The Club ATL, an airport lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson, is preparing to expand in an attempt to address long wait times for entry.
The club on Concourse F is a common-use lounge open to passengers of any airline who pay $50 to enter or have access through Priority Pass, a benefit with some credit cards that otherwise costs $99 to $469 annually. The Club ATL opened in 2013, after the opening of the airport’s International Terminal and Concourse F in 2012.
It’s not unusual for travelers to wait an hour or more to get in during busy periods.
The Club ATL has capacity for 130 people and “has experienced capacity challenges over the past several years due to the growing number of travelers seeking lounge spaces as an alternative” to waiting at the gate, according to airport documents submitted to the Atlanta City Council. “The operators have received numerous unsatisfactory complaints because of long wait times and poor customer service.”
Now, the airport is seeking Atlanta City Council approval to add another 2,397 square feet to the current 7,257-square-feet of leased space for the club, to increase capacity by 40 to 50 seats. It will expand into space made available by the closure of a smoking room and the relocation of an airport chapel.
The Club ATL’s operator, Airport Dimensions, “plans to implement a system that will automate the food and beverage ordering process and plans to eliminate its buffet to improve customer experience and satisfaction and increase revenue generation,” according to the airport document.
The Club ATL’s expansion comes as other airport lounge operators also see strong demand for access, with a deluge of travelers flooding airports and many seeking a respite from the busy concourses.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has imposed restrictions that limit entries into Sky Clubs for those who use credit cards for access, in an effort to limit overcrowding.
Last month at Hartsfield-Jackson, American Express opened its largest Centurion Lounge in the world, with outdoor terraces, showers and a whiskey bar.
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