Airline/Club Name: Delta Sky Club
Location: LAX (Los Angeles, CA)
Terminal/Concourse: Terminal 5

Departures/Arrivals. Delta Sky Club at LAX.

Notes: This Delta Sky Club was remodeled in 2010 and is a remarkable improvement over it’s predecessor. The space is open, bright and provides a variety of seating options for any kind of group. There are quiet areas for those who need to get work done (or are just aren’t that social) and there’s the large main room that’s more active (and closer to the food). In regards to comfort, You’ll have a wide choice of seating from bar stools to large odd but cute cube chairs with high backs and sides (that seem more like artwork than furniture). Showers are available if you’d like to wash off the plane smell in between flights. You’ll also have a good view of the lounge from the check-in counter so you can see how crowded it is before bothering (this is particularly helpful if you pay per visit and don’t want to pay extra to be squished into a spot that’s more crowded than the terminal).

Wi-Fi: Yes/Free. Connect to T-Mobile HotSpot within the lounge and connect as member.

Service: The front desk was well staffed even this late at night to check people in (to the lounge) and help with reservations. No real smiles or warm welcome from the front desk, but I’m sure those were spent on the jillion passengers who stopped by at the beginning of their shift.. The crew stocking the snack/drink bar was fantastic. Nothing sat unattended to very long and cleanup was quick throughout.

Convenience to gate: Easy. The terminal is small and the lounge is airside (past security) so you don’t need to allow extra time in getting to your flight.

How I got in/Strategies: I paid $25  with my Delta branded American Express Card, giving me 1-time access (price is per-guest). If you don’t fly Delta more than once in  a calendar month, this is likely the way to go. If you’ll be flying Delta several times within a 30 day period, you have a $90 option that gives full member access to Sky Clubs and partner lounges. This option (as do all full memberships) also grants entry to your spouse or up to 2 guests over 21 years of age. Delta offers a range of options for yearly memberships, most notably the option to pay monthly (although slightly more expensive than paying for the entire year up front). Discounts are given to medallion (premium) frequent fliers.

Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

Airline/Club Name: Delta SkyClub

Location: Newark Int’l (EWR)

Terminal/Concourse: Terminal B-Airside. Between main terminal and Delta satellite.

Notes: A wide open lounge with typical amenities for a US domestic SkyClub. All beverages are self serve including alcoholic beverages. At our late-weekday visit, the lounge was a little crowded but there was no problem finding a seat and didn’t feel cramped. Workstation cubicles are oddly placed in the center of the club and are separated from fax & copy machines which we found to be a bit inconvenient and a little odd.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is free at all Delta Sky Clubs. No signal problems or difficulty setting up.

Service/Food & Drink: Front desk service was cordial but nothing extraordinary. Cleanup and service staff were about average keeping the lounge picked up and snack items stocked (albeit a little slow).

Convenience to gate: Located airside (past security) halfway between the main terminal and the Delta satellite it will be just steps to your gate (provided You’re flung on Delta).

Rating: 3.5p hops (of 5)

How we got in/Strategy: Using a Delta branded American Express card we were allowed entry for $25 per person (cardholder plus guest). As of 10/15/2010  single visit passes are available for $50 and (as of the same date). Delta also offers a 60 day full membership for $90. A great option if you’re traveling frequently over a short period, particularly if you have guests (up to 2 guests are allowed in for free on each visit). Certain high-level SkyMiles Elite members are also granted complimentary access to SkyClubs.

Airline/Club Name: Delta SkyClub
Location: Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Terminal/Concourse: Terminal 2 -Airside. Follow “E” gates until they split to the right from “F” gates. Club is on the left just after split.

Notes: A small non-hub lounge that’s surprisingly comfortable given it’s narrow space.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is free at all clubs now. On our visits it has worked well but have heard reports of spottiness.

Service/Food & Drink: Service, particularly at the front desk has been consistently good over years of visits. Even post NWA/Delta merger the agents have been friendly and courteous. Food and drink is the Delta standard of small snacks with a self-serve bar and coffee station.

