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.
Chase Sapphire Lounge — LGA
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.
Delta One Lounge — JFK
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.
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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 Centurion Lounge — ATL
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 airport, it’s no surprise that travelers often find themselves waiting in line to get inside. (Those with the Amex Centurion Card don’t need to wait in line because there’s a hidden lounge-within-a-lounge for these deep-pocketed travelers.)
The information for the Amex Centurion Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Alaska Lounge — SFO
Alaska Airlines’ lounges might be famous for their instant pancake machines, but there’s much more to the new Alaska Airlines lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) than the breakfast staple.
The 11,000-square-foot space is in Alaska’s new SFO home in Terminal 1. It features a barista-staffed coffee bar and a handful of San Francisco-themed touches, such as sourdough bread from the Acme Bread Company and a candy station featuring Ghirardelli chocolates.
The space is designed with the carrier’s latest motifs and will hopefully usher in a new era for the airline’s lounges.
Capital One Landing — DCA
Rounding out the list is an all-new airport lounge concept that Capital One debuted at Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) just last month.
Dubbed Capital One Landing, this new dining-focused space is designed in partnership with the José Andrés Group. The space is small — measuring just about 5,500 square feet — but if you can snag a table, you’ll likely enjoy the tasty food and delicious drinks. (Pro tip: Those with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can make a reservation up to six months in advance.)
Even if you don’t have a Capital One card, you can pick up some José Andrés food at the to-go counter. Capital One will open a landing at LGA in the coming weeks, but it’ll be interesting to see how this new concept fares, especially at airports designed for short-haul flying and short stays.
Bottom line
It’s been an exciting year for airport lounge openings. From Chase’s new two-story facility in LaGuardia to Delta’s first-ever business-class-only lounge, there’s lots to get excited about heading into the holiday travel season.
Better yet, 2025 is also poised to be another blockbuster year for airport lounges. Chase and Capital One should have big openings, while United Airlines has embarked on a much-needed expansion project for some of its most popular Polaris lounges. American Airlines is also expected to open a long-awaited Flagship Lounge in Philadelphia next year, too.
Of course, all of these exciting new lounges never seem to be big enough to handle the demand, but if you can get inside during a quiet period, you’ll enjoy some R&R before your flight.
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