Lounge Review: Delta One® Lounge (JFK)

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I had not been this excited to visit a lounge in quite some time. The Delta One® Lounge at New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) opened only a few weeks ago and it easily blows away what United offers with its Polaris® Lounges and American’s Flagship® Lounges. The lounge was extremely crowded when we arrived, but our connection was severely delayed after flying in from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and the crowd thinned a bit. We had over five hours to fully explore the space.

This Delta One® Lounge is meant to evoke thoughts of New York’s iconic landmarks and history. Accents throughout the space are nods to Radio City Music Hall, the Brooklyn Bridge, and retro delicatessen counters. I think it succeeds here.

Elevators take you up to the lounge from the terminal and a separate set can be used to go to the gates.

Access

Access to this lounge is exclusive. Delta is trying to avoid the crowding issues at many Sky Clubs®. The following passengers have access to the Delta One® Lounge before departure:

• Delta One® passengers (these passengers also have exclusive access upon arrival)
• Delta 360 members departing or arriving on a same day Delta First Class ticket
• Air France La Premiere and Business Class
• KLM Business Class
• Korean Air First Class and Prestige Class
• LATAM Premium Business Class
• Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

Like United’s Polaris Lounges, Delta One® Lounges are not accessible by holding a credit card or membership. You need to be flying in one of the premium cabins listed above. Access does not matter if you paid cash, used miles, or upgraded.

Anthony’s Take: This lounge is gorgeous and has some of the best food I have ever had in a lounge, anywhere. The amenities are top notch and the staff are all-around excellent. It got crowded before the evening transatlantic departures (so crowded that we could not find seats for 10 minutes), but as the passengers thinned out we were able to enjoy it even more. A lengthy delay had us in the lounge longer than I would have wanted, but there is no better place to sit waiting for a plane than here.

When entering the lounge, there was an agent and a few tablets to check credentials and grant access. Agents were seated to the left to assist with flight issues and arrangements.

Upon entry, we were handed cards that explained the lounge’s many offerings.

Bar

A bar is located on the right side the lounge. It offers all of the standard spirits, wine, and beer as well as a nice cocktail menu. It’s an impressive bar with lots of bling.

There are multiple coffee and tea stations scattered throughout the lounge.

Two also offered iced tea and/or lemonade.

Additionally, there are pop-up bar carts throughout the space. Attendants were serving wine and water from them and happy to get other drinks.

A soda fountain was not yet operational.

Near the wellness area, you can find various juices on tap. These were flavors I would not consume (filled with beets, ginger, etc.).

Food

Lunch/dinner was being served during my visit. The buffet is split into two sections labeled “Bakery” and “Market.” These have soups, salads, sandwiches, cold cuts, cheeses, flatbreads, baked goods, and several hot dishes. Unlike typical buffets, staff serves you each dish and makes some to order.

The Market section has flatbreads and hot food. Three types of flatbreads were being made while we were there: Prosciutto & Arugula, Elote, and Margherita.

We tried two kinds and they were both delicious.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Honey Glazed Carrots

Roasted Salmon

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Chicken Milanese and Rigatoni Pomodoro were also being offered at the counter.

The Bakery section had sweets, salads, charcuterie and veggies, soups, and several types of sandwiches.

Herb Chicken Salad and Smashed Avocado Toast Tartine

Ham & Gruyere Mini Baguette and Roast Beef

Veggies and Hummus

Corn Salad, Potato Salad, and Charcuterie plates

Fruit & Berry Yogurt Parfait, Fresh Fruit and Berry Cup, Chocolate Mousse, and Tiramisu

Tiramisu, Biscoff Cookie Banana Caramel Pudding, and Passionfruit Lemon Bars.

There were multiple baked goods including Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies.

A salad and soup counter is to the left of the baked goods. Salads were made to order along with three suggested combinations.

There are some nice ingredients here. Chicken Tortilla Soup and Tomato Soup were also being served.

