Domestic first lounges in the United States are generally in poor shape.

Overcrowded.

Unhealthy food.

Drab interiors.

Often they’re only marginally better than the wider terminal they are situated in. A clear example of this is ‘The Club’ contract lounge at Las Vegas – the state of which is equally bad and worsened by the fact it serves multiple international airlines.

Delta’s Sky Club at San Francisco Terminal 2 is an exception to that. Here’s what you can expect.

The most noticeable difference here is the large open windows which create an airy and bright atmosphere alongside the excellent apron views. Many lounges in the US opt for dark colour schemes which this lounge eschews.

While I didn’t snap a picture, the reception area is found on the ground floor of the terminal building for verification of eligibility. Once upstairs, it opens up into a spacious area with a selection of lounge seating.

This then opens out into a further mixed seating area of sofas and tables with chairs with textured walls to separate some of the seating. This isn’t totally necessary, but it does break up the space rather than being a boxy room. You’ll notice on this photo that overcrowding at this lounge is a problem as the

Delta Sky Club at SFO features an impressive bar for a domestic lounge with a design that is modern and slick. As with most large American carriers, Delta Sky Club has a limited amount of free alcoholic options as well as paid extras including premium liquor. Tips, regardless of whether you are buying premium alcoholic drinks or not, are expected.

Starbucks-branded coffee is available both in the form of an automated espresso-based machine or drip-based. Quality is good for non-barista made coffee while Delta should be commended for offering a variety of milks including dairy and oat based. Teabags are also available.

Food quality was equally good too for people wishing to grab a quick snack before their onward journey. During our stay, I tried several the dishes particularly the sweet and sour chicken with rice as well as a mozzarella and tomato ciabatta roll. While the latter was dry and lacked flavour, the chicken dish was tasty and filled a hunger shaped hole in my stomach (at least for a few hours). Unsurprisingly, the lounge excelled with cakes and desserts which far surpassed the quality of anything else in this lounge.

Here’s the rest of the food spread:

The lounge buffet did suffer from a long crew of vultures trying to get as much food as they could, although this reduced as people satisfied their food cravings.

If you are craving for packaged foods, which are an essential to many US lounges then you will be well served by a selection of crisps that tasted surprisingly good.

Finally, toilets are available inside the lounge space itself but no showering facilities are available. 

As passengers came and went from the Delta SkyClub at SFO, we did manage to get a sizeable table to work from. While overcrowding is an issue across all lounges following the pandemic, if you’re eligible to enter then this a decent option to try.