Convenience to gate: This is an airside (after security) lounge. It’s convenience to Delta and other non-hub airline gates within terminal 2 is great. O’Hare is a large airport so it’s not practical to use this lounge if you’re flying from from another terminal unless you have a long layover and no other choices.

Rating: 4.5 hops (of 5)

How we got in/Strategy: Using a Delta branded American Express card we were allowed entry for $25 per person (cardholder plus guest). As of 10/15/2010 single visit passes are available for $50 and (as of the same date). Delta also offers a 60 day full membership for $90. A great option if you’re traveling frequently over a short period, particularly if you have guests (up to 2 guests are allowed in for free on each visit). Certain high-level SkyMiles Elite members are also granted complimentary access to SkyClubs.

**Note: This Sky Club has been remodeled since this review.

Airline/Club Name:Delta SKY Club
Location:LGA (New York. LaGuardia)
Terminal/Concourse:Delta Terminal (Airside) left after security, located just before gates.

Notes:I was pleasantly surprised by this Delta lounge. I’m not sure if it’s now standard to provide members with a more reasonable array of food choices, but on this visit I was greeted by a relatively generous (please note the word “relatively”) food buffet. Bagels, cream cheese, mini-muffins, fruit and more were available at breakfast and after my flight had been cancelled, I came back to find Delta’s standard olive, pretzel, and snack mix upgraded with more choices like cookies, mini-carrots (obviously a cue from NWA) and a few other surprises. The lounge itself is spacious with plenty of comfortable seating in multiple rooms. There are cubicles, some of which are equipt with PCs, free for use and an adjacent business center with copy, fax, shredding and other services. If  you need quiet time, there is also one of Deltas famous “Quiet Areas” that is reserved for those who want to get away from chatty people on their cell phones.

Wi-Fi:Yes/Free. As with all Delta SKY Clubs Wi-fi is now complimentary.

Service:Friendly greeting, quick check-in. Clean-up was quick, entire staff was pleasant. Reservations crew at front made announcements for those of us who’s flight had been delayed and were there to make changes to my reservation if necessary. Check-in was a little backed up upon my initial arrival, but staff was quick to get through the line.

Convenience to gate: This isn’t a large terminal, so even getting to the farthest gate from this lounge shouldn’t take more than 1-3 minutes.

How I got in/Strategy: Priority Pass. [As of September 1st 2009, Delta SKY Clubs no longer accept Priority Pass] Other options for entry are to buy a $50 one-day pass or full yearly membership at Delta.com or at the club itself. American Express Platinum Card holders can also access this lounge for free (Excludes co-branded cards). [*As of 2/1/2010 day passes are available to holders of Delta branded American Express cards for a reduced rate of $25 per guest].
Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

Notes:This Delta Sky Club is minimally appointed and lacks the roominess an ammenities of the larger, legacy Delta Club just steps away. If there is an advantage to this lounge, it’s that fewer people frequent it so it’s relatively quiet. The 90s-style cafeteria decor could use an update (that is, if they even decide to keep this location open beyond NWA’s full transition to Delta). Decent beverage service and friendly agents make up for some of it’s drawbacks, but this smaller and somewhat dated lounge has me walking about 10 extra steps to the sister SKY Club just before the gates.

Wi-Fi:Yes/Free. As with all Delta SKY Clubs Wi-fi is now complimentary.

Service: Friendly greeting, quick check-in. Snack/beverage was tidy, but lacking in content. Clean-up seemed slower than normal, but lounge was clean and well kept.

Convenience to gate: This isn’t a large terminal, so even getting to the farthest gate from this lounge shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes.

How I got in/Strategy: Priority Pass. [As of September 1st 2009, Delta SKY Clubs no longer accept Priority Pass] Other options for entry are to buy a $50 one-day pass or full yearly membership at Delta.com or at the club itself. American Express Platinum Card  holders can also access this lounge for free (Excludes co-branded cards). [*As of 2/1/2010 day passes are available to holders of Delta branded American Express cards for a reduced rate of $25 per guest].

Rating: 2 hops (of 5)