This is a guest post. My brother had the opportunity to visit the Flagship Delta One Lounge at JFK Airport recently. This is his experience.
Have you ever wondered what it is like inside one of Delta’s most exclusive lounges? If so, you came to the right place. We are about to walk through the Flagship Delta One Lounge at JFK Airport, which is the largest and first ever Delta One Lounge to launch. At the time of this writing, there are only four Delta One Lounges in the world. The JFK (New York) location is the largest and first ever Delta One Lounge to launch. After it made its debut in late 2024, Delta added three more lounges. They are located at LAX (Los Angeles), BOS (Boston), and SEA (Seattle). Additional Delta One Lounges are anticipated to launch in the future.
Unlike the Delta Sky Club lounges, the Delta One Lounges are even more exclusive. Access is only granted to same-day Delta One travelers (or business/first-class partner airline passengers), and invite-only Delta 360 members.
I had the opportunity to travel internationally for a business trip. My itinerary included a 5-hour layover at JFK, so I stopped by to explore the Delta One Lounge. I had visited numerous Delta Sky Club lounges in the past, but this was my first time at a Delta One Lounge. I was delighted with the amenities offered at this lounge that I decided to contribute to my sister’s travel blog (my second ever guest post!) to share this unique experience.
Delta One Lounge – JFK Lounge Map
The Delta One Lounge at JFK is located in Terminal 4. There are other Delta Sky Clubs located in Terminal 4. If you are traveling with a Delta One ticket, make sure to enter the Delta One Lounge located between Concourse A and Concourse B. Below is a floor plan of the different areas within the Delta One Lounge, and we will explore each one.
Area 1 – Concierge
There are two entrances to the Delta One Lounge. You can enter on second level, where you will be greeted by the concierge at the front door. Simply scan your Delta One boarding pass to enter the lounge. Alternatively, you can enter on the ground level, and take the elevator to the second level to access the main lounge area.
Helpful Hint: If there is a long line of travelers waiting to enter the Delta One Lounge on the second level, I would recommend taking an escalator down and enter on the first level. When I exited the Delta One Lounge, I noticed the line was backed up on the second level, but it was completely clear on the first level.
Area 2 – Fireplace Lounge / Area 3 – Icon Bar
Upon entering the Delta One Lounge from the second level, the Fireplace Lounge will be on your left while the Icon Bar will be on your right. If your time at the lounge is limited, this
would be a good area to grab a drink and relax. However, if you have ample time in the lounge and interested in a complimentary spa treatment and dining, you would need to
head to the Wellness Room (Area 10) and the Brasserie (Area 4) to make a reservation. I would recommend making a reservation right away as appointment times tend to fill up
quickly.
Area 4 – Brasserie
The Brasserie is a full service restaurant with diverse dining options. It can get crowded, but it is my favorite part of the Delta One Lounge experience. The food from the chef-
curated menu is top notch. On my outbound trip, I skipped the first course, and doubled up on the prime steak as well as the sea scallops. I also connected through JFK on my return
trip home. On my way back, I ordered the cod gindara and again, the sea scallops. All of them were delicious – pictures below!
Dining at the Brasserie is not complete without dessert, of course. When I saw the “Vanilla White Chocolate Soufflé” on the dessert menu, I could not resist. I ordered right away and
when it finally arrived, it was prepared to perfection! One mistake I made on my outbound trip was making the Brasserie my last stop before my connecting flight. Since the soufflé takes quite a bit of time to prepare and arrive at my table, I was running up against my boarding time. At one point, I thought I had to give up dessert. Fortunately, the souffle arrived and because it was so delicious, I finished it in two minutes (literally) and then jetted towards the gate.
On my return trip home, I made the Brasserie my first stop. I ordered the chocolate soufflé again, of course. This time, I had plenty of time to enjoy it and savored every single
bite!
Area 5 – Market and Bakery
As an alternative to the Brasserie, the Delta One Lounge also features the Market, which offers a buffet-style dining option. It is great for fast and casual dining, and there is a
diverse selection of cuisine menu items. I reserved my appetite for the Brasserie, so admittedly, I did not fully explore and sample the wide selection of food available at the Market. I tried their pasta (penne, meatballs, and broccolini) and dim sum (shrimp dumplings, shumai, spring roll) dishes though. They all tasted excellent and were very satisfying – pictures below.
Area 6 – Business Lounge / Area 7 – Terrace
Putting food aside, it is worth noting that the Delta One Lounge design features a variety of smaller lounge set-ups, each configured to create a specific ambience. The Business Lounge
offers a good setting for business travelers to have meetings and conversations. Within this space, there are several enclosed business pods available for those who may need to make
calls, convene a small group meeting, or simply work with a bit more privacy.
For a more relaxed, natural setting, there is the outdoor terrace. The terrace features lots of windows and sunlight, and great panoramic views of aircraft outside.
Helpful Hint: If the business pods are full at the Business Lounge, there are additional business pods available on the other end of the Delta One Lounge, right past the Terrace.
Area 8 – Rejuvenation Bar / Area 9 – Serenity Lounge
If a calmer setting is desired, I would recommend heading over to the Rejuvenation Bar to grab a refreshing drink and then find a spot to relax at the Serenity Lounge.
The Rejuvenation Bar offers a variety of healthy and refreshing drink options to keep you hydrated. Situated right outside of the Wellness Room, it also a serves as a waiting area for
those awaiting their spa treatment or massage chair appointments.
Adjacent to the Rejuvenation Bar is the Serenity Lounge, which provides a peaceful setting for those who desire a calmer space. Personally, I prefer taking advantage of the Serenity
Lounge, rather than the more hectic and noisier Business Lounge, to concentrate and catch up on some work.
Area 10 – Wellness Room
If there’s time to fully indulge at the Delta One Lounge, there is the Wellness Room which features a complimentary spa treatment as well as massage chairs. It is a great amenity to
to help you decompress after a long travel day, or recharge ahead of the next flight. Reservation is required, and both of them are available on a first come, first serve basis.
For the spa treatment, you can book an appointment with a staff member at the entrance to the Wellness Room. There are different spa treatment options, but the neck and shoulder
massage is the most popular. I went to make a reservation as soon as the Wellness Room opened at noon, so I was fortunate to secure an appointment with only a 20 minute wait
time. The massage itself lasted only about 15 minutes, but it was a very pleasant perk to complement a long travel day.
For the massage chair treatment, you can book an appointment at any of the nearby self-service kiosks. There are several massage chairs at the Wellness Room, so availability is
slightly better compared to the spa treatment. Nevertheless, it can still get busy. There were ten people ahead of me when I booked my appointment. It took about 40 minute
before a text message alerted me that my massage chair is ready. Similar to the spa treatment, each massage chair session lasts about 15 minutes.
The Delta One Lounge message chairs are premium and capable of providing a full body massage. I found the default pressure to be intense, though I do not generally use massage
chairs enough to know if that is normal. If you’re not used to chair massages or prefer a more soothing session, recommend asking the staff member to adjust the pressure on the
machine to a softer setting before they close the curtain to your own chamber pod. Either way, this was a nice amenity to wind down after a long business trip.
Area 11 – Shower Suites
Lastly, the Delta One Lounge is outfitted with several shower suites. Additionally, there are several private bathrooms located in this area, which is great for those who desire a larger
and more comfortable space to change clothes or freshen up after a long haul flight. All of them are outfitted with premium Grown Alchemist bath products, and there is a modern feel to the space.
Final Thoughts
My overall Delta One Lounge experience at JFK exceeded my expectations. While my favorite amenities are dining at the Brasserie for some world-class food and decompressing
at the Wellness Room with the spa treatment, there are other amenities at the lounge. While I did not take advantage of all these other offerings, these other amenities include
valet steaming for your garments, shoe shine service, luggage checks, espresso monitors to connect the display to your laptop, and plenty of chargers throughout the lounge to ensure
your electronics never run out of power.
Given my experience at the Delta One Lounge at JFK, I will admit that it will cause me to rethink how I travel for long trips in the future. If I end up flying Delta One on an
international business trip again, I just might consider going out of my way to connect through JFK Airport, and plan extra time during my layover to relax and enjoy all the
amenities available at the Delta One Lounge.
Delta’s slogan is “Keep Climbing.” The introduction of this very first Delta One Lounge at JFK Airport in 2024 has lived up to the hype, and the attentive service is nothing short of impressive. With the buzz surrounding the launch of additional Delta One lounges in the future, Delta is certainly living up to that slogan.
P.S. If there is one more treat to top off traveling on a Delta One ticket, it would be flying on one of their Flagship A350 aircraft equipped with business suites. A review of the Delta
Flagship Business Suites is available by clicking this article link (“A Look Inside Delta’s New Flagship A350 Business Suites!”).
Disclaimer: To respect the privacy of other guests in the lounge, a few pics have been modified solely to remove identifiable guests. (For Marvel fans, this is the first time I’m applying the “Thanos” effect).
