Inside the Delta One Lounge at JFK: Fine Dining and a Spa

I wished I had more time at the Delta One lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK). A two-and-a-half hour layover at JFK simply wasn’t enough to enjoy the plentiful food options, including the impressive Brasserie restaurant that serves three-course meals to your table.

There are also plenty of thoughtful amenities, from the ability to check your carry-on bag at the front to complimentary spa treatments, showers, massage chairs, work booths, and extra monitors you can borrow.

Next time I connect through JFK, I might even choose a longer layover so I can do more in the lounge.

Access to the Delta One Lounge at JFK

The Delta One Lounge is only open to:

• Passengers with a same-day ticket in a Delta One cabin.

• Delta 360 members departing or arriving on a same-day ticket in Delta First Class.

• Passengers with same-day or connecting flights on Delta partners Air France, LATAM, KLM, Korean Air or Virgin Atlantic in their first or business class cabins. 

Delta does not sell day passes for the Delta One lounge, nor does it allow access to Delta co-branded credit cardholders or Delta Sky Club members. However, it is possible to use points and miles to book a Delta One ticket or a qualifying premium class ticket on a partner airline.

Delta One Lounge JFK location

At JFK, the lounge is in Terminal 4 between Concourses A and B close to the main security checkpoint. There are entrances both on the lower level, which is best for connecting passengers and closer to the security checkpoint for passengers who are beginning their trip at JFK.

Delta One passengers have access to their own exclusive check-in area and TSA screening line.

The lounge is open from 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, but the brasserie inside is only open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Check-in

You’ll show your boarding pass to enter. One nice perk is you can check your carry-on baggage with an attendant, so you’re not dragging it around the club with you.

This is really great, especially since the lounge can get a bit crowded during peak times. It’s nice to have a meal without your rollaboard carry-on next to you.

Food and drink in the Delta One Lounge JFK

When looking at all the food and drink options inside the Delta One Lounge at JFK, it’s easy to forget you’re at an airport. You certainly will not leave hungry.

One main attraction is the Brasserie, the fine dining restaurant with space for 140 diners sitting for a three-course meal. There can be a wait, so if you want to eat here, put your name on the list when you arrive. You’ll get a text when your table is ready.

While I was waiting, I walked to the market dining area and bakery, which had a wide selection of sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, hot entrees and many sweet treats.

There are several bars in the Delta One Lounge, including the premium bar where I sat just outside the fine dining room. The ceiling is gold, lit up by a halo of statement lighting fixtures, and it feels elegant. There is a wide variety of drinks available, including wine, beer, spirits and cocktails.

I chose the pumpkin-spiced espresso martini, which was delicious and potent.

Bartenders go around the lounge with beverage carts, so you don’t even have to get out of your seat if you want a refill.

Soon, my table at the Brasserie was ready and I sat down at a table with a view of the open kitchen.

There were many great items to choose from, but I skipped the appetizers and went straight for the entree and dessert, ordering the Steak Frites, which was wagyu beef with fries and a salad. The beef melted in my mouth.

For dessert, I opted for the Dark Chocolate Souffle. The chocolate souffle was one of the best I've ever had with just the right amount of sweetness.

After listening to the waiter tell a nearby table about the unique Upside-Down Orange Olive Oil Cake, I had to try it. It was delicious.

The people next to me ordered the Roasted Heirloom Carrots and Hamachi Crudo and seemed to enjoy both. I was impressed with the plating. This definitely was a step above your average airport lounge’s food presentation.

Amenities

While you could eat and drink for hours, the Delta One Lounge at JFK has a variety of amenities for relaxing, working, chatting or freshening up. Some of the services they offer are complimentary shoe shines and valet steaming.

Wellness area

For relaxing, the lounge has a wellness area with nine relaxation pods with massage chairs, which can be reserved.

Comfortable seats are nearby and the lighting is designed to impact the body’s circadian rhythms and help you get ready for a time zone change after a flight.

The Rejuvenation Bar has nonalcoholic drinks, water and juice.

Sadly, I did not have enough time to enjoy these amenities during my visit since my focus was on food.

The spa was in the back of the lounge and three treatments (an eye treatment, a hand and arm massage and a neck, shoulder, scalp and temple massage) were available, but only if I was willing to wait at least three hours for the next appointment. My layover was not that long.

Showers

As for a refreshing shower, there are eight shower suites complete with Grown Alchemist products, towels, robes and slippers.

While you're showering, a valet attendant can steam your clothes or shine your shoes.

I didn’t use these facilities during this visit, but I know how revitalizing a shower can feel after a long flight, even if you put your same clothes back on.

Workspaces

If you need to work in the Delta One Lounge at JFK, there are eight soundproof booths to use and computer monitors you can borrow.

Terrace and seating areas

The Delta One Lounge at JFK also has many places to sit and chat, including the outdoor terrace with a retractable roof and a view of the arriving and departing planes.

There are many different seating spaces throughout the lounge. Some are near bars, others are perfect for plane spotting with floor-to-ceiling windows and a few are tucked away.

All of them were fairly busy when I was there, but the strict entry requirements mean that it probably won’t have the same overcrowding issues as other airport lounges.

Top photo by Tiffani Sherman.