19. October 2026
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Portal Lounge Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) Terminal 1

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Free gaming stations
  • Robotic bartender, including at least one alcoholic drink
  • Nice, modern design
  • Priority Pass and premium credit cards accepted

Flyctory.com Cons

  • No bathrooms
  • Rather compact

The highlight of the second day of my trip following the last four Weird Al Yankovic Bigger & Weirder Tour 2026 stages was obviously flying to and from Rhinelander Airport (RHI). However, as I flew to and from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), I had the opportunity to check out a very interesting lounge (instead of ending up at a Delta SkyClub…). The Portal Lounge is very conveniently located at the heart of Terminal 1 and features some quite unique – and nerdy – amenities.

 

Portal Lounge Minneapolis (MSP) – Location & Access

The Portal Lounge at Minneapolis (MSP) is located right at the D-Gates. It is also right opposite to the dram bringing you to the gate sections A to C, from where Delta is typically operating their domestic services. You already see that the lounge is somewhat special from the outside.

The lounge is opening daily, from 4:00 to 21:00 hrs. It is not contracted to any airline, especially not to Delta and their close affiliates, Air France & KLM. However, they do accept Priority Pass as well as several premier credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X Rewards Card and the American Express Platinum Card. There also seems to be a walk-in fee available. I read that this one is rather high, some 70 USD (cannot confirm that, though). The maximum stay is three hours.

 

Portal Lounge Minneapolis (MSP) – Atmosphere

The Portal Lounge in Minneapolis is a comparably small lounge. It has a capacity of roughly 110 passengers. The size of the lounge is roughly 350 square meters. Its style feels like a futuristic sports bar. There are multiple screens with live sports. One corner features the buffet as well as the dispensers for hot and cold non-alcoholic drink. Next to it, at the rear of the lounge, is the very special bar (see below). Neon lights guide you to the gaming room (see blow).

Overall, the lounge offers nice seating options for passengers. I especially liked that there is a really good distribution of power outlets throughout the lounge.

 

Portal Lounge Minneapolis (MSP) – Food & Drink

The food offered at the Portal Lounge is nice, but not overwhelming. I had a pulled pork BBQ mini burger, which was quite nice. They especially feature a nice selection of different salads and healthy items. Towards the wall, there are also some cakes and cookies.

Non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary. You order alcoholic drinks via a QR code you receive when entering the lounge. One drink is complimentary. There is a surprisingly large range of complimentary drinks available. During the ordering process at a kiosk, you do get offers for premium drinks and shots, of course. If you paid the walk-in, all standard alcoholic drinks are included. The drinks are mixed by a bartender robot – which is obviously the catch of the lounge and really fun.

 

Portal Lounge Minneapolis (MSP) – Services

Apart from the robotic alcoholic entertainment, the other key reason why you might want to visit the Portal Lounge is the gaming room. There is a total of 17 stations, equipped with PCs or video games, where you can have a game before your flight. During peak times, your time there may be restricted to one hour.

The staff at the lounge was very lovely. There is a relaxed atmosphere. The average age during my stay at the Portal Lounge was definitely lower than at “traditional” airport lounges. WiFi is provided. The lounge does not have bathrooms. You can re-enter with your receipt, though. The bathrooms are more or less right in front of the lounge entry/exit.

 

Portal Lounge Minneapolis (MSP) – My View

The Portal Lounge at Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) made me smile. I really like that kind of thinking out of the box and offering flight passengers a very different pre-flight experience. The fact that you even get a free alcoholic drink as a lounge pass visitor is a remarkable deal as well. If you want to try out something very new before your flight from Minnesota, this one is definitely worth having a look into.

 

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