The Delta Sky Club at CLT doesn’t sound like one you’d want to visit, but Delta knows how to attack competitor hubs with good lounges.

Location of the Delta Sky Club CLT

I like checking out airline lounges in competitor hubs. In this case, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is an American Airlines hub. Why is it interesting to me to visit lounges at competitor hubs? Because airlines need to give a reason to use the less convenient option. It’s all too easy to just take American where you need to go if you’re transiting CLT, so Delta needs something to convince flyers to use them over the easier option.

And that’s where we get to the Delta Sky Club CLT. First of all, the Delta terminal is positioned pretty much as far away from the security checkpoint as possible. Expect a good 10 minute walk to get to the correct area (near Gate A32). Of course, since all the Delta flights depart from next to the Sky Club, it doesn’t really add much extra time to use this lounge.

The Delta Sky Club is located up the escalator and is the only thing up on this level. That makes it quite easy.

Once you’re up here, the entrance is just off to your right.

Access rules

The Delta Sky Club CLT is open during the following hours:

• 4:30AM to 7PM on Sunday – Friday
• 5AM to 6PM on Saturday

You can access Delta Sky Clubs through a variety of methods:

• If you are a Delta elite, you can purchase a Delta Sky Club membership.
• Flying in the Delta One cabin or in international first/business class on SkyTeam carriers.
• Delta Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members can access if flying in international premium economy.
• SkyTeam Elite Plus members (earned from a program other than Delta) can access when in international economy.
• Having the right credit cards (the Delta Reserve or American Express Platinum). However, there are usage limits:
  • The Delta Reserve gives 15 day passes to access Delta Sky Clubs (unlimited annual access if you spend $75,000 in a calendar year).
  • The Amex Platinum gives 10 passes.
  • To access, you must be flying a Delta-operated or Delta-marketed flight (a Delta-marketed WestJet flight works too).

Seating at the Delta Sky Club CLT

You’d expect the Delta lounge to be small simply because you’re at a competitor hub–so how many guests do they really need to serve? Turns out this is actually a fairly large lounge at over 14,000 square feet. Crowding should not be an issue here. I was here quite early in the morning, not too long after the lounge opened, which made it easy to take pictures.

There are plenty of options like these individual seats near the glass with views of the terminal below.

Or there were plenty of tables for two closer to the buffet.

Across the way are high-top tables for two near the bar.

Outside the other end of the lounge in the pseudo-outdoor area was some more individual seating and spare chairs.

And in the far back corner are more casual chairs that work better if you’re just here to rest or get some work done.

There is a view of the tarmac from here, overlooking Gate A30.

Up closer to the front desk is a somewhat-hidden section that’s far away from the food. You wouldn’t come here specifically to eat, but it seems potentially more productive to work from here. For one thing, there are individual work pods where you can take a call in peace.

Much of the seating in this area also seems intended for parties of one.

All the seating, that is, except for this executive-like table here in the center of the area. I’m sure it’s not often that you’ll have business meetings here, but if you have a small group working remotely together, this isn’t a bad setup. That said, it’s not private.

The view from this area is of the terminal below. You can tell it’s still early because the line at Dunkin’ is practically non-existent.

The food in the Delta Sky Club CLT

As we typically do for buffets, we’ll let the food mostly speak for itself. This buffet is located along the righthand side of the lounge as you approach the bar from the entrance. Most of the food is located on the singular buffet stand in the center of the room. It might not seem like much at first glance but the table is a bit longer than it appears in this picture.

As for the freshness of the food, I’d rate it as pretty good. The fruit wasn’t the sweetest I’ve had but the croissants had a little bit of flakiness to them and eggs were good. In terms of offering, this is pretty comparable to the Chicago ORD Sky Club but not quite to the level of the Los Angeles LAX lounge.

Drinks

On the wall opposite the buffet are most of the non-alcoholic drinks. In the wall are a couple of pre-made Starbucks coffee options.

Next to the coffee dispensers is a coffee machine that has warm milk as an option but not hot chocolate.

And next to that are water faucets (either still or sparkling) and two dispensers for orange juice and iced tea (not sweetened).

At the far end of the wall of drinks is a soda machine. Let’s say that it wasn’t that popular this early in the morning when I was there.

Hidden away in a corner of the lounge closer to the restrooms is a lemonade bar. On top of there being plenty of lemonade, you’ll also get your choice of syrup (blackberry, watermelon, or strawberry) if you want it flavored and some fruit or mint leaves. This is a neat little extra to have in the lounge.

If alcohol is more of what you’re looking for, the bar is prominently positioned towards the rear center of the lounge. As with all Delta Sky Clubs, the complimentary offerings include a few beers and a small assortment of wines and liquors. There are buy-up options you can pay with either cash or SkyMiles. You used to reliably get 2 cents per mile when using SkyMiles towards premium drinks but now it’s just 1.5 cents. Not a terrible use but we’re generally fine with the free options.

That bar just looks so bold like it’s etched from stone. Pictures don’t do it justice as it looks more impressive when you see it in person. These are the only TVs in the lounge showing anything other than Delta advertisement when I was there, so come here to catch a sports game.

The restrooms are quite ornate

It’s not just the bar that has an ornate design. I usually don’t like talking about the restrooms because who really wants to see a restroom, but these stood out to me. I was expecting something simple when entering the restroom but instead there are strong patterns throughout that make the mirrors feel like they’re popping off the wall.

While we’re here, privacy in the restrooms is quite good as each stall is in its own room. Some of the rooms are wider than others, so if you go in a thinner stall, it might feel a little cramped.

Recommendation: Yes, if flying Delta through CLT

The Delta Sky Club at CLT is good, hands down. Delta seems to understand that it needs to entice Delta flyers to choose them over American at Charlotte. They created a lounge that motivates people to come visit, which is needed. It’s the same story as in Chicago, except there they have pseudo-connections that can be done in that airport. In Charlotte, it’s primarily just focused on ‘O&D’ traffic (origin and destination). Don’t forget that if you’re getting access via membership or credit cards, you can also visit the lounge on arrival.

We still wouldn’t go too far out of our way to come visit this lounge. But given how much of a mess the airport can be with departures, you might want to come a little early anyways. It’s good knowing that if you do decide to come early, you’ll have a nice place to hang out near your gate.

What is your preferred airline out of CLT?

Suggested reading:

• Delta Sky Club SEA Review: Is the Gate A11 Lounge Worth a Visit?
• The Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounges for Families
• Keep or Cancel: How to Handle Too Many Credit Cards