Delta unveils new Sky Club in Charlotte, a fortress hub for American
Delta Air Lines is hardly the first carrier that comes to mind when you think of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) — a fortress hub for American Airlines.
Sure, Delta is easily Charlotte’s second-place carrier — but it’s a distant, distant second.
Yet, the Atlanta-based carrier is making inroads at the southeast hub, nonetheless.
This fall, it gained more than a half-dozen new gates when the airport opened a new, $241 million section of its A concourse.
This year, Delta’s planes will depart CLT with about 9% more seats than they did a year ago.
And on Wednesday, just ahead of the holidays, the airline will cut the wrapping paper off a brand-new Sky Club at the airport, raising its game as an upstart competitor on prime “enemy turf.”
How to get to Sky Club Charlotte
To reach Delta’s new Charlotte Sky Club, you’ll first have to make the lengthy trek to the airport’s farthest-out, highest-numbered A gates. It’s worth the hike: This all-new section of the terminal is far more spacious, modern and serene than any other concourse you’ll find at CLT.
Near gate A32, you’ll take an escalator up to the second-floor mezzanine to reach the lounge entrance.
Touring the lounge
Inside, you’ll find a beautiful new outpost complete with all of the dining, drinking, sitting and working amenities you’d expect in a state-of-the-art Sky Club.
For some context, at 14,000 square feet, Delta’s Charlotte club is roughly the size of the Terminal 4 A gates space it opened last year at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). However, it's a good bit smaller than some of the other recently opened lounges in its network, such as the Sky Club it opened in 2023 at its Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) hub.
Walk into the space and you’ll be greeted with a familiar Sky Club entryway look and scent, along with the standard check-in kiosks and customer service desk.
This lounge has 246 seats, more than a dozen of which you’ll see as you proceed down a hallway lined with artwork on one side and large windows offering a glimpse of the terminal on the other.
Design features
Throughout, this Sky Club invokes the influence of "Queen City" — the nickname of the city of Charlotte, named for Queen Charlotte— displayed through artwork, wallpaper and other design touches.
“We believe it’s designed for the Queen City with a neoclassic look and feel,” said Tim Genovese, Delta Sky Clubs operations director, speaking to TPG ahead of the opening.
There’s also plenty of greenery, Genovese noted, drawing on Charlotte’s renowned green spaces.
Dining and drinking
So often, the centerpiece of a good airport lounge is an eye-catching bar, and that’s certainly the case here, with a white marble bar top accented by floral designs — both on the bar back and high above the brown leather seats.
The bar anchors an expansive space featuring high-top and lounge-style seating, where guests can sit and sip. Guests can choose from a wide variety of drinks, cocktails or a cup of Starbucks-brewed coffee. There are also plenty of food offerings from the nearby buffet.
Along with beer, wine and spirits, two drink stations offer numerous nonalcoholic options for caffeinating or hydrating during your travels.
Touring the food spread, I was just about to ask a Delta team member what local culinary touches I might find — before I spotted the southern-inspired biscuits with ham and pimento cheese and some hearty desserts.
With Charlotte being a major business hub, Delta sees catering to business travelers as a primary focus of this outpost.
“There’s obviously a core business environment here in Charlotte and we certainly hope to appeal to that market,” Genovese said.
Along with a bevy of working space and plenty of outlets — including USB-C slots — there are a half-dozen soundproof phone booths fit for hopping on a Zoom call.
Some of them you’ll find — along with additional seats — on an open-air mezzanine overlooking the airport concourse.
Alternatively, you can trade that view for one of the airport airfield in the lounge’s quiet working space, positioned back behind the Sky Club's entrance. Pro tip: Look upward on your way there to catch some of the most impressive artistic touches in the entire facility adorning the ceiling.
The lounge’s restrooms sport an impressive Great Gatsby-like aesthetic, with navy, white, and gold-patterned tile and white marble vanities. Touchless "wave to open" doors complement those features, not to mention the Grown Alchemist products offered throughout Delta’s lounge network and in its Delta One cabins.
Getting into the Delta Sky Club Charlotte
To enter this Sky Club, you have a few options. Here are some of the top ones:
- Delta Medallion members can purchase full-year access, which starts at $695 annually, or 69,500 SkyMiles for an individual membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card get complimentary access, though you’ll be limited to 15 visits annually.
- Cardmembers who carry The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can enter Sky Clubs when flying on a same-day Delta ticket. Visits will be capped at 10 annually.
- Some Delta elites can also choose Delta Sky Club access as a few of their Delta Choice Benefits
- Both domestic and international Delta One (which is different from first class on Delta) passengers, as well as anyone flying on a same-day international first-class or business-class ticket on another SkyTeam-operated flight, also get Sky Club lounge access.
Our complete guide to accessing Delta Sky Clubs is here.
You can enter a Delta Sky Club up to three hours before a flight’s departure.
Delta's CLT strategy
Opening a Sky Club in Charlotte— at an American fortress hub — is certainly a head-turning move for Delta, considering its footprint at the airport is roughly 3% of that of American Airlines this year, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
However, major U.S. carriers operating a lounge on their competitors’ strongest turf is actually a bit more common than you might think.
In fact, until Wednesday, Charlotte was the only American hub airport at which Delta didn’t operate a Sky Club.
American, for its part, has an Admirals Club at Delta’s Atlanta home base — and at several United-dominated airports.
Delta boasts clubs at some of United’s top hubs, as does United with Delta and American alike.
“We have clubs in certainly all of the top markets,” Genovese pointed out, noting that the carrier saw an opportunity to seize on mezzanine-level space when Charlotte debuted its new concourse this fall.
“Real estate is difficult in the airport to come by,” he said.
A welcome (much-needed?) lounge
By any stretch, this Sky Club is a welcome addition to Charlotte’s lounge portfolio.
Beyond American’s two Admirals Clubs, there’s a decent Priority Pass-accessible outpost nearby on Concourse A, but it's relatively small and fills up quickly.
Most notably, Charlotte has an American Express Centurion Lounge, but it’s easily a 20-minute walk, one-way, from Delta’s gates.
Clearly, this will fill a void for Delta flyers — and cardmembers with the Amex Platinum in their wallet.
First and only new Sky Club of 2024
It’s also worth noting that the unveiling of this Charlotte outpost puts a bow (a holiday bow, you might say) on an eventful 2024 for new Delta lounge openings.
The past six months saw the carrier open three new Delta One Lounges in New York, Los Angeles and Boston, shaking up the competition at the highest end of the U.S. airport lounge landscape.
This year also brought revamped, expanded Sky Clubs in Miami and at New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
Ironically, though, Charlotte is the first and only entirely new Sky Club to debut in 2024 — just 13 days before the year’s end, no less.
Expect more in 2025, Genovese says — including an all-new Sky Club that will open just beneath the fourth Delta One Lounge at Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) sometime between now and summer.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.