Well-heeled travelers flying Delta Air Lines from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport can now enjoy a new luxury lounge, part of the airline’s $1.5 billion investment to expand its footprint. her JFK.
The Atlanta-based airline on Wednesday will open its exclusive, 39,000-square-foot Delta One lounge — the largest of its “Sky Club” offerings.
Amenities will include full-body massage chairs, fine dining, bathroom stalls and shower suites stocked with robes and slippers, and soundproof cubicles to get the job done.
Incoming passengers who have just endured a long-haul flight can enter the lounge and remove their clothes and shoes with a valet who will steam or shine them while they shower.
The new facility, which holds a maximum of 515 people, includes free eye, hand and arm treatments.
Travelers can relax with a meal or a drink while looking out over a fenced terrace overlooking the airfield. They can also indulge in what is billed as a “recovery medicine” – a 10-minute massage that covers the shoulders, scalp and temples.
The Delta One lounge is a big step up from the airline’s Sky Club lounges, which offer free Wi-Fi, refreshments including food and drink, a work space and access to power outlets.
Located between concourses A and B in JFK’s Terminal 4, the venue also includes an upscale Brasserie restaurant, a bakery, walk-up food counter and a fully stocked bar.
Access, however, is exclusive to say the least: travelers cannot enter unless they are members of the invitation-only “360” club, or if they purchase tickets for the airline’s Delta One service – the premium cabin service it offers lie-flat seats and priority check-in for round-trip fares that can reach up to $10,000.
Last year, Delta angered customers when it announced it was tightening access to its Sky Club, which has been beset by overcrowding in the years since demand for travel surged after the lifting of COVID-era lockdown measures.
Initially, the company said American Express credit cardholders will no longer have unlimited access to pre-launch lounges.
The airline also imposed a 10-visit limit on Delta Reserve and Delta Business Reserve cardholders, who pay a $550 annual fee — though unlimited access can be unlocked by spending $75,000 in a year.
But the airline softened the changes by increasing visitation limits in response to the postponement.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Cardholders were allowed 15 lounge visits instead of 10.
Customers using the American Express Platinum Card and Business Platinum were given 10 lounge visits per year – out of six.
The new Delta One restaurant, a collaboration between Restaurant Associates and Union Square Events, offers dishes including Hamachi crudo, steak tartare and lasagna Bolognese.
There’s also a specially designated “refreshment bar” that features “soft drinks” as well as “fruit and herb-infused waters and juices.”
The airline is planning similar high-end lounges in Los Angeles and Boston, which are slated to open later this year.
Delta is also considering building luxury lounges at its Atlanta hub, as well as in Seattle.