no wait; I quickly scanned my boarding pass on the kiosk and zipped upstairs in the elevator. I used my Delta Sky SkyMiles Reserve credit card to gain access during this visit.
Upon arriving at the top, you will see some flight monitors, magazines, and the walkway into the lounge. I really do enjoy the selection of magazines that Delta offers in their lounges. They also offer Delta gift cards, although I have always wondered how many of those they sell and how you actually purchase one; maybe one day I will try to buy one.
Lounge Amenities
The first thing I noticed in the lounge was all the art throughout; it was on almost every wall and area. There were also multiple TV areas, including two TVs in the bar area and a TV zone with theatre-style seating showing multiple sports and news shows. The lounge also has a concierge area with a desk where a Delta employee can help you with flight issues or related travel questions.
Large windows—but why so blue? I noticed the really nice large windows with panoramic outside views on the terminal and ramp area. But upon further looking, I noticed they had a strange blue tint to them. So, I did some research, and it appears the windows feature electrically tinted dynamic glass to help reduce glare from direct sunlight and reduce solar heating, without the use of conventional blinds. Whatever the technology, the blue tint is particularly noticeable in photographs.
Seating and Work Areas
Delta has done a great job with seating options in this lounge. There are dedicated work areas, dining areas, group seating, bar seating, and seating along the windows. Some seating areas are optimized for single travelers, and others are great for small groups. Almost all the seating areas have small side tables, which provide a place for food and drinks while relaxing.
In the business area there are six soundproof phone booths, including one large and accessible booth that can be converted into a small conference area with a table. The lounge also offers a shared laser printer located next to the phone booths, which I have used before but not during this visit.
Food and Beverage
The food in the lounge was excellent; I had several items, including a sandwich, a chickpea salad, and some hummus. Interestingly, the lounge has one long continuous buffet area with two identical serving stations, so customers can enter the buffet from either side of the lounge.
In the center of the lounge there is a large, fully tended 16-seat bar with TVs to watch while relaxing. Like other Sky Clubs, they offer complimentary drinks and the option to upgrade beverages using miles or credit card.
The lounge has two separate beverage stations for coffee, soda, and other nonalcoholic drinks across the lounge. Besides the normal soda machine, they also have a Bevi machine that offers all sorts of flavored sparkling and still water.
Restrooms and Showers
The restrooms were very modern, spacious, and very clean. They offer fully-enclosed stalls with lights to visually indicate if a stall is occupied. The sinks had paper towels, soap, and large mirrors. This lounge does not have showers, but the Sky Clubs in both Concourse E and F do offer showers.
One addition I like at many of the Delta Sky Clubs is the “Wave to Open” sensors that open the doors when arriving and leaving. While other airport lounges opt for no doors into the restroom, instead placing them at the end of a hallway or around a corner. I really like the wave-to-open system.
Internet, Noise, and Charging
While I was at the lounge, it was approximately 20% occupied, which was a nice change from previous visits to Delta lounges in Atlanta. Wi-Fi performance was one of the few disappointments during my visit. I ran a few Wi-Fi tests, and the internet speed was slowish compared to what I have seen at other Sky Clubs, making me wonder if there was some sort of downstream issue. The best of the three internet speed tests came in at 20.1 Mbps down and 11.4 up with a high ping time of 16 ms. The lounge noise was minimal, likely due to being mostly empty, with sound averaging 53.5 dB over 30-seconds. Finally, the power options in the lounge were plentiful; most of the seating areas offered high-speed USB-C and AC charging.
Overall Rating: 4.2*
Pros: abundant art, a great bar area, phone booths, and wave-to-open bathroom doors.
Cons: slow Wi-Fi; the blue glass windows are strange, no showers, no kids room or nursing room.
- Amenities: 4.4
- Food: 4.3
- Beverages: 4.4
- Seating, Tables, and Work Areas: 4.6
- Service: 4.2
- Wow-Factor: 3.5
* scored using Nerd Score 1.0
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Closing Thoughts
Having been to all Delta Sky Clubs in Atlanta, I personally think this is the nicest Sky Club at the airport (even though it does not have an outdoor patio like the one in Concourse F does). I really like the variety of seating areas and the large central bar.