Sneak peek inside Delta's 1st grab-and-go Sky Club concept
If you've tried entering the Delta Sky Club recently, there's a good chance you've waited in line.
As Sky Clubs continue to suffer from overcrowding — an issue plaguing many other popular airport lounges — the airline is trialing a new solution: opening grab-and-go stations to get people on their way quickly.
The concept launched earlier this month, with one outpost at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Concourse B and one at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Concourse B, as TPG first reported. Now, we have some more details about what you can expect.
Flyers interested in skipping the line can approach the lounge, where they'll be greeted by a receptionist offering a (golden) fast-track ticket to the front of the queue, according to TPG's Clint Henderson, who visited the Sky Club at JFK on Tuesday.
By taking this ticket, you're agreeing to forgo a spot in the lounge, should one become available.
Once you have a ticket, you can enter the lobby, where a takeaway station is set up. You can pick from a handful of refrigerated sandwiches, salads, vegetable cups and more.
There's also an assortment of snacks — such as Miss Vickie's chips, hard fruits, Nature Valley bars and packaged nuts — and nonalcoholic drinks, including bottled water and Coke-branded soft drinks. A coffee and tea counter is available as well.
In fact, the fare at the to-go counter is very similar to what Delta offers at its Sky Club Express outposts in Boston and New York. These are larger, temporary lounges with a few more amenities, including a bar.
Like at the Sky Club Express, Delta provides branded brown bags to encourage flyers to load up on food before leaving the lounge. As mentioned, you can't then get back in line for the Sky Club — the goal of this concept is to minimize the line and get you on your way.
For some flyers, this to-go concept will certainly make sense. If you like to get to the airport just before departure and grab a quick snack or coffee on your way to the gate, your experience will be easier and more seamless than ever.
That said, if you'd prefer to relax and enjoy the amenities of the Sky Club (including the restroom), you'll still need to wait in line.
"If the goal is to help with crowding, it’s not really working," Clint noted when he visited. He observed that very few Tuesday afternoon flyers were taking advantage of this option, but perhaps that's simply because not enough travelers know about it yet.
For now, Delta is not ready to roll out grab-and-go Sky Clubs more broadly. Based on how the pilot goes, the airline will open more of these concepts nationwide — and not necessarily just within existing Sky Clubs, according to Claude Roussel, Delta's managing director for Sky Clubs. This way, flyers would have more lounge options when flying with Delta, and the airline wouldn't need to find massive spaces within the busiest airports to build more full-fledged lounges.
The grab-and-go concept for airport lounges has soared in popularity in recent years. Major airlines — including Air Canada, Lufthansa and United Airlines — have embraced this idea, opening dedicated lounges with takeaway food and drinks at some of their busiest hubs.
Meanwhile, Capital One’s first lounge at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) features a special grab-and-go fridge filled with juices, sandwiches and other snacks packaged specifically for consumption before or during the flight.
Somewhat surprisingly, Chase is about to open its first domestic Sapphire Lounge in Boston, but this newly built club doesn't offer any takeaway options.
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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
- 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.