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On my second trip to San Diego I was able to meet up with three friends and spend the afternoon and evening with them. As I had mentioned earlier we had dinner together at Herb and Wood, and I can’t recommend this restaurant enough. The meal was excellent. After breakfast the following morning one of my friends, Scott (the same one from New Year’s Eve) and I took a cab together to the airport for our morning flights. Scott’s flight was scheduled to leave an hour before my flight, so I followed him to Terminal 2 to spend some time at the Delta Sky Club.
Introduction: Southwest and San Diego
Review: Southwest Airlines Domestic Coach Sacramento to San Diego (and back)
Review: Hotel Del Coronado – Ocean Towers Coastal View Room
Review: Delta Sky Club San Diego International Airport – Terminal 2
I was flying on Southwest Airlines out of terminal 1, and terminal 2 is not connected airside. Fortunately, TSA allows you to visit terminal 2 when flying out of terminal 1 and when I stated what I was doing with a Southwest boarding pass, the officer nodded and waved me thorough after checking my ID.
The Sky Club is located upstairs above the main food court. On the left is the United Club and on the right is the Delta Sky Club. There is also an Airspace lounge in this terminal, so that is 2 other lounges I need to visit in the future. This was my first visit in the terminal 2 side of the San Diego airport and what a complete difference to the Southwest circus in terminal 1.
After going up the escalator you veer right and into the Sky Club. I have a Sky Club Executive Membership but so does Scott, and he guested me into the lounge. Scott has had a Delta lifetime lounge membership since college, when his dad purchased a Western Airlines lifetime lounge membership (for Scott). When Delta acquired Western Airlines, Delta honored the membership and transferred it as a Delta Lifetime Membership. Pretty cool.
Terminal Map San Diego Airport
Interesting architecture in terminal 2
Entrance into the club
Reception desk
Entering the lounge puts you into the main open seating area. This rectangular space empties into the main dining space and bar. There is a lot of glass used in this space which makes it feel bright and open. Next to the bar is an open area/cold room where the food offerings are set up on a main sideboard and wall counter.
Open seating
Open seating into bar area
Open seating toward reception
Main bar area
Bar close-up
Dining space out to overlook
Hi top seating area
The food offered on the sideboards was the typically Delta Sky Club fare – which for a US based lounge is pretty good these days. It includes soup, veggies, salads, and snacks; enough for a light meal. Call me old fashioned but I really enjoy the chicken salad.
Soup on wall counter
Sideboard side 1
Side 2
Caffeine
The highlight of this Sky Club is an indoor balcony that overlooks a food court area and a multi-story window array out to the tarmac and ramp areas. This mezzanine sports fantastic views both inside and out. The area is furnished with additional high top seating and rocking chairs – the rocking chairs are really fun and help make this a great space. Delta also includes a table with water and ice tea for the taking. The rockers and ice tea are decidedly references to Delta’s southern roots. It also reminds of the overlooks in the LAX international terminal – which are again fantastic.
Mezzanine with high-top tables and rocking chairs was very popular
High-tops
Rockers
Dramatic cobalt blue Sky Club sign
Great views inside and out
Water and tea are available on the mezzanine
At the other end of the mezzanine is a business center and the club restrooms. The business center has a couple small work cubbies, and a high-top long table back dropped by a large hi-def. screen displaying world destinations, all surrounded by cobalt blue glass. That display had to cost a fortune, but does look impressive. The restrooms are the updated Delta red subway brick and large wash basins – a pretty good look for a public restroom.
Entry to business center and lounge restrooms
Business center
High top long table
Corridor to club restrooms
Updated red subway brink design
Wash basin
Summary:
Delta has really nailed the design of many of its Sky Clubs over the last few years, and the Sky Club San Diego certainly is within that group. Toward the end of my visit the club filled up more, but with this open and bright design it never felt to crowed. The bar and dining areas are nice, as well as the inside open seating area. The open inside balcony is wonderful and certainly makes this club one you wish to return to. I haven’t visited the United Club or Airspace lounge yet, but they have some competition from the Delta Sky Club San Diego.
