Delta Sky Club — Attraction in Denver

"3 years ago" as of April 2022 (original review):

KDEN (DIA) Delta Sky Club. This was my first visit to this Sky Club. DIA is usually a start/end location for me and usually really early in the morning or late at night so the club is usually closed. I had an 11am flight and decided to get to DIA fairly early to avoid traffic and airport congestion. I ended up with about 3 hours to kill - which is fine with me, I kind of like airports, and I was heading to the lounge on purpose.

All of the Term A clubs (including USO) are in the same place - right across the bridge security walkway. Side note about that: I haven't seen TSApre there in forever. Even though the "No TSApreCheck" sign has been up in the past, many times it's still there because I think airport staff and flight crews go that way. Nonetheless, it was absent this time and I went downstairs to the main security area (which means you need to take the tram to Term A).

I will also preface with I have the Platinum Delta Amex card, so I have to pay $29 for all club access. With that said, this club is worth visiting under certain circumstances.

It's supposed to be 21+ because all the booze is self-serve, but there were children (with parents) running around. It is a very small space. Morning food selection was fine: cereal, bagels, fruit, coffee, cookies, vodka, the usual. Due to the small size, a lot of the available seating seems to be situated for 2-4 people, so if you're traveling alone (like me) you are forced to occupy much more space then you need.

I'd say if your access is "free" hop on up there, anything is better than sitting at the gate. If you have to pay and can make your visit compensate for the fee in food, alcohol, and general comfort, then it's also worth it. Next time I'll probably just arrive closer to my actual departure time and slum it for 30-60 minutes.

~

Updated Review: March 2022 (new credit card as well, so no club access charge this time; sentiments from above still apply).

Last visit was "3 years ago" per Google. I'll add a star (4 stars up from 3).

On the whole, I think my upgrade stems from a new philosophy I'm trying to embrace: "good enough is often pretty good" when compared to a lesser alternative. That sounds kind of back-handed, but for what it is and where it is, the DIA Sky Club really is good enough. Or was at the time of my late night visit anyway. Granted, this review is delayed and comes off a terrible Centurion Lounge experience in Minneapolis / St. Paul. As always, your mileage may vary. I just want to give credit where credit is due and deserved.

I'll start by confirming Google's reported operating hours which show the lounge open until 12:15am. I think both the airport information and Delta's app show earlier closing hours (i.e., late evening).

I arrived around 10pm and it was nice to see the later open hours as my flight was delayed. Same-same most everywhere else and as others provide: self-serve food and booze, which for us heavy pourers is nice to have the option. Even at 10:00 sandwiches were available, mac and cheese (I think), and various other assortments akin to charcuterie were also available.

Still small, but it was sparsely attended at the time so plenty of room; I relocated three times. The desk attendant was also helpful. She let me know about the flight delay upon my arrival and I also noticed her helping others re-book for their cancelled flights and looking ahead at their planned connections as well. She checked mine also, but I had a 3+ hour layover in ATL anyway, so no biggie for my 30 minute delay; red-eye arriving east coast at 5:45am local.

Oddly (ironically? sardonically?) the lounge staff was continually replacing the stock of glasses at the bar for the half-dozen or so people in the lounge at that late hour. No complaints, I'm sure it makes the re-open mere hours later much easier, it was just odd to see. Kudos nonetheless...

First of all, I want to say that everyone who works here is lovely. They are not responsible for Delta’s admission policies, and anyone who complains about pricing or not being allowed to bring their kids in for free is in the wrong place. This is misplaced aggression, and you should really speak to a therapist instead of typing in all caps on Google reviews.

Now, for those lucky enough to gain entry, you’re going to be immediately treated to a design aesthetic that is faintly reminiscent of a medical office’s waiting room. It’s narrow, carpeted, and everyone looks like they are awaiting bad news. No one is laughing, talking to family on the phone, or basking in the natural light let in by big beautiful windows (HELLO LGA). In fact, the only windows look out onto the hellscape that is terminal A. In many ways, the lounge is befitting its home airport.

The food. Goodness. I’ve eaten at all three major meal times and each was as lackluster as the one that came before. Unlike the normal spreads at airports with a larger Delta presence, the offerings are limited, generic, and underwhelming. Bless whoever is putting out those meals because I have to assume they were armed with a double-burner hot plate, a spatula, some running water and whatever they could salvage from the Caribou Coffee dumpster at the end of each night.

Now, onto the bar. To put it simply, this lounge is where you pregame if you plan on getting removed from your flight by an air marshall. Unlike most other Delta lounges, there is no bartender. There are just a few fridges filled with Diet Cokes and Stella cans, and a serve yourself bar that is honestly one of the most impressive displays of trust I have ever seen. I often ponder how such a place could exist in a post-9/11 world, where I can’t bring more than 3.5 ozs of toothpaste on a plane but some regional salesman waiting on his flight to Tucson can load up an 18 oz water glass with Malibu & Maraschino cherries as many times as he wants. John Taffer is rolling over in his grave.

5/5…I’ll go whenever I’m in this airport.

(If you’re wondering why I gave it five stars, remember, only narcs leave one...

According to Lovely Pleasant Staff, Delta mandates that this lounge only be filled with 70% of actual capacity. So we waited in line for 15 minutes in a narrow space. This is after a 10 day period of weather flight delays and cancellations too, waiting in line for over 15 minutes to merely drop off already-tagged bags, due to staff shortages at check in, and then another 30 minutes to run the gauntlet of the Denver airport TSA, train, etc. (West Terminal Clear&pre-check line usually slower than simple pre-check, thanks to TSA), Delta tells us we can’t enter lounge due to “capacity” issues but can stand single-space in line in a really tight corridor. Once in the lounge (thanks only to a flight delay that provided time to wait in the line) there were more than enough empty seats for everyone in line! The lounge has 3 “rooms” and the back room that seats at least 30 was less than half full. Staff were keeping it all clean and well - stocked, so Delta easily could have accommodated everyone waiting in line without a problem. All was orderly in the lounge, wasn’t noisy or crowded, nor were food/drink offerings in need of supply. Virtually all in line were Delta Diamond status. So Diamond “priority” was meaningless. No priority was given to those with imminent boarding times either. Sorry but I would rather have a slightly crowded lounge than none at all. This lounge is not in main concourse and has no nearby fast place to get food and drink as in other airports. No snack or drink goody bags were offered. And you have to leave lounge (and entry line) for restrooms.

Delta higher ups need to re-think the 70% capacity rule at Denver Terminal A and give the great on-site staff more discretion to better address lines and provide better customer service. (Kudos to the competent two staff who arranged to get me a coffee when it looked like my line wait would exceed time I had until boarding). The staff couldn’t have done a better job!

The corporate refrain that a new lounge is coming sometime in the future (2 years?) is not at all helpful. Give outstanding staff ability to better address the actual live...