The three suggested choices included Caesar Salad, Mediterranean Salad, and Zen Bowl

Restaurant

In addition to the buffet above, the Delta One® Lounge offers a 140-seat Brasserie that features a three-course meal. Restaurant Associates and Union Square Events (a Danny Meyer concept) collaborated on the dining experience in the Delta One® Lounge. Expect dishes like Corn Agnolotti, Hamachi Crudo, Steak Tartare, Wagyu Beef Steak Frites, and Lasagna Bolognese. Everything we tasted was excellent and the service wasn’t half bad.

The restaurant does not feel like it’s in an airport lounge and is more aligned with a restaurant in NYC or Las Vegas.

It’s a beautiful space with an open kitchen.

There are lots of tables and there was no waitlist even when the lounge was packed.

The dinner menu is impressive.

There is a wine and cocktail menu including some spirits for sale.

Delta also offers bottles of wine for sale. I have no issue with this as it is well above what one needs and the complimentary beverages are great.

We selected an Espresso Martini and ginger ale to drink.

Bread service starts the meal.

We both had the Corn Agnolotti, which was excellent.

For mains, we both chose the Steak Frites. It was an amazing steak (Wagyu Beef) and perfectly cooked to order.

We shared a Chocolate Soufflé for dessert. It was tasty, but a bit undercooked.

Seating & Decor

There is tons of seating in the Delta One® Lounge. The new 39,000-square-foot space is bigger than any Sky Club® that Delta operates. All of the seating and decor is beautiful. There are loads of configurations. We arrived before the evening bank of international flights and the lounge was packed to the gills. As mentioned, we were there over five hours due to our delay and during that time the crowd shrank and we were able to feel more comfortable.

This room is the sexiest part of the lounge with a fireplace and TV. There are various Missoni items scattered around this room (this is part of Delta’s partnership with the Italian luxury brand) (more here).

There is also plenty of seating near the buffet.

Servers brought water to the tables.

I liked this wall of art.

At times, every seat was taken.

Phone booths offer private spaces to work and take calls.

They were spacious and comfortable.

More private spaces were in the back. These did not have doors.

More seating in the back of the lounge.

More phone booths and crowded space near the wellness area.

The art all felt very Delta.

Guests can enjoy views of the airfield from the Terrace. It’s gardened with regional, seasonally updated plants.

The outdoor space has a retractable roof, which makes it possible to enjoy it year-round.

Delta did a great job with the gardens out here.

Even at night, I loved sitting in the Terrace.

The views of the planes below were also enjoyable.

Amenities

This Sky Club® offers free Wi-Fi, restrooms, shower suites, an expansive wellness area, and the food and beverages mentioned above. Amenities can be booked through tablets. Wait times and the number of people ahead of you are provided.

The wellness area is equipped with nine reservable relaxation pods with full-body massage chairs and nap chairs, treatments from Grown-Alchemist certified therapists, and more. The Serenity Lounge is nearby and it provides a quiet space with specialty lighting to mimic the light colors affecting the body’s circadian rhythms. This helps you adjust to a new time zone in a more natural way.

The relaxation pods could be enhanced with massage tools. Delta One® bedding was also provided.

Light schemes were controlled in each pod area. Eye masks were also available if you just wanted to rest.

The massage chair was amazing. The wellness area also offers three treatments. The Jet Lag Reviver is a ten-minute shoulder, scalp, and temple massage. Tired eyes can be treated with cryotherapy ice globes and Grown Alchemist serums. A third option is a  hand and arm massage that exfoliates and then moisturizes. The wait time for these was 454 minutes and I did not get a chance to experience any of them.

Delta offers eight shower suites. These feature towels, bathrobes, slippers, Grown Alchemist products, and more. A valet attendant can take your clothes and shoes from the suite to steam and/or shine them and then return them while you shower. I saw someone get their suit jacket pressed and returned. These were also booked with a 43-person waitlist while I was there.

Bathrooms were also luxe and private.

Overall Impression:

The Delta One® Lounge is a game changer. When Delta says that it is a premium airline, you need to look no further than here. Everything was well thought out and it provides an oasis of calm (and luxury) before and after flights. Bravo, Delta!

(Shower Suite Image Credit: Delta Air Lines.)