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Delta Unveils Refreshed Sky Club at Washington Reagan National Airport

June 27, 2018
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3 min read
Asanda JFK
Delta Unveils Refreshed Sky Club at Washington Reagan National Airport
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The Delta Sky Club at Washington, DC's Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the recipient of a refresh.

Highlights of DCA's newly renovated Sky Club include an additional 1,800 square feet of space, as well as new food options from DC-based chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley. On the menu and at the buffet, passengers can expect to find fare from Meek-Bradley that's rotated seasonally.

In total, the lounge now offers 9,000 square feet of space. According to Delta, nearly every seat in the lounge will feature access to power outlets. As would be expected, the lounge also features Wi-Fi.

Loungegoers will have access to a full-service bar, which is larger than the previous version. In addition, the bar area now features more seating options. As far as the drinks, you can expect seasonal cocktails, a 15-choice whiskey menu and wine selected by Delta's Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson.

Delta says that many of the design features in the refreshed lounge are inspired by DCA's home city. For example, the cherry blossom-inspired chandelier.

As Delta has been rolling out its CLEAR partnership, travelers can expect to be able to enter the DCA Sky Club with their membership to the biometric service. For those not familiar, CLEAR essentially allows you to use your fingerprint or eyescan to go through security, enter a Sky Club or board the plan. When it comes to security, it essentially allows you to bypass the entire security line, whether you have PreCheck or not.

A CLEAR membership costs $179 annually, or $149 using promo code TPG149. However, if you’re a Delta Diamond Medallion member, you can get your CLEAR membership for free. If you have Delta Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion status or if you’re a cardholder of the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express, Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express, the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express or any of their business versions, you can get a discounted membership for $79 annually. If you’re a basic Delta SkyMiles member, you can get an annual rate of $99.

The DCA renovation is the latest for Delta, which is working to revamp its Sky Club network. It recently announced that it'll be opening a new Sky Club in Austin (AUS) in 2019 and in Phoenix (PHX) in late 2018. In addition, it has renovated Sky Clubs at Newark (EWR) and Minneapolis (MSP), as well as expanding the lounge in Raleigh (RDU).

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You can access Delta Sky Clubs a couple different ways. Cardholders of the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express get complimentary Sky Club access as long as you’re traveling on a Delta-coded or Delta-operated flight. If you’re traveling with a partner airline, you can pay $29 to access. Reserve cardholders can also pay $29 per person for up to two guests — they must be flying with Delta or a partner airline. In addition, cardholders of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card have to be flying with Delta or one of its partners in order to pay $29 for access. In addition, cardholders of the Platinum Card® from American Express and the Centurion Card get complimentary Sky Club access when traveling on Delta-operated flights. Guest access costs $29 per person for Delta-operated flights. Effective January 1, 2019, Delta is restricting who can access its Sky Clubs and when.

All images courtesy of Delta.

Featured image by Alec Thomas
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

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.