Today, April 8, at 6:00 a.m., a new Delta Sky Club opened at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) on Concourse D. The 24,000-square-foot lounge accommodates 506 guests, more than any other Sky Club in Atlanta. 

Although two smaller clubs on Concourse D will soon close, the new facility will increase the seating capacity by over 300. After the closures, the airline will have eight Sky Clubs at ATL, with one located on each concourse of the airport.

On the day before the opening, Airways had a few minutes to discuss the new facility with Tim Genovese, Director of Delta Sky Club Operations.

“Delta has its own in-house design team that works exclusively on Sky Club lounges,” he says, “and I think they’re done an outstanding job of converting this airport space so that it does not look like airport space."

"The almost floor to ceiling glass windows give a near 360-degree view of the airport, and the art here has nods to Atlanta artists who have done beautiful work. The tile mosaic behind the buffet that pays tribute to Atlanta, the City in a Forest, and the shutter motif throughout the lounge nods toward southern architecture.

“All of our lounges are unique,” Genovese says. “They’re not cookie cutter, and this space has been designed with southern flair and Atlanta in mind.” 

Even as the lounge seats 506, the layout is compartmentalized and suits the airline’s wide range of guests. There are areas where a family or work group can sit together as well as private nooks for discrete work. Guests can relax in one of the dozen seats in front of the large theater-style media wall.

Six private booths for phone calls are available, as well as larger open tables and counters suitable for spreading out laptops and papers and getting the work done – all with power outlets and charging stations.

Of course, dozens of counter seats and work areas allow an unobstructed view of airfield operations.

The hot and cold buffet features a wide selection suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with something for everyone no matter what time zone their body clock is in. Two drink stations feature Starbucks coffee and an espresso machine with various offerings. A full bar is also on-site.

So, how does the airline know how to build a space that will satisfy its customers? 

“There are several ways we go about learning from our guest to develop a product like this, Genovese replied. “We are constantly in our lounges watching how our visitors use the facility. We use focus groups to learn how passengers want to use the lounge today, and also how they anticipate using it in the future. And we’re always scouring the hospitality industry for ideas on how to improve the environment or serve food more efficiently, constantly trying to stay current. But we’re always listening to the customer and designing to that.”

Coming later in 2025, Delta Air Lines (DL) will open a Delta One Lounge and a Delta Sky Club in Seattle on Concourse A. Salt Lake City (SLC) will welcome its second Club on Concourse B. The Sky Club in Philadelphia (PHL) will be expanded late this year, with Denver to follow in 2026.

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