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Delta markets its premium long-haul business product as Delta One. But, especially with American Flagship Lounges and United Polaris Lounges, a premium lounge offering was one way Delta lagged behind its competitors until recently.
The first photos of the new Delta One lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) were released in late June. However, media photos and press previews often differ from the true passenger experience in a lounge. So, here's my experience with the Delta One check-in and JFK Delta One Lounge on a recent trip to Europe.
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Delta One JFK Check-in
If you arrive by car at JFK, you can best access the Sky Priority and Delta One check-in areas via Door B in Terminal 4. Once you enter Door B, you'll see a walled-off area with lighted Delta One signage.
Walking through the automatic doors into the Delta One area, you'll be greeted by a staff member with a tablet. After confirming your name is on their Delta One list, you can proceed down a hallway lined on one side with windows and on the other with plants and couches.
At the end of the hallway on the right, there are check-in podiums for Delta One and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class.
As we neared the end of the hallway, an agent greeted us and led us to his check-in podium.
After checking in, we noticed a sitting area by a few staffed desks on the lefthand side of the hallway.
This area has a coffee machine, sodas, snacks, and even a four-item food menu to satisfy premium customers if they must wait an extended time in the check-in area.
You can now access a special Delta One security line that connects the check-in area and JFK Delta One lounge. But, when I went through in October 2024, you had to exit the Delta One check-in area and join the standard security screening. TSA PreCheck and CLEAR Plus lines are available near the exit of the check-in area, though.
Related: How To Fly Lay-Flat Delta One Business Class Seats Within the U.S.
JFK Delta One Lounge Experience
An agent will scan your boarding pass at the JFK Delta One Lounge entrance.
Upon entering the more than 39,000 square-foot JFK Delta One Lounge, I was shocked by how crowded it was on a Tuesday afternoon. The first Bar Lounge room you walk into with a large staffed bar was packed without any available pairs of seats. Not surprisingly, given the number of guests, this room was also loud.
From this room, we made our way to the Terrace. We found one pair of seats on the Terrace, which features airfield views. The Terrace was noticeably quieter and warmer than most other parts of the lounge.
Walking from the Terrace, we went through The Market and Bakery, which offer buffet-style food service.
Adjacent to The Market and Bakery, you'll find a TV room with a few phone booths and a triangle-shaped counter designed for working.
Further back in the lounge, you'll find two rooms with designated quiet areas. I loved the peach tea from the self-serve Rejuvenation Bar and likely would have settled into a single-occupancy booth to work if I were alone.
Shortly before leaving the JFK Delta Lounge, we discovered perhaps the lounge's quietest and least-occupied area. This area, which has some seating along a window overlooking the airfield and phone cubes, is located left of the Terrace when you enter the lounge from security.
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JFK Delta One Lounge wellness offerings
After having enjoyed several excellent massages in Cathay Pacific's The Pier first-class lounge in Hong Kong, my wife and I were excited about the potential of trying a treatment in the JFK Delta One Lounge.
So, one of my first stops after arriving at the JFK Delta One lounge was the tablet where you can reserve treatments from a Grown-Alchemist certified therapist. The lounge staff told us we could use these tablets to reserve showers, treatments, shoe shines, massage chairs, and more.
However, the tablet directed me to the wellness area to inquire about the availability of treatments. When I checked around 3:45 pm on a Tuesday, I learned no treatments would be available until 7:40 p.m. — almost an hour after my flight's scheduled departure.
The agent said I could likely reserve a 15-minute session in a massage chair with just a 30-minute wait, but the wait was 125 minutes with 15 guests ahead of me when I made a reservation via a tablet.
Our flight was in final boarding when I finally got a text message saying a massage chair was ready.
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Dining at the JFK Delta One Lounge
You have two dining options at the JFK Delta One Lounge. The quickest is The Market and Bakery, where you can select items from a staffed buffet.
I felt a bit like a kid in a school cafeteria as workers passed my plate along while I opted “yes” or “no” for each option.
The lounge also set up a staffed Taco Tuesday table with fresh tacos in the Market and Bakery area.
Although nothing I tried was bad, nothing was impressive. For example, the bread on my avocado toast was far too crispy, and the brussels sprouts needed a glaze or more seasoning to elevate their taste.
The more upscale dining option is The Brasserie dining room, which seats 140 guests.
When we stopped by around 5:10 p.m. on a Tuesday, the host estimated a 20-minute wait. I left my phone number and got a text message a few minutes later, estimating a 15-minute wait. Then I got a text about 13 minutes later saying a table was ready. Off to a good start!
Although we were seated at 5:30 p.m., it took 20 minutes before a staff member came over to take our order — and this was only after the table next to us called out multiple times to attract a staff member to their table.
At this point, we asked which main course would come out quickest and noted we needed to leave to board our flight soon. The staff member listed three quick dishes, and we ordered two of them.
The staff member seemed surprised when we got up to leave after neither supposedly quick dish was served within 15 minutes. But our international flight was nearing the end of boarding, and we didn't want to risk missing the flight. And indeed, Delta gate agents barked at us for getting to the gate so close to departure.
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Drinks at the JFK Delta One Lounge
As with dining, you have a few options for getting a drink in the JFK Delta One lounge. You can't miss the large staffed bar in the Bar Lounge when you enter the lounge.
You'll find self-serve stations for non-alcoholic drinks throughout the lounge. I recommend heading to the Rejuvenation Bar for tea, but you'll also eventually be able to get sodas on tap in The Market.
Beverage cart service is one aspect of the JFK Delta One Lounge I found most intriguing when reading about the lounge on Delta's website. Delta's announcement for the lounge says: “Beverage cart service allows you to enjoy premium hospitality without leaving your seat. Let Lounge servers meet you where you are for a guest experience similar to what you'd enjoy onboard.”
In practice, the beverage carts are stationary instead of being pushed around the lounge by bartenders as I'd imagined. Despite sitting in the Market area for over an hour, no one came to our seats to offer us any beverages. Likewise, no one came to our seats within the first five minutes of sitting in the Bar Lounge, so I got up to place our drink orders.
On the positive side, the old-fashioned I tried tasted wonderful. Unfortunately, the spiced chips the staff member offered alongside my drink were stale.
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Tips for Visiting the JFK Delta One Lounge
Despite reading reviews and researching the lounge ahead of my visit, I left feeling disappointed. Although I arrived at the airport over three hours before my flight, I didn't feel like I was able to fully experience the advertised features of the lounge.
So, here are my tips for getting the most out of your JFK Delta One Lounge visit.
Arrive as early as possible
Unlike other Delta Lounges that restrict access to within three hours of your flight, the JFK Delta One Lounge doesn't seem to have this restriction. So, in hindsight, I wish I'd arrived much earlier. By doing so, I might have enjoyed a wellness treatment and a full meal in The Brasserie.
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Go straight to the reservations tablet when you arrive
To give yourself the best chance at securing amenities, such as a wellness treatment, massage chair, or shower, head to the reservations tablet when you arrive and get a reservation.
As in our case, you may need to visit the wellness area to secure a treatment time — but you'll have the best chance of getting a time you can make if you go as soon as you arrive in the lounge.
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Proactively seek out service
Since I was reviewing my visit, I wasn't aggressive about flagging down servers in The Market and The Brasserie. But, given how slow and not proactive the service was, I recommend speaking up if you want service but a staff member doesn't visit your table or seat within five minutes.
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Prioritize dining in The Brasserie
Admittedly, we waited too long before trying to get a table in The Brasserie. But I didn't expect a 20-minute wait (especially considering there were open tables when we approached the restaurant). I also didn't expect it to take 20 minutes for a staff member to first come to our table after we were seated. And I didn't expect the quickest dish to take more than 15 minutes.
Seating and service at similar lounges that offer seated dining — such as Qantas First in Los Angeles, Qantas First in London, Malaysia First in Kuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacific The Pier First in Hong Kong, and Cathay Pacific First in London — are always much quicker. After all, one commonality about all guests is that they've got a flight to catch!
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Delta One Lounge Access
Access to the JFK Delta One Lounge is limited to the following travelers:
- Same-day departing or arriving Delta One passengers
- Delta 360 members departing or arriving on a same-day ticket in Delta First Class
- Same-day departing or connecting passengers in Air France La Premiere, Air France long-haul business class, LATAM premium business class, KLM business class, Korean Air first class, Korean Air Prestige Class, and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
Given how crowded the JFK Delta One Lounge was during our visit, I expect Delta will need to expand its lounge space or tighten its access requirements.
Related: How To Access a Delta Sky Club for Your Next Flight
My Take on the JFK Delta One Lounge
My post on Twitter (a.k.a. X) provides a good summary of my take on the JFK Delta One Lounge:
This lounge may look nice, but it's absolutely not “one of the best in the entire world”.
First, like most Delta lounges, it's already extremely overcrowded. We struggled to find an empty seat just to sit down today. And Tuesday typically isn't a peak travel day.
That demand… https://t.co/qiXFtO6hZs
— JT Genter (@JTGenter) October 1, 2024
In short, I think the JFK Delta One Lounge has the potential to be a great lounge — but not one of the best in the world as it was hyped up at the opening — by better managing the rush of travelers during peak travel times. However, in my experience, marketing set high expectations that the lounge didn't deliver.
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