Video | The Club at ATL – Atlanta Int’l.

Lounge: The Club at ATL
Where: Atlanta (ATL) – Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal (F Terminal)

Seating: Whether you’re into Star-Trek future/retro chairs or just like to plop down at the bar, there’s an abundance of seating variety inside The Club at ATL. Rows of loungers line up to face outside toward the dedicated entrance to this, the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal at ATL (Terminal F) while sections of chairs arranged better for pairs or small groups are arranged behind them.

The Club at ATL has room for 161 sky-weary flyers but with as many who pass through ATL daily, it can get a little crowded. If it works as it should, the separate “quiet area” might be your escape from the chattier lounge bunch. While it’s just a fraction of the lounge, this divided area close to the entrance offers similar seating with easy access to light snacks without having to venture into the larger main area. For a more robust food selection though, you’ll have to navigate past the masses in the not-as-quiet area.

Food/Drink: By international lounge standards the selection seemed to be lacking on our visit. Mini croissant turkey sandwiches, salad greens and soup is quite a lounge-feast if you’re on a stop between Ft. Lauderdale and Detroit, but after a something-teen hour flight from Seoul you may want more of a selection. But unlike other nearby clubs, there’s no extra charge for premium food or drink.

For food quality, The Club is a winner. I was a  fan of the tiny sandwiches and soup, both were flavorful and fresh.

Wi-fi/Connectivity: Wi-fi is free and fast. Basic functions seemed to move as quickly as more advanced functions like wi-fi based phone calls.

Service: The staff  was well aware that I wasn’t a lounge first-timer taking pictures for his travel-video scrapbook. Since this visit was pre-arranged and provided to modhop, I’ll leave it to the comments for your take on service here.

Showers: Just 2 minimally equipped but good-sized shower rooms are available for use at The Club at no additional cost. At times when there’s heavy international traffic there might be a bit of a wait.

Summary: There’s reasonable value for the international traveler here particularly if you don’t already have access to another lounge. The food and drink options might be slightly less than some of the larger, global airline lounges we’ve passed through but the quality is certainly there and we love that there are no pesky charges for a “premium” or “luxury” menu.

If you’re traveling domestically and have time to trek to Terminal F and stay for awhile, this is a steal. The domestic lounges found in lesser-lettered terminals won’t give you this much for the price.

Rating: 3 hops (of 5) – Because this lounge is in a dedicated international terminal it gets “3 hops”,  but I should note that this is a solid “4 hop” if you’re traveling domestically within the US.

How to get in: The Club at ATL partners with airlines to provide lounge access to their premium passengers at no cost but this lounge is accessible by all passengers flying to, from or through ATL. As of Dec. 2013, a day pass is $35 for anyone. The lounge can also be utilized by members of Priority Pass - 10% Off