Airlines are expanding and upgrading their exclusive luxury lounges at Denver International Airport this year to provide extra comforts, such as better free food and quiet space, for elite travelers who can afford to steer clear of the growing crowds.
Meanwhile, DIA officials promise improved conditions for everyone.
Delta Airlines will build a bigger Sky Club facility on Concourse A after extending its lease at DIA through 2035, airport officials said. It will include a premier bar. Delta officials stayed mum about other details ahead of a planned opening this fall.
American Airlines spurred competition with an upgrade of its Admirals Club Lounge, a Concourse C refuge overlooking runways that includes a children’s playroom, dining booths and a refreshed “regionalized menu” featuring “maple strawberry chia overnight oats” and “honey mustard pork loin with spring onion and sage.”
United Airlines contractors have begun an expansion of a United Club on Concourse B, to open this summer, featuring wellness rooms for meditation and prayer, on-site staff to answer traveler questions, five messaging Vestaboards, and food such as Denver omelets, Colorado honey and pork green chile. A new bar inspired by Denver’s beer scene will serve 10 local and craft beers on tap. A vibrant blue mural by artist Charlo Garcia Walterbach will celebrate the joy of discovering new places.
That expansion will bring United’s exclusive club space at DIA — including another United Club and a Club Fly for grab-and-go frequent fliers — to more than 100,000 square feet, United spokesman Russell Carlton said.
The exclusive accommodations for elite air travelers align DIA with a national trend toward comfort and convenience for frequent fliers, first-classers and premium credit card holders.
Over the past two decades, the amount of time Americans spend in airports has increased, largely due to post-9/11 Transportation Security Administration screening. International Air Transportation Association data shows a global increase in air travel at an average rate of 5% a year since 1995 reaching a record high in 2024.
Travelers typically gain access to these clubs by amassing sufficient frequent flier loyalty points or by purchasing first-class tickets. Those with military IDs or who hold premium credit cards can enter certain lounges, as well.
Travelers also can purchase annual or day passes. For example, day passes to the Capital One Lounge at DIA for “walk-ins” cost $90 a person.
DIA’s website touts a new American Centurion Lounge covering 14,000 square feet in Concourse C for premium American Express credit card holders, who can savor rotating selections of locally brewed beer, “a live-action cooking station featuring a locally sourced Italian menu designed by Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson,” and a game room. The Capital One Lounge offers showers. There’s also a United Service Organization lounge in Concourse A for military travelers that includes a library.
The airport sets no limits on exclusive lounges.
“We always welcome discussions with our airline partners about maintaining or upgrading these club spaces,” DIA vice president of airline and commercial affairs George Karayiannakis said.
The airline lounge expansions and renovations are happening as DIA contractors work to complete a $2.1 billion overhaul of DIA’s 2.6 million-square-foot terminal by the end of 2027, when work will begin on another $12.8 billion in renovations over a dozen years.
United officials said they’ll also install a Polaris Lounge (“spa-like shower facilities,” “daybeds,” “gentle white noise,” “soft lighting”) at DIA, catering to long-haul international travelers who fly in business class and premier Star Alliance cabins. International air travel has emerged as a driver of DIA’s overall passenger growth that last year hit a record 82.3 million travelers.
The expansion of luxury lounges is driven by “feedback from our customers” and is intended “to match the way their travel has evolved in recent years,” United director of clubs and lounges Alexander Dorow said. “We’re growing our hub in the Mile High City, and the expansion and renovation of United Club locations represents our commitment to Colorado and our customers’ experience.”
For economy travelers, DIA’s guiding principles include a commitment to ensuring comfort for everyone.
DIA will provide “unique and enjoyable experiences, from rest and recharge areas to outdoor decks to a wide range of amenities to fit the needs and desires of all our passengers,” airport officials said in a statement. Upcoming construction to add new gates for airlines also will bring “state-of-the-art restrooms, nursing rooms, workstations and tabletops, and plenty of comfortable seating.”
Travelers seeking peace in Concourse A can retreat to a mezzanine equipped with recliner chairs along with plugs for charging devices. Those seeking sunshine on outdoor decks around the airport can find firepits and views of aircraft coming and going.
Expect increased public art, play areas for children, massage opportunities, and holiday celebrations for travelers as DIA expands, airport officials said in their statement.
DIA also offers simulated golfing where travelers who have time can practice their swing between flights, hitting a ball toward a screen. The cost is $20 for 15 minutes.
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