You might remember my “I’m Gonna Love on Delta for Just a Minute“ post right after the announcement of the new Sky Deck concept at Sky Clubs in JFK and Atlanta. JFK opened with much fanfare a couple weeks ago along with the newly relaunched Terminal 4. Today was Atlanta’s turn as Delta cut the ribbon on the Sky Deck adjacent to the F Concourse Sky Club at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. I jokingly called the Sky Deck concept “the only cool thing an airline has ever done” but I was only slightly kidding about it. I thought it was an interesting concept at the time, that reminded me in some ways of my childhood trips to the airport observation deck, only now, it comes with bar service.
I was fortunate that my schedule clicked at the last minute to enable me to attend the ribbon cutting for the new space, and it’s just as interesting as I imagined. The Thom Filicia inspired design reminds me of my first Atlanta home, the W Atlanta Buckhead. At 1,710 sq ft, the outdoor space is larger than I’d imagined and offers fantastic views of ramp operations. There are seats for over 35 guests, complete with power outlets. The roof is open, so you’re not going to spend much time out there on the coldest days or during the rain, but it’s a really great space for plane geeks like me, and frankly, a tiny bit quieter than I’d imagined.
As you can see from the pictures, there were rain showers in the area, but that did not dampen spirits and the ribbon cutting was well attended. Employees were joined by Tim Mapes, Delta’s SVP for Marketing to do the honors.
I’d love to see one of these at the other Atlanta clubs, but I get the sense that the operating nature of the international concourse (early arrivals with longer layovers) makes this the most logical location for now. However, with a long layover, and the new Sky Deck in the international concourse only a short train ride from the other terminals, I would not hesitate to make the trek out to the F Concourse Sky Club to check it out. The new Sky Deck looks great, and is one of the more innovative lounge space ideas I’ve seen domestically. Check it out the next time you transit the ATL. You may even run into MJ on Travel. Drinks on me, of course. 🙂
-MJ, June 10, 2013
@MichaelW, I saw your post about it. 🙂 We’ll see what happens with weather extremes. I think it will probably be fine in the summer…but winter….bleh.
Have you seen the Sky Deck at JFK? Definitely an awesome idea and a nice place to go before a flight. Besides cold weather or rain I also wonder what they will do when it is extremely hot & sunny out. Those red clothes above don’t offer much shade from the sun.
Didn’t know it would be open so soon … can’t wait to check it out! Maybe I should SDC my trip next week to go via ATL instead of MSP!
Check it out Amol. It’s a neat spot.