Review: Delta Sky Club Seattle, Concourse A – An Instant Favorite

In a nutshell: The Delta Sky Club Seattle in Concourse A is among my favorite Delta lounges that I have visited. With good food, excellent staff, and lovely views of the gate of Terminals A, B and S, it is a great spot for killing the time between flights. I’m hopeful my travel will soon take me back through Seattle so that I can enjoy this spot again. 

After a few years of flying extensively with Delta Air Lines, I’ve visited their Sky Club lounges at SFO, LAX, SLC, ATL (2), DTW (2), JFK, and MSY. Among these, I’d probably put the Delta Sky Club Seattle in the top 3 alongside the lounges at JFK and MSY. The last one might be an odd choice, but it made an impression when I visited it in all its newness. Although the Sky Club in New Orleans isn’t big, it has a beautiful style and excellent staff. The Sky Club Seattle reminded me of Delta’s MSY lounge, but with a little less flair. The Seattle Sky Club adds awesome airport views, something the MSY lounge lacks, so it has a lot going for it.

I’ve found over the past couple years that Delta stands above the other legacy carriers when it comes to lounge quality. Their staff and food are nearly always better, and the lounge aesthetics are usually better as well. I’m still puzzled why they haven’t added a premium international business lounge at their main hubs. Such an offering would likely do well to complement their Delta One Suites.

Accessing the Delta Sky Club Seattle

You can access Delta Sky Club lounges if one of the following applies to you:

• Delta Reserve cardmembers traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta operated flight
• American Express Centurion or Platinum cardmembers traveling on a same-day Delta flight
• Same-day ticketed passengers traveling in Delta One or a SkyTeam premium cabin
• SkyTeam Elite Plus members traveling on a same-day SkyTeam international flight (any cabin), including access for one guest
• Delta Sky Club Members (through either paid membership or Medallion Choice Benefit) with a same-day boarding pass

As I am still a Delta Reserve Business cardholder and was flying Delta on my recent return from Las Vegas, I had complimentary Sky Club access. I may or may not keep the card at renewal. I’ve enjoyed the benefits, but the fee is steep.

Delta operates two Sky Club lounges at Seattle International Airport. The main one is between Concourse A and Concourse B, which is where I visited. The second Delta Sky Club Seattle is located at rooftop level in the south satellite (Concourse S), but it is currently closed.

First Impressions: Open, Airy Space

First impressions can be everything, and they certainly went a long way at the Seattle Sky Club. I was met by a friendly agent who scanned my boarding pass with a mobile device and then welcomed me by name into the club. This is Delta’s drill every time, and it makes entry effortless.

I was instantly in love with the space. There are two levels to the Sky Club in Concourse A at Seattle, and the floor-to-ceiling windows span both floors. You have fantastic views of the A Gates, B Gates, and South Satellite from pretty much everywhere in the lounge. The seats by the windows were by far the most popular. I sat in a couple different places during my visit, both on the lower floor and (almost) alone on the upper level.

The Seattle Sky Club offers a great variety of seating. The privacy isn’t a great as with some other lounges, but it isn’t bad. There are desks if you need to pull out your laptop and work for a while, comfortable armchairs along the windows, high-top counter seats, and couches, although these have a table awkwardly placed in the middle.

Overall, I really like the space. It’s hard not to love it with all the plane watching you can do. It was also cool so see the massive new Sky Bridge. It was supposed to open last year, and I’m not actually sure that is has.

The only bad seats in the lounge are those near the wall on the upper level where things start to feel a bit more cave like. Pretty much everywhere else is excellent, so take your pick.

Food and Beverage

The food and beverage options being offered at the Delta Sky Club Seattle were a pleasant surprise. I’ve been so used to scaled-back service offering during COVID-19, that it was incredibly nice to see an actualy buffet. In addition to the buffet, the Sky Club operates a staffed bar. I had an animated conversation with the bartender about the crazy heat that had hit the Pacific Northwest. He told me about his struggle (and ultimately failure) to get a window A/C unit. Fewer than half of Seattle homes have A/C, which means there’s pretty much nothing you can do when temperatures climb into the 100s!

But back to the food. The Seattle Sky Club offered two different types of wraps, one being a vegetarian option, a selection of cheese, two salads, fresh vegetables, and a few more cold items. There were also three trays of hot options, including lemon caper salmon, potatoes, green beans, and meatballs in marinara sauce to make sliders. Everything I had ranged from decent to excellent.

A glass of bubbles was the perfect thing to end the day before my late evening flight to Medford. The bartender was kind enough to bring me a second one before he took off for the night. I hadn’t even asked!

Staff and Service

The staff I spoke with in the club were all friendly and professional. Delta employees tend to be among the better airline employees, in my opinion, and that has included their club staff as well. The concierge desk was not staffed during my time in the club, but there were a couple agents available at the main desk across the entry way. I love the art behind the desk, though, made up of smaller photos. It’s a great touch for the Seattle lounge.

The bathrooms had the typical red color theme, and they were kept nice and clean. The Sky Club Seattle offers showers for passengers, something not available at every club location.

I spent around 3.5 hours total in the Delta Sky Club Seattle. I was extremely thankful I’d run through Las Vegas airport to catch the earlier flight when mine was showing delayed, as this was a much better place to pass the time.

Delta Sky Club Seattle: Final Thoughts

While domestic lounges pale in comparison to many international business class lounges, I find that Sky Clubs can hold their own as a great oasis to spend your time away from the crowded terminal. Most I’ve visited have been nice, and the Delta Sky Club Seattle is among the best of them. Sure, I am a sucker for awesome airport views, and that’s a huge feature of their Concourse A lounge. That being said, the reasonably good food and friendly staff make it an excellent option if you have the option to enjoy some time here.