Well-heeled travelers flying Delta Air Lines out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport can now enjoy a massive new luxury lounge that’s part of the airline’s $1.5 billion investment into expanding its JFK footprint.
The Atlanta-based airline on Wednesday is set to open up 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 outfitted with robes and slippers as well as soundproof booths to get work done.
Arriving passengers who just endured a long-haul flight can check into the lounge and drop their clothes and shoes off with a valet attended who will steam or shine them while they shower.
The new facility, which holds a maximum of 515 people, includes complimentary spa treatments for the eyes, hands and arms.
Travelers can unwind with a meal or a drink while peering out over a wraparound terrace that overlooks the airfield. They also can indulge in what is being billed as a “recovery remedy” — a 10-minute massage that covers the shoulders, scalp and temples.
The Delta One lounge is a major step up from the airline’s Sky Club lounges, which offer free Wi-Fi, refreshments including food and drink, a workspace and access to power outlets.
Sandwiched between Concourses A and B in Terminal 4 of JFK, the venue also includes a high-end Brasserie restaurant, a bakery, walk-up food counter and a fully loaded bar.
Access, however, is exclusive to say the least: Travelers can’t enter unless they are members of the invite-only “360” club, or if they buy tickets to the airline’s Delta One service — the premium cabin service that offers lie-flat seats and priority check-in for round-trip fares that can reach as high as $10,000.
Last year, Delta infuriated customers when it announced that it was clamping down on access to its Sky Club, which had been beset by overcrowding in the years since demand for travel surged following the lifting of COVID-era lockdown measures.
Initially, the company said that American Express credit card holders would no longer get unlimited access to the lounges before departure.
The airline also placed a 10-visit limit on Delta Reserve and Delta Business Reserve cardholders, who pay a $550 annual fee — though infinite access can be unlocked by spending $75,000 within one year.
But the airline softened the changes by increasing the caps on visits in response to the pushback.
Holders of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card were allowed 15 visits to the lounge instead of 10.
Customers who use the American Express Platinum Card and the Business Platinum were granted 10 visits to the lounge per year — up from 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 “rejuvenation bar” that features “refreshing non-alcoholic beverages” 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 scheduled to open later this year.
Delta is also considering construction of luxury lounges in its main hub of Atlanta as well as in Seattle.
