It was a Delta Sky Flub.
An airline VIP lounge might seem like a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the airport. However, that was not the case at a Delta Sky Club lounge in Georgia, where travelers had to wait an interminable amount of time to leave, per a Reddit post.
“We as a human race have lost our way,” griped the Redditor in the photo post, which showed a Disneyland-esque line to leave the lounge located at the T concourse in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Staffers warned travelers that they’d have to wait “15-20 minutes to GET OUT of Sky Club,” the flustered traveler explained.
This human holding pattern was reportedly exacerbated by the fact that there was no “stair access” at this so-called airline oasis “as it’s only allowed for emergencies,” per the post.
“Apparently [the] city won’t let them add another set of stairs or elevator,” they lamented.
“View From the Wing” contributor Gary Leff analogized the Sky Club to the Eagle’s song “Hotel California,” which has the immortal line, “You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave.”
Reddit posters were similarly appalled by the log jam at the lounge.
“Reminder to not use T skyclub. Luckily plane train means you have options,” said one.
Another wrote, “WTF idiot designed this thing? It’s an airport … everything is about moving crowds efficiently.”
Meanwhile found the predicament a Catch-22 given that these so-called airline oases are supposed to help harried travelers unwind.
“The whole point of lounges was to escape the throngs of the terminal,” exclaimed one. “Why bother if the lounge is just as bad or worse? Unless I am going intl’ with a long layover, I don’t even bother much anymore.”
Another armchair traveler found it crazy that there was “no stair exit from that sky club,” spluttering, “Is that not a fire hazard?”
“There is a staircase only for emergencies (like a fire) so technically it’s within code,” replied one commenter, to which another retorted, “Missing my flight would qualify as an emergency!”
