As we traveled to Amsterdam from Atlanta, we got to have our first lounge experience at The Club at ATL Lounge!! Honestly, I had no idea about airport lounges eight months ago. Airport lounges are ‘exclusive’ locations in airports where you can get free food, drink, and other amenities. All lounges are not created equal; some great and some not-so-great lounges exist.
The Club at ATL is located in Concourse F on the mezzanine floor. The Club at ATL Lounge is a Priority Pass Lounge.
How we got in
We got into the lounge using the Capital One Venture X credit card. This card comes with a $395 annual fee. You can read more about the card here: Capital One Venture X
With the American Express Venture X credit card, I get one Priority Pass membership and can bring one guest each time for free. You can get a day pass for this lounge for $55 a person. So relatively speaking, we ‘saved’ 110 dollars with the card, which offsets the 395 dollar annual fee of the Venture X Card.
I think the $55 cost is overpriced for the daily pass, and I value the pass around $25 a person, so it offsets the annual fee by $50.
The Wait
We went in, knowing there could be a wait to enter the lounge. Especially with Domestic Priority Lounges, there have been long waits to get in, so go in with this expectation so you won’t be disappointed. We did have to wait.
We arrived at the lounge around 5:30 p.m. Our flight departed at 8:15 p.m. When we got to the lounge, a small line was outside the door.
The attendant took my phone number and said we would receive a text message when we could enter the lounge. This was a nice setup because we didn’t have to wait in line. We walked around, worked a little, and relaxed.
The attendant also stated that they were letting people in by departure time. So people with flights leaving sooner would enter before us. I don’t know if all lounges do this, but this is how the Club at ATL handled the situation.
We finally got the text saying they were ready for us at 6:50 p.m. We were so excited!! We headed over to check in and showed the attendant our priority pass membership and boarding pass, and we were good to go!
The Lounge
Upon entering The Club at ATL, I noticed it was a little small. The lounge has two parts: the priority pass side and the side for business and British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines. We only saw the Priority Pass side of the lounge, so I can not speak for the other side.
When you enter the Lounge, you will come across the check-in desk and turn left into the lounge area. There is a giant wall window that overlooks the tarmac and seating options. There were a few bar tables, couches, a few larger tables to sit at, and single chairs. Again, this was a small place.
Along with the seating, there was a large bar area at the back of the lounge, a coffee and nut station, and then a small plate area with a soda fountain area.
Again, there was nothing significant and shiny about this lounge, but it was exhilarating to us!!
The Food and Drinks
The first thing we did was order some drinks from the bar. All the food and drinks are free to the members. We had their drink of the day, a Lavender Rosemary Mule. The drink was delicious!
They also have plenty of other drinks available – beers, wine, liquor and there was no wait at the bar. The bar service was excellent and speedy!
The food was nothing to write home to Mom about. Again, we went in knowing that domestic lounges were not exceptional, so our expectations of the food were low.
Their options were – hummus with pita, a veggie plate, Caesar salad, rice and jumbo, and a veggie soup with chocolate chip cookies. Of course, we had to try it all as first-timers. We felt like kings and queens eating all that food in an airport.
Again, the food was not fabulous, but everything tastes better when you don’t have to pay for it. We went back a couple of times to get our fill.
They also had a coffee and tea bar with nuts. Nothing huge or over the top, but nice stop before our flight.
Other Amenities
This lounge had a few additional amenities. The bathrooms were big and clean, and there was a place to print documents.
Our Final Thoughts
We loved our first time in a lounge!! We had such a blast getting drinks and food. We always hate getting airport food when we travel, so it felt extraordinary to be in the lounge!
The food was not phenomenal, but it was good enough to eat and enjoy yourself. The drinks were great, and the service was excellent.
We went in knowing not to set high expectations, so we were thrilled with the lounge!
If you go o the Club at ATL, expect to wait to get in. Be prepared for a smaller-sized lounge with a few small plate options. Expect great bar service and excellent cookies. And expect to enjoy yourself!
