San Diego airport leaders have agreed to move forward with exanding an existing lounge in Terminal 2 that would accommodate Alaska Airlines’ plans to significantly upgrade it and have it open by 2028.
As part of that plan, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has hired an outside contractor to more than double the size of the Terminal 2 East lounge, expanding its core and shell from the existing 5,100 square feet to 13,300 square feet. The cost, which will be borne by the Airport Authority, is nearly $10.9 million.
Five construction companies bid on the project, and the Airport Authority board chose Sundt Construction Inc., which submitted the lowest bid. It came in significantly under the airport engineer’s project estimate of $17.9 million.
Alaska Airlines announced last September its plans for creating a dedicated lounge for its passengers, although few details were available at the time. The airline did say that the plans called for private work areas, locally inspired refreshments and fresh local bites, a full bar showcasing signature cocktails and a barista station for handcrafted espresso beverages.
“We’re excited to share that we plan to begin work on our new lounge in San Diego next year, with plans to welcome guests in 2028,” Alaska spokesperson Maria Cid said this week in a statement. “The nearly 14,000-square-foot space will join our growing network of thoughtfully designed, modern lounges and serve guests traveling to the 49 nonstop destinations we currently offer from San Diego International Airport — the most of any carrier at San Diego.”
The airport expects to turn over the expanded lounge to Alaska by the fall of 2027, after which it will begin its own tenant improvements, said airport spokesperson Nicole Hall.
The existing lounge is operated by Aspire and is open to any airport customer as long as space is available, Hall said. It is located on the concourse level between Terminal 2 East security and the bridge to Terminal 2 West.
Once completed, the Alaska Airlines venue would mark the third airline lounge in the terminal. The other two currently operating are affiliated with United and Delta airlines. Come 2028, when the new Terminal 1 project is completed, Delta, which will relocate there, will open a new lounge, according to airport officials. There is also a relatively newer Chase Sapphire Lounge that is more than 10,000 square feet in size.