Delta Opens Biggest-Ever SkyClub In SLC

Pretty remarkable how much it looks like the Delta terminal at DTW- even on the interior. The overall design and layout are almost exactly the same, other than not having the train inside main concourse like DTW does.

Now they just have to update the DTW SkyClubs to match.

A central design feature consisting of a decorative stove burning carbon-based non-renewable fuels feels like a bold choice.

I'd love to be sipping on a bottle of Dom P bought with Skymiles at that bar!

Small correction, the Sky Club is located one floor above the departure level concourse, not the ground level.

I visited it one week prior to opening, and it actually is a much nicer space than Seattle in my opinion. It's open and flows nicely, but not as bad as Seattle where it's just one big open room. There are plenty of windows looking out, as well as some looking into the terminal down in the central atrium area. Overall, it has the feel of the JFK club, with a much bigger and better laid out design.

Given that they are calling this their new flagship, I would guess Delta is not going to be opening the equivalent of Polaris or Flagship First lounges, as was rumored last year. It's so big, they could easily have a section of this lounge be reserved for Delta One flyers. Disappointing.

There are 2 bars in the Sky Club, but unfortunately they are still in Utah.

I was there on opening day and would definitely rank it above the Seattle SkyClub. It is massive, with two large food service areas and two bar areas, plus multiple drink/coffee station It appeared one bar is indented to be the walk up service bar and the other larger bar area will be a sit down bar with stools once Covid restrictions are relaxed. Two restroom areas on end of the club should handle the traffic much better than the old club. Most of the windows are on the north side or looking into the main departures hall (similar to DTW), and while it doesn't have a large window wall like SEA, there's plenty of decent seating with natural daylight. The SkyDeck is my favorite feature but I did find it odd they placed a higher wall on the east side of the deck that blocks the direct view into the Wasatch. You still have good views to the north and south and with fans and heaters I think they'll be able to keep it open most days of the year.

Minor correction, the SkyClub is not located on the ground level, but instead follows the similar design of many other lounges, being one level above the departure gates. Coming in from security, you would walk through the 'Canyon' into the main central* hall, turn right and the entrance is right there. There were multiple self-serve kiosks before the escalators so you can check yourself in.

*Currently the central hall where pax enter from security is the eastern end of the new A concourse. Once the old terminal is torn down, they will build the eastern half of the A concourse.

@CSR 2.0

A Delta One lounge/section at SLC wouldn't really make sense since there's so little D1/Int'l J traffic out of SLC. They are calling this the flagship lounge because it's the newest and largest. I'm sure LAX will be the new 'flagship' once that opens and I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a premium pax lounge being introduced there.

With zoom taking over business travel, Im wondering if Delta is even going to consider a premium lounge.

It doesnt really make sense now

Any update if United has frozen work on Polaris construction?

Hmm, this is nice, but a bit puzzling why such a large lounge in Salt Lake City? I mean, SLC is a relatively small town compared to say New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. Are there really that many people who are going to fly into SLC?

@ Adam2848 -- Yes, and more importantly, people fly through SLC. It's a major domestic hub for Delta, and a more reliable connection point than SEA; I connect there on probably 2/3 of my domestic trips.

So much black and grey not very warm and inviting

I can't wait to visit this Sky Club. Even if it kinda looks similar to their other SkyClubs, it's still a HUGE improvement compared to the old SLC SkyClub. The old SLC Club was 1,000 chairs with one small bar, buffet station, and one bathroom with 3 stalls.

@CSR 2.0 as others have mentioned, any likely Delta One lounges will be placed in LAX (and maybe JFK) once those renovations are done in a few years. Probably see a trial run there before they're placed in their mega-hubs. Makes sense they would put it in LAX first as they have to compete directly with other carriers there too, and many people start/end their journeys at LAX (compared to those just having layovers in ATL, DTW, SLC, etc.).

@Adam2848 - SLC is a major hub for Delta. It handles approximately 26M PAX a year. That makes it the 23rd busiest airport in North America. SLC is completely rebuilding their airport all while maintaining the current one. Once complete it should be incredible to fly in and out of.

And yet they want a tax payer bailout. If they afford this then they don’t need a bailout.

@james this isn’t a new project , it was already under construction before the crisis started.
These projects also employ hundreds of construction workers etc
Over at LAX Delta is rebuilding the terminals , and a similar and probably larger , SkyClub will open there too. United is also building a new maintenance hangar there and there’s a people mover under construction

Will appreciate the updates to SLC as I connect there from SEA fairly often. SEA SkyClub still top notch although the new sky bridge connecting S gates to A does obstruct view of Mt Rainier from the SkyClub now.

Are there actual workstations so those of us who use Clubs to be productive can actually have space, and privacy, to get some work finished?

Does it have showers?

@Adam2848 SLC is delta's 4th largest hub behind Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis. Before the pandemic had around 10 million delta passengers fly out of there a year. I use this airport every chance I get when going out west. Atlanta of course is my main airport I use being from the southeast. So try SLC and you will be surprised.

@M

Yes, it does have showers, though they are currently closed due to COVID.

@MG

Yes and no. It has a lot of working surfaces but I doesn't have the same cubicle/desk type setups used in other lounges. Honestly, the number of different types of seating is pretty overwhelming so you would probably find something to suffice, especially with lounges being so empty these days.

One interesting new feature are the 6 soundproof 'phone booths' located in a back corner where people can have private phone calls. They have a small table inside for resting a laptop on and I saw one guy taking advantage of them when I was there. They would be a bit cramped though for long-term use. Hopefully they figure out a way to direct the 'look-at-me Mr. Important' loud talkers to these booths at least.

Not that I want to direct people away from Luckys blog, but TPG got early access the day before it opened and did a very thorough walk-through of the lounge with lots of pictures. Worth reviewing if people have unanswered questions.

@ James

That might just be the stupidest statement I've read in all of 2020, and this year has been full of stupidity. You do know that new terminals and lounges don't get built overnight, right? The masterplan that ultimately led to the new SLC was originally developed over 20 years ago. Construction started over 5 years ago. DL's investment in SLC was spent long before Covid was even a twinkle in Wuhans eye.

@The Nice Paul - The old...O L D Sky Club also featured a fireplace. I always found it a nice feature in a cold climate and actually contributes warmth to the space. I connect through SLC to visit family outside GJT a couple times a year so I've very excited to have a new facility that kept the fireplace element. Guessing that I'm not the only one who would miss the lack of a fireplace.

@James, save for a few specialty areas like the SkyClub, the new concourse is paid for by the local airport authority and taxes on plane tickets. They're actually saving $300 million on the project and completing it faster because the pandemic has reduced passenger volume enough that they can run all operations out of the new gate areas and then do a quick and total demolition of the old concourse so they can then complete the part of the project on the land underneath the old concourse. The original plan with higher passenger volume assumed involved a more costly phased demolition and temporary gate process to enable minimal disruption to passengers during construction. And since the old SkyClub is gone as part of that total demolition process, Delta pretty much had to go through with original Club plans in order to have one at all.

Completing the new complex significantly under budget and likely decidedly ahead of schedule is an interesting contrast to Berlin Brandenberg.

@beachmouse - agree completely. The fact that there cutting $300M+ and more than 2 years off the build time is a fantastic result of covid. I have a neighbor working there, he's working 5 10s weekly, he's loving the OT and 4 more years of work on this job.

As for the Sky Club, I'd usually enter, grab a bagel and newspaper and then leave, it was always crowded with no open seats. This is a welcome improvement.

My only problem is they say they couldn't salvage the terrazzo floor world map from terminal 1...

@james and whoever else thinks this way. As others have posted, the spending for the lounge was certainly expensed many years ago. No taxpayer $ went into the airport expansion, or the lounge. Funded by relevant fees, and good savings and investment disciplines. As noted $300M UNDER budget, and 2 years AHEAD of schedule. What's to complain about?

Oh, and Delta is a business. It will be better able to pay back any loans if they can attract business. Hence loyalty programs and lounges. But it is a critical business, as are all airlines. If we let the big three fail the economy of the country will be set back decades, and it would take decades to rebuild. Kudos to Delta! SLC is a very important and (normally) very busy hub.

I'm currently sitting in the lounge and it's definitely nice. The outside seating area is a nice escape. Plenty of different seating options for those who have a Goldilocks level of choosiness. Great staff, too.

@Robert
SLC Airport officials reported that The terrazzo map in the old Terminal 1 was actually saved. "They plan to install it somewhere in Concourse B of the currently-under-construction Phase II of the new airport. That phase is anticipated to be completed in 2024."