5 most exciting new airport lounge openings from 2024

20.12.2024 - 15:07 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy / Delta I (I) / Sky Clubs

Airport lounges can be a much-needed oasis from a stressful travel day.

While there's already a lot of variety in airport lounges, this year ushered in some stellar new outposts that are sure to impress. In fact, while lounges outside of the U.S. have generally been nicer than those back home, U.S. airports did some serious catching up this year.

We saw new lounges from Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines, as well as flagship outposts from credit card issuers that quickly became some of the nicest across the entire country.

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Without further ado, here are five of our favorite new lounges that opened in 2024.

The credit card airport lounge wars have never been fiercer, and Chase made a strong move this year with the opening of its Sapphire Lounge by The Club at New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

This two-story outpost spans more than 21,000 square feet, and it's packed with amenities, including a retro arcade and a facial bar. With top-notch food and beverage options — many of which are available from restaurant-style a la carte menus — this space is a winner.

Those with deep pockets will be extra excited about this space because the lounge also offers Reserve Suites; these are a unique lounge-within-a-lounge experience that includes butler service in spacious private rooms.

This year, Delta joined its big network competitors by introducing business-class-only lounges. Delta One Lounges are a notch above the already well-respected membership-based Sky Clubs, and the flagship location in New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is a winner.

It spans nearly 40,000 square feet (though it still gets full during peak afternoon and evening departure banks) and offers a beautiful outdoor terrace, eye-catching horseshoe-shaped bar, spa, shoeshine service and much more.

The lounge's brasserie even offers some of the best food one can find in a domestic lounge.

Delta has since expanded its business-class lounge portfolio to Los Angeles, and it'll soon open spaces in Boston and Seattle. That said, based on size alone, the one in JFK will likely be the nicest one.

American Express was the first card issuer to open airport lounges in the U.S., and 11 years after the first space opened (in Las Vegas), the company is out with its nicest space yet.

That's the nearly 26,000-square-foot outpost at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). It features two outdoor decks, a whiskey bar and a gorgeous, locally inspired design. It opened in February and quickly became the nicest lounge at ATL — even better than all of Delta's Sky Clubs.

Given that the space is inside the world's busiest