Take a look inside Delta’s new 24,000-square-foot Sky Club lounge in Atlanta

If you’ve ever battled your way through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at rush hour, you know that comfort can feel like a luxury. Between TSA lines, flight delays, and a race to find a seat with an outlet, air travel isn’t always relaxing. That’s exactly the stress Delta is trying to relieve with the launch of its newest Sky Club in Atlanta Monday—its biggest yet by guest count.

Located in Concourse D, the new 24,000-square-foot space is the eighth Delta lounge in ATL and is designed to offer more breathing room, literally and figuratively. With seating for 506 guests, it’s the second-largest Sky Club by square footage in the airport—but the largest when it comes to sheer capacity.

“This lounge is not just about space,” Dwight James, S.V.P. of Customer Engagement & Loyalty for Delta Air Lines tells Fast Company. “It’s about experience. It’s about hospitality. We’re always looking for ways to reduce the stress that naturally builds up during travel, especially right after TSA. That’s the moment we think about the most—how do we help someone shift from feeling anxious to feeling cared for?”

Hospitality meets hometown pride

The lounge includes amenities aimed at all types of travelers: a 16-seat bar, theater-style media wall, soundproof phone booths, and ample workspace. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of the airfield. There’s a full buffet and two beverage stations.

But beyond the layout and amenities, what makes this club unique is its sense of place. Delta leaned into Atlanta’s dual identity: Southern charm meets city sophistication. “We always try to bring in local flavor,” James explains. “You’ll see that in the art, in the design choices. When people visit our lounges, we want them to feel something familiar, like a quiet respite. Something that reminds them of home—even if they’re far from it.”

“We always try to bring in local flavor,” James explains. “You’ll see that in the art, in the design choices. When people visit our lounges, we want them to feel something familiar, like a quiet respite. Something that reminds them of home—even if they’re far from it.”

In this case, there’s a custom tile mural of lush greenery behind the buffet—a subtle nod to Atlanta’s nickname, “City in a Forest.” Guests riding the elevator are greeted by a vibrant mural featuring magnolias and dogwoods by local artist Ryan Coleman, and the lounge also features sepia-toned photography from Pam Moxley that manages to make you nostalgic for summer evenings—even if you’re en route to Minneapolis.

“We’re not just building lounges as places to sit before a flight,” says James. “We’re building experiences. Our goal is that when someone leaves the lounge, they carry that feeling with them onto the aircraft.”

Solving the lounge crowding problem

Of course, as any frequent flyer knows, lounges can get crowded. Really crowded. Delta faced backlash (and some angry Reddit threads) when it rolled out changes to its loyalty program for SkyMiles members last year, intended to help with overcrowding.

“Change is hard when you’re emotionally connected to a brand,” James admitted. “But it also showed us how passionate people are about Delta. We made some tweaks, and now we’re seeing record engagement.”

According to Delta, credit card signups are at an all-time high. Base-tier members—those who haven’t yet earned status—are rating the SkyMiles program higher than before. And for travelers who hit top-tier Diamond Medallion status, new incentives are now built in to keep them engaged past the finish line.

“We want to make it feel like, hey, Delta sees me,” James said. “Even after I’ve hit my status, there’s still more value to earn.”

The new space in Concourse D is also meant to help with overflow, especially in a city that accounts for nearly a third of Delta lounge visits systemwide. ATL handles nearly 1,000 peak-day departures to over 200 destinations worldwide.

“We’ve taken steps to ensure our most premium customers get the experience they deserve,” said James. “But we also want our lounges to feel more welcoming. That’s why we’re continuing to modernize and expand—not just in Atlanta, but across our network.”

That roadmap includes upcoming lounge openings in Seattle and Salt Lake City, plus future expansions in Philadelphia and Denver. But in Atlanta, the focus is on more than just expanding the physical footprint. It’s also about making lounges feel like experiences rather than just rooms with snacks and decent Wi-Fi.

“We may have a local chef come in and do a live demo, or even set up something like a farmers market-style event,” James said. “People walk in and are like, ‘Wait, is that a chef? In the airport?’ It’s something different, something memorable.”

The goal, he added, is to build those moments into Delta’s broader loyalty strategy—not just offering a clean seat and a drink, but creating a kind of brand consistency from the lounge to the gate to the air.

“It’s a different kind of energy. It surprises people in a good way,” he says. “These curated experiences tie into how we think about loyalty—because for us, loyalty isn’t just about a program. It’s about giving people reasons to choose Delta again.”

The new lounge arms race

As a whole, airlines are expected to cut 2025 outlooks when they report earnings starting this week (Delta’s earnings are expected Wednesday). Last month, Delta cut its first-quarter expectation citing weaker-than-expected corporate and leisure bookings—another reason for the airline and others to focus on their high-spending travelers.

Delta isn’t the only airline rethinking the lounge experience. United Airlines recently announced it is raising fees for its airport lounge memberships and co-branded credit cards, part of a broader effort to manage crowding and cater to high-spending travelers. The new structure introduces two tiers: $750 annually for individual United Club access, or $1,400 to bring up to two guests—more than double the previous cost for a guest-inclusive pass. 

“Yes, there are fee increases,” United MileagePlus head Richard Nunn told reporters last month, “but we were very, very cognizant of ensuring that the value increments and the benefits that are delivered outweigh any increase.” Like Delta, United is leaning into perks like rideshare credits, award flight discounts, and lounge upgrades to retain loyalty in a market where travelers are demanding more than just a comfy seat and free snacks.

Capital One, a relative newcomer to the airport lounge space, is also making moves. Since opening its first lounge at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 2021, the company has gradually expanded to five locations, including Washington D.C.’s Reagan and Dulles airports, as well as Denver and Las Vegas. By the end of 2025, that number is expected to grow to seven, with new lounges planned for New York’s JFK, and a Capital One Landing at LaGuardia. 

While still small compared to legacy players like American Express, Capital One’s lounges are carving out a niche by partnering with local businesses—think regional breweries, bakeries, and distilleries—to create a more personalized, locally inspired experience. As Jenn Scheurich, head of Capital One Travel, puts it: “We honestly always want to make sure the local market is represented everywhere we go.”

Delta’s investment in this new Sky Club fits into a broader effort to modernize and expand its lounge network. Other clubs in Atlanta—specifically in Concourses A and C—are set for updates. The expansion of Concourse D will also allow Delta to operate more gates and accommodate larger aircraft.

And it’s not just Atlanta. Later this year, the airline will open a Delta One Lounge and a new Sky Club in Seattle, with additional projects planned for Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, and Denver.

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