Delta opened its inaugural Delta One Lounge (the Delta branded first class on long haul flights) in JFK airport, Terminal 4 between Concourses A and B in June 2024 in order to compete in the top tier lounge space. It succeeds by miles, not mere obsolete MQMs.
The lounge is 40,000 square feet (over 3700 square meters) which is the equivalent to nearly an acre!
When we booked our tickets from Atlanta to Venice, we chose the route connecting through JFK, not necessarily to experience the lounge but to save a couple grand on airfare. Boy, are we glad we did!
First Look...The Bar
The bar space is beautiful with gilded ceilings and lighting reminiscent of Radio City Music Hall.
The complementary wine list was probably the only let down of the experience. Although I found the pinot gris from Willamette agreeable, a more comprehensive international list would have been appreciated.
The Spaces & The Service
The whole lounge was thoughtfully laid out and unlike most airport lounges, offered ample room between seating areas.
INFUSED WATER BAR IN THE SPA AREA
The Staff
The employees in the lounge clearly took great pride in their work and in the lounge itself. They were consistently ready to help with any request, and it seemed there was a staff to guest ratio of 3:1 at its busiest. Even if the lounge were full, there would be sufficient staff on hand.
Amenities
This isn't just any place to lounge around. The spa offers complementary facials and back/neck massages, although the wait was over 3 hours on our visit even though the lounge was far from full. No matter, someone was in dire need of a polish and took advantage of the complementary shoe shine service.
Private massage chair rooms are available and the lounge offers multiple white marble spacious shower rooms valet steaming services. The shower rooms can be booked using one of the many tablets or by asking a lounge ambassador.
Even the normal bathrooms offer privacy and comfort.
The Food
We opted to try the Brasserie based on reviews. No reservation was necessary prior to our 18:15 boarding time, but waits we were told don't exceed 15 minutes.
IT'S LOVELY AND TABLES ARE WELL SPACED
We decided to splurge and use some otherwise devalued and worthless miles on something useful, wine! The list was actually surprisingly well-priced. The bottles were priced at retail (rather than the typical restaurant markup) and miles are valued at the going rate of 1 cent per mile. 10K bought us a bottle of a Willamette Pinot Reserve. For comparison, we snapped a photo for our friend, Ron who is a fan of Opus. He was dining in Manhattan and the same wine at his restaurant was going for $995 rather than $450.
The menu is restaurant quality too...
No time or not in the mood for a full meal? The Market and Bakery offer lighter and quicker fare.
SALADS, SOUPS AND SANDWICHES LOOK FRESHLY-MADE.
There was a hot bar featuring pizza from the open oven and various other prepared items.
Both the Margherita pizza and roasted Brussels sprouts were quite tasty.
Entry
Entry is permitted to anyone holding a Delta One ticket on same day of travel. Delta One is available on international flights and select transcontinental flights. Your ticket must say "Delta One". in order to enter. Delta 360 members are permitted access on same day of travel regardless of destination. There are no passes for purchase, which I view as a bonus to keep crowds at bay.
Other Lux Bonuses
The experience starts with a private check-in area and security screening for those originating from JFK.
Delta 360 members are treated to transportation to the airplane in a Porsche.
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