Future Delta One lounges, the next Sky Club and more about Delta's plans for premium
Delta Air Lines officially has two business-class-only lounges open after cutting the ribbon last week on its dazzling 10,000-square-foot Delta One Lounge inside Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The exclusive space features cocktails and meals based on Delta's far-flung LAX destinations, plus 100% table service and a wellness spa with massage and zero-gravity chairs.
The grand opening of Delta’s high-end LAX lounge came just over three months after the Atlanta-based carrier debuted the concept on the East Coast at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
With both facilities now open, you could easily eat breakfast at the JFK Delta One Lounge, fly transcontinental in a Delta One Suite, then sit down for a high-end lunch at the LAX outpost.
But Delta has even bigger plans for the concept.
Next Delta One Lounge locations
In December, the carrier plans to unveil a third Delta One Lounge at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Its fourth, under construction at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), is on pace for an early 2025 opening, executives said late last week.
After Seattle, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) would be next, leaders say.
Beyond that?
“Then we have to look further down the line,” said Claude Roussel, Delta's vice president of Sky Clubs and lounge experience, speaking to TPG from the LAX lounge this past week.
ATL?
What about Atlanta? After all, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is Delta’s home turf and its biggest hub — not to mention the world's busiest airport.
“We’re looking,” Roussel said. “Atlanta is also on the drawing board.”
But, no concrete plans as of now.
No international Delta One Lounge plans
Less likely, it seems, is the possibility that Delta might deploy this particular lounge concept overseas.
“I don’t believe so,” Roussel said of that notion, pointing to the lounges offered by other SkyTeam alliance carriers, which are available to high-end Delta flyers.
“We’ve got great partners — Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, LATAM,” Roussel said. “We let those partners work on their own turf, which they know. And we focus on the U.S.”
Delta operates just one Sky Club outside the U.S., at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND).
Eyeing Charlotte Sky Club opening
Speaking of traditional Sky Clubs, we’re just several weeks away from the opening of Delta’s next one — in competitor territory, no less.
As TPG reported last year, the airline is planning its first lounge for Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
That facility, Roussel said, is on track to open sometime in December.
Charlotte is a fortress hub for American Airlines. It's worth noting, though, that Delta is set to fly 8% more seats from Charlotte this year than it did in 2023, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
American’s Admirals Clubs are currently the only airline-affiliated lounges at the airport, though there’s a handful of other outposts, including an American Express Centurion Lounge.
JFK Delta One entrance coming soon
Even before Delta unveils its next Delta One Lounge in Boston, it’s bringing an enhancement to its Delta One experience at JFK.
By the end of this month, the carrier will unveil a dedicated check-in lounge and Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at JFK meant for travelers flying on tickets marketed as Delta One.
It’ll largely mimic the experience customers now have at LAX.
You walk through a semiprivate (and very quiet) entrance, grab a drink or a snack, and proceed to the dedicated TSA checkpoint. Then, seconds later, an elevator drops you off at the lounge.
“Once you’ve done the dedicated check-in, it’s difficult to go back in the regular line,” Roussel quipped.
Mixed results on JFK Sky Club overcrowding
Along with offering a high-end experience to Delta One travelers, the carrier had hoped the opening of the Delta One Lounge at JFK would bring thinner crowds at its Sky Clubs there.
So far, Roussel said, the results have been positive — generally.
“I’m not going to tell you it’s easy to take care of the volume we do every day,” Roussel said of the Delta One Lounge, while offering this assessment of the overall lounge crowds at JFK:
“I’m not saying there’s never a line in [the Concourse B Sky Club]. At times there is,” he said. “But the line is very small, and goes very fast, which wasn’t the case before.”
Read more: A look at Delta's A-concourse Sky Club at JFK
It remains to be seen if Delta’s customers agree with that assessment on line speed, but Roussel’s comments show the airline continues to work on what had been a significant pain point for lounge visitors.
Full premium economy JFK-LAX rollout soon
Even travelers not flying in Delta's priciest cabin will start noticing some changes in the coming weeks.
This summer, TPG reported Delta would start deploying its Premium Select product to some of its high-demand flights between JFK and LAX — a move that came with pros and cons for Medallion elite status members.
Now, Delta plans to offer the mid-tier cabin on all its flights between those two airports starting in November, executives confirmed late last week.
“Similar to our international rollout, the initial customer reception to Delta Premium Select has far exceeded our expectations,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein told analysts on the company’s third-quarter earnings call Thursday.
The carrier already deployed the premium economy cabin on all of its wide-body, long-haul international flights.
Pain points: First the Olympics, now the election
In the midst of an otherwise busy summer for international air travel, summer 2024 did bring one major demand downturn for Delta: Paris, right around the 2024 Olympic Games.
As early as the spring, executives had warned the carrier, which has a big presence at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), would take a financial hit as most travelers not headed to the Olympics avoided the city altogether.
That said, Paris travel rebounded, Hauenstein said, “as soon as the Olympics ended.”
But now, it seems, the quadrennial calendar has brought Delta another paint point: the U.S. presidential election.
Delta is seeing a dip in travel interest for the weeks surrounding the Nov. 5 election.
“We can see it in our booking data, because October is doing well,” CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview Thursday on CNBC, noting that this tracks with historical trends airlines have witnessed in past election cycles — save for 2020, when low travel demand amid the coronavirus pandemic kept most travelers home anyway.
“People like to be home during the election period. They don’t want to be out traveling,” Bastian said. “I don’t think they want to be spending money until they understand what’s going to happen.”
All signs point to this "temporary pause," as Bastian put it, being short-lived: Delta reports "healthy bookings" for the holidays, promising another busy Thanksgiving and December holiday rush at U.S. airports.
To that end, if you haven’t booked your holiday flights yet, now is the time — including award flights you’re hoping to book with points or miles.
Related reading:
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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
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- 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.
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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. |
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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.