Delta's Largest Lounge In the Country Just Got Even Bigger — See Inside

16.05.2024 - 17:01 / travelandleisure.com / Claude Roussel / Delta

When Delta Air Lines opened its Sky Club at LaGuardia Airport a couple years ago, it was the largest in its network. Now, it’s even bigger.

That’s thanks to a brand-new expansion, which the airline unveiled on Wednesday, adding nearly 4,500 square feet to the space and welcoming travelers to a four-seasons Sky Deck. The expansion, which Travel + Leisure toured for its opening, now features more than 700 seats spread out across 35,000 square feet.

Courtesy of Delta Air Lines

“Because it's 35,000 square feet, we divided the lounge to make sure that it's well balanced,” Claude Roussel, the VP of Sky Clubs and lounge experience for Delta, told T+L. “We have a lot of volume in New York … so when we think about those clubs, we don't design them for day one, we design them for way out because you can't expand the walls once you build it.”

“We're lucky enough that we really got prime space because these are incredible views, high ceiling heights, so it’s a really beautiful club," he added.

The lounge now features an all-seasons sky deck overlooking the runway, with the ability to keep it temperature controlled in winter and open up the roof for a nice breeze in the summer. There are comfortable lounge chairs and a high bar for working, all with views of planes taking off.

The expansion also includes a new premium bar and more than 100 additional seats.

Courtesy of Delta Air Lines

The lounge first opened in 2022 as part of Delta’s completion of its terminal at LaGuardia Airport, consolidating terminals C and D. Once the object of many jokes, the now-modern airport features soaring ceilings, local art, and high-end shopping from brands like upstate New York cosmetic company Beekman 1802.

Beyond the new addition, the lounge also welcomes travelers with wireless charging pads, several phone booths for a bit of quiet time, and an excellent buffet with food curated by a revolving roster of high-end local chefs. This month it was Einat Admony of New York’s fine-dining Middle Eastern restaurant Balaboosta and falafel chain, Taim.

“It's great exposure for chefs — there are a lot of eyeballs on that collab and [it’s] just fun,” Admony told T+L as she passed out hors d'oeuvres, like a sabich tostada, a take on the famous Middle Eastern sandwich with eggplant and hard boiled eggs.

Courtesy of Samantha Marcus

Admony, a huge fan of Delta herself, hopes her food is the perfect sendoff for travelers. This is her second time collaborating with the airline.

“Hopefully, they are exposed to something new: some different flavors, some different sauce, and different technique, and something that they can carry with [them] and get inspired,” she said.

Of course, the expansion of the Sky Club comes as Delta seeks to control the number