Before my Delta Air Lines flight to Amsterdam, I had time to visit all five Sky Club locations in Detroit’s beautiful McNamara Terminal. This review highlights the latest addition, Delta’s A43 club, which turned out to be my favorite of the five Delta lounges.
Delta Sky Club Detroit (DTW) A43 Review
This was a very crowded lounge and I only stayed for a few minutes. Part of it was timing (ahead of the evening bank of departures across the USA and to Europe) and part of it was the fact that the A Concourse has four clubs and the C Concourse, which is fairly large, only has one.
Location + Access + Hours
This Sky Club is located in Concourse A past security, to the right (directly across from the larger A38 lounge). It is open daily from 6:00AM to 10:00PM.
After entering on the ground level, you’ll take an elevator upstairs to the lounge.
This lounge is available to:
- Delta Sky Club members (along with same-day boarding pass for Delta or a partner)
- Lifetime members can access the club regardless of the airline they are traveling on
- Two guests or immediate family (including all children under age 21) are permitted
- Delta One or SkyTeam premium cabin passengers
- Access only when traveling on a branded “Delta One’ (versus first class) domestically
- Access when connecting to/from a same day international Delta One flight
- No guests permitted
- SkyTeam Elite Plus members traveling on an international ticket in any cabin of service
- Includes Canada, Mexico
- Excludes Caribbean, Guam, Palau, Saipan
- One guest permitted
- Select credit card holders
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve from American Express
- guests are $39 each
- American Express Platinum / Centurion
- guests are $39 each
- Delta SkyMiles Diners Club card
- two guests permitted
- Delta SkyMiles TRUST CLUB Platinum/Gold Visa card
- two guests permitted
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve from American Express
- Virgin Australia Club or Velocity Gold members (through June 12, 2022)
- One guest permitted
- WestJet Business Class passengers
- No guests permitted
- WestJet Rewards Gold and Platinum members
- Access only when traveling on a transborder flight
- One guest permitted
Seating
This is a small lounge and it was crowded (though it emptied out a bit by the time I left). There’s pop culture artwork on the wall (some with neon effects), a small lounge area, and a dining area.
Food + Drink
Beverage stations with coffee and water are located around the lounge, but the main eating area was located on the in the center lounge, with a number of hot and cold items.
The afternoon selection included:
- salads
- Waldorf chicken
- apple, cranberry, walnut, kale
- potato
- buffalo bleu cheese pasta
- sandwiches
- turkey swiss
- ham and pepper jack
- hummus with veggies
- charcuterie board
- cheese tortellini
- chicken parmesan
- green beans
- soup
- potato leek
- Miss Vickies potato chips
- Rice Krispie Treats
- apple cobbler
- brownies
- cookies
- bannans
What made this Sky Club unique were two pre-plated meals available, a charcuterie plate or a cheese omelet with potatoes, bacon, sausage, and cooked tomatoes.
I had visited the previous four Sky Clubs without eating anything beyond a bag of chips, so this served as a fitting brunch (I had a bowl of potato leak soup as well).
It wasn’t clear to me why this lounge had these extra a la carte treats, but the new A38 lounge was unique in this respect. That lounge is the only non-legacy Northwest Airlines lounge at DTW and is also rumored to be a future Delta One Lounge (similar to a American Airlines Flagship or United Airlines Polaris Lounge).
Small problem: the omelet had literally been setting out for hours and was cold (why order it then? – I figured it was powered anyway…). But I like even powdered eggs and I asked one of the gracious staff members to warm it up, which they were happy to do. I really enjoyed it.
Beverages were available too – soft drinks, tea, coffee, water, and juice were self-serve.
Meanwhile, the bar had complimentary drinks as well as a menu of cocktails and top-shelf liquor for purchase.
You can even use your SkyMiles to buy a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Restrooms + Showers
Restrooms are located inside the lounge and showers available upon request.
CONCLUSION
While this was a small lounge with less seats than the other lounges (and I’m not sure it will age well either), I did appreciate the late breakfast…it really hit the spot. Rumors abound this might be a future Delta One Lounge…but for now it is just one of five Sky Clubs at DTW.
I think that fact that this is (maybe?) the only lounge there with showers would be the reason to give it an edge over the others, moreso than having a couple of extra dishes, given that the food buffets in these lounges are extensive (by US lounge standards).
The flagship A38 lounge at DTW also has showers. Frankly, Delta should renovate that lounge to bring the decor up to the modern Delta standards and make that their Delta One lounge (the late 90s tilework and wood paneling is hideous).
I meant the only Delta lounge from the ones Matthew reviewed at that airport.
It’s actually early 2000s.
Skymiles for Alcohol in Skyclubs is about the best deal remaining on Delta miles… if not for Omicron and actual space in DeltaOne for Europe for 148k miles r/t, I would’ve given up soon and bought bottle after bottle of Dom P…
I was just through ATL and no SkyClub in that airport had an open shower, which is a massive disappointment. Maybe I need to intentionally book a DTW connection…
Detroit’s Delta terminal is so much nicer than ATL. I don’t frequent Delta lounges that often, so can’t compare them between DTW and ATL, but the airport experience is so much better at DTW.
Detroit, at least the Delta terminals at DTW, is arguably the best airport anywhere in the United States. It’s actually amazing because it’s 20 years old in 2022.
Yes there are showers in ATL Delta Sky Clubs. In fact there’s two presently open right now. Located at E14 gate and above F10 gate. Open 6:45am til 10:30pm. They were close due to COVID but recently opened back up.
Delta’s miles are so stigmatized. Cracks me up. There are many transcon flights for less than 10k in regular (not basic) economy. There have been several instances of West Coast to Hawaii for 10k. I realize it can vary depending on your home airport but I wouldn’t spend any on booze at a skyclub when I can fly a 1000 mile route for the same amount. You also get mqm’s, mqd’s & can – but unlikely – get upgrades on award trips. I have a huge bank of AA miles & PP on AA but keep flying DL because of cheap award sales.
PS: Seattle has the best skyclub I have been to. Looking forward to DTW A43 in the next couple of weeks.
Shh. The bots here believe that the only qualified valuation for frequent flier points is a TATL J redemption, and nothing else matters.
This may be one of the least-informed reviews ever.
It’s already been confirmed that this lounge was intended to be a Delta One/360 lounge before the pandemic.
Second, the food is exactly the same as all the other lounges at DTW. Most days, the food is barely edible unless you ask for the kosher meal.
Third, the only good thing that separates it from the rest of the DTW lounges is the premium bar with quality wine.
Fourth, it’s small. Like 70-80 person capacity.
Fifth and finally, most of the seating is horrible designed because the chairs are too low and the tables too short for any eating or drinking, let alone working from a computer. It’s quite possibly one of the worst-designed lounges anywhere in the Delta Sky Club system.
Just through DTW and it was pleasantly surprised to see a hotdog stand in The Delta sky club lounge near gate A43. It was labeled Detroit hotdogs and had all the fixings. I asked the woman if she knew if they were Koegel hotdogs and she wasn’t sure. Curious if anyone knows if The hotdogs in the DTW Delta Sky club lounge at gate A43 are Koegel hotdogs. There’s something about having a Koegel hotdog while you’re in Michigan that is a little nostalgic.