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Delta Air Lines is opening its first Delta One Lounge tomorrow, June 26, 2024, at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). But this isn’t any airport lounge — and in fact, it isn’t even a Delta Sky Club. This is an entirely new concept in Delta’s network of airport lounges, and it’s only available to select long-haul business-class customers.
Inside, you’ll find a spa, wellness room, an upgraded bar and two restaurants: one with sit-down service and one with counter service. And if you need a place to work, there’s a business center with phone booths and a plethora of seats elsewhere in the lounge.
Here, we’ll take a look inside Delta’s first Delta One Lounge at JFK and discuss what you can expect when you visit. But before we do that, let’s discuss who is eligible to visit the lounge.
How to access the Delta One Lounge at JFK
As mentioned, the Delta One Lounge isn’t a standard Delta Sky Club. As such, no travel credit card will let you access the lounge outright. Instead, you need to fulfill one of the following requirements for entry.
- Same-day Delta One business-class ticket.
- Same-day business-class ticket on a select Delta partner.
- Delta 360 members flying domestic first class.
Not all SkyTeam business class tickets offer Delta One Lounge access. Beyond Delta, you must be flying one of the following airlines in business or first class for access.
- Air France: La Premiere first class or long-haul business class.
- LATAM: Premium business class.
- KLM Royal Dutch: Business class.
- Korean Air: First class and Prestige Class (business class).
- Virgin Atlantic: Upper Class (business class).
But you don’t have to shell out thousands of dollars to book a Delta One ticket. Delta One tickets booked with travel rewards — whether Delta SkyMiles or a partner program like Air France-KLM Flying Blue — will also give you entry.
You can earn SkyMiles with our favorite Delta credit cards, including:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening. $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening. $350 annual fee (see rates and fees).
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening. $0 annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees).
- Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: 10,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening. $0 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Note that Delta does’t sell day passes to the Delta One Lounge, and guests are not allowed. The only exception to this rule is for Delta 360 members who can bring up to two immediate family members or pay $100 (or 10,000 SkyMiles) per person for up to two non-family companions. Children under the age of two can accompany Delta One passengers to the lounge for no charge.
We expect entry rules to be the same at the Delta One Lounges that are set to open in Los Angeles (LAX) and Boston (BOS) later this year.
Inside the Delta One Lounge at JFK
The Delta One Lounge is located between Concourse A and Concourse B at JFK’s Terminal 4 where Delta and many of its SkyTeam partners base their JFK operations. It’s the largest lounge in Delta’s network at a whopping 39,000 square feet.
Starting later this year, Delta One customers will also be provided a dedicated check-in area where customers can check in to their flight, check their bags and clear security using a private TSA screening lane.
As mentioned, you’ll find amenities in this lounge that aren’t in any existing Delta Sky Club. But some Sky Club favorites make an appearance too, like an outdoor terrace.
Seating at the JFK Delta One Lounge
As the largest Delta lounge, it has plenty of seating available. You’ll find everything from high-top tables to couches to phone booths for video calls.
Starting at the front of the lounge, there’s a lounge area that has couches and tables. This area faces the bar which has high-top tables, lounge chairs and barstool seating.
There’s also a large outdoor terrace with couches and other seating options. This area is open year-round and has a retractable roof that keeps it warm during New York City winters and dry when it’s raining.
There are two dining rooms in the lounge: one near the market-style eatery and another in the sit-down dining room, which has table service and feels like a high-end Manhattan restaurant.
I’ll discuss the food and drink options in the next section, but both look to have adequate seating for peak travel times.
Toward the back of the market dining area, there’s a small business center with phone booths and limited seating. You can even borrow a portable monitor from Espresso Displays to use while in the lounge. I expect this section to get crowded during peak business travel times, but you can always head elsewhere in the lounge to get work done.
Moving toward the back of the lounge, you’ll find two more seating areas. One is near the entrance to the spa and is wellness-focused. Here, you’ll also find non-alcoholic beverages like lime water and tea on draft.
Finally, there’s a quiet room between the spa and the shower suites. This area is outfitted with comfortable seating and small work nooks. This is supposed to be an area where you can relax without distraction, so take your Zoom calls elsewhere.
With so many seats (and seating options), this lounge should hold up well during peak travel times when other lounges get overcrowded. This is especially true given only business-class passengers can enter the lounge, so there will naturally be less demand when compared to a Delta Sky Club.
Food and drink at the JFK Delta One Lounge
Food and beverages are a highlight of the Delta One Lounge. As mentioned, there are two dining experiences. The first is the Market, which offers counter service. New York’s retro delicatessens inspire this section, which offers everything from bagels to flatbreads and pastries. This is the place to eat if you have limited time in the lounge.
But the real star of the show is the sit-down restaurant inside the lounge. Expect the dining experience here to take around an hour and a half. It spans three courses and everything from steak frites to poached salmon and Bolognese is on offer.
I tried a sampling of the menu and everything I tried was restaurant quality. I particularly liked the poached salmon, which was perfectly crispy yet still fluffy. Note that the portion pictured below is smaller than what’s normally served to lounge patrons.
The Art Deco-inspired bar at the front of the lounge doesn’t disappoint either. Here, you’ll find cocktails, beer and wine — all of which are upgraded from the standard Delta Sky Club experience.
Expect high-end liquor and a variety of wines from around the world. There are also premium wines and liquors available for purchase.
And you don’t have to go to the bar to get a drink. Bar carts roam the lounge and serve beverages to seated patrons, offering another bit of luxury to Delta One passengers.
And for the coffee lovers out there, there are self-serve espresso machines spread throughout the lounge.
Spa treatments, shower rooms and more
Beyond dining, there are a handful of special perks in the Delta One Lounge that you won’t find in standard Delta Sky Clubs. One of my favorites is the spa, which offers nap pods, massage chairs and bookable spa treatments.
There are also upgraded shower rooms in the Delta One Lounge. They’re large and outfitted with bathrobes and Grown Alchemist skincare and shower products. But the coolest part is the suite’s closet — just put your clothes in, lock the door and an attendant will steam them while you shower, free of charge.
There’s also a shoe-shining stand near the entrance to the spa. This service is also complimentary. You can also opt to leave your shoes in the suite closet while you shower for a free shine.
All spa treatments and shower rooms can be booked using touchscreen kiosks around the Delta One Lounge.
Bottom line
The Delta One Lounge at JFK is as an exceptional airport lounge and has quickly become my favorite airport lounge in the US. From the exquisite dining options to unique amenities like the spa, it’s clear that Delta is focused on elevating its business-class experience to a new level of luxury.
This lounge is good news for more than just Delta One customers, too. Given the size of the lounge and amenities on offer, we can expect Delta’s two JFK Sky Clubs to be less crowded, as Delta One customers will have their own place to go. Lounge overcrowding has been a major issue for Delta (and other airlines) since the post-pandemic travel rebound.
So next time you’re flying Delta One from JFK, make sure to give the Delta One Lounge a visit. I highly recommend giving yourself some extra time to enjoy all its amenities and the seated dining menu.
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Blue card.
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Gold card.
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Platinum card.
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card.
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