Four months after it debuts service to Paris out of RDU, Delta Air Lines will unveil an upgrade to the Delta Sky Club at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
An airline representative says the club won’t just grow in size, but also in amenities.
“We’re adding a new bar, a new full bar,” spokesman Anthony Black says. “They’re going to add two new food service stands.”
But more than amenity upgrades, the undisclosed investment Delta is making does show just how important RDU is to the carrier, says Black.
“RDU is a key, we call it a focus city for Delta,” he explains. “It has a number of considerable business and community interests.”
The club is expanding to 5,600 square feet from its current 3,800 square feet, and will have 150 seats instead of the 88 it currently has at RDU. Seventy-five percent of those seats will have power access. Additional features will include sliding glass doors, more televisions and bar seating.
An expanded area means more food and beverage service space, he says, adding that the gem of the renovation may be the new premium bar.
“It’s a premium look and experience,” he says, adding that locally-inspired artwork will line the walls.
While Delta has yet to begin construction (it will work from back to front for limited disruption), it has started to initiate the upgrades, specifically to its drink selection. That means upgraded wines and spirits, as well as craft beer – from Carolina Brewery – and an upgraded menu. A Starbucks partnership means Starbucks beverages can also be served in the space. And a new feature already debuting at other Sky Clubs allows for quick payment for drinks with Sky Miles. That service will be offered at the renovated Sky Club when it opens in September, he says.
Also in Delta’s grand plan for 2016 are three brand new clubs in Seattle, Atlanta (B concourse) and Denver, as well as renovations in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Since mid-2014, we’ve invested millions of dollars to enhance the look and feel of all of our Sky Clubs,” he says.
The clubs are open to Delta Sky Club members as well as those flying Delta One, and single-visit passes can be purchased for $59.
Delta and its regional partners enplaned 1.5 million RDU passengers in 2015, nearly 30 percent of the local market share according to RDU Airport Authority statistics.
Triangle Business Journal
Sky Club at Raleigh-Durham Intl to get renovated
