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Konrad Tillman

Review: Delta One Lounge New York JFK (Amazing)

Intro


During my short hop to Ecuador, I was able to visit the Delta One Lounge in New York, JFK, on my way down to Quito. Before boarding the A330-900neo to Atlanta, I had 6 hours in the new Delta One Lounge to fully test out the experience.


I gotta be honest; I am blown away by how good this lounge is. However, one aspect concerns me; it might get overcrowded in the evenings, at least that is what certain staff members told me.


Overall, the space is gorgeous, the offerings are plentiful, the food is divine, and gosh, the service is out of this world. It's like the time when United installed the Polaris product; it's that good.


Let's get into it!


Location/Access


Once security is cleared, you simply head to the right and find the Delta One Lounge. When you go to check-in, the Delta agents will inform you of where the lounge is. There is a huge sign which you simply cannot miss.


If you are coming from a domestic connection, head to where the exit is, and there will be an entrance with elevators up to the lounge.


Delta One Lounge Location

In terms of access, anyone flying on a same-day Delta One ticket (departing or arriving) is eligible to access this lounge.


If you are flying on select partners such as Virgin Atlantic, Latam, and Air France in Business Class, you will also be eligible for access.


Lastly, if you are a Delta 360 member flying on a first-class ticket, you will have access.


Seating


The Delta One Lounge is huge, with the space capable of holding over 500 people. Once entering the lounge, the picturesque bar shines brightly.


Delta One Bar New York

Opposite to the bar is a beautiful room with a faux fireplace. During my time there, I saw a couple of people making phone calls in this room.


Delta One Lounge Seating New York

There are about 7 different rooms to choose from where to sit. Below are a couple of pictures from some of the different rooms.


Delta One Lounge New York JFK
Delta One Lounge Private Booths

But my absolute favorite aspect of the lounge is the outdoor area. The outdoor area has beautiful views overlooking the tarmac, which is suitable for spending hours there doing some work.


Delta One Lounge Terrace New York
Delta One Lounge Terrace New York
Delta One Lounge Terrace New York

We'll touch on service a little bit later, but being on the terrace, I met a wonderful Delta agent who was from El Salvador.


The Spa


Unfortunately, during my time there, the spa was closed. The spa is open from 12 pm onwards and consists of a small table for waiting, a few massage chairs, and some treatment rooms for complementary treatments.


Delta One Lounge Spa New York

Delta One Lounge Spa Treatment Menu New York

These treatments are free of charge and on a first-come, first-served basis. I recommend going to get on the waitlist when arriving in the lounge.


The Market/Bakery


The Brasserie (the main restaurant), isn't open until 11 am. This leaves customers who are here before or can't get a reservation at the brasserie one other option.


The Market Delta One Lounge New York

The breakfast offerings at the Market consisted of eggs, french toast, bacon, apple chicken sausages, and a couple of other bits and bobs. The bakery is right next to the market and has sandwiches, bagels, croissants, and most food items bakeries would have.


The Brasserie


The main highlight of the Delta One Lounge is the Brasserie. This is an aspect where Delta has finally come up to par with the Chelsea Lounge in New York and the Polaris lounges.


To gain access, a server will be waiting at the front to let you in. It is on a first come, first served basis, and reservations are made through Resy.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie"

It is truly a gorgeous-looking restaurant that makes you wonder how this is in an airport.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie"

Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie"

Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie"

Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie"

Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie"

I was greeted by my server for the day, who would turn out to be wonderful. I was presented with a cocktail list, including some premium wines and the menu for the day.


I decided to order everything at once since I was boarding soon.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie" Menu

For a starter, I went with the Hamachi Crudo, which was truly sublime. Warm bread was brought over to me, along with some butter.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie" Appetizer

Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie" Hamachi Crudo

For the main course, I decided on the Wagyu steak frites medium rare. It was a 5-star restaurant quality steak cooked in a perfect medium rare. Another amazing course.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie" Wagyu Steak

Since this was a special day (or so I thought), I opted to order a half bottle of Tattinger to celebrate country number 99. For 3,000 Skymiles, this was a bargain.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie" Tattinger

About 10 minutes after my steak was cleared, my final course came out. While the caramel tart sounded good, I had to go with the signature chocolate souffle. Truly a divine way to finish the meal😱.


Delta One Lounge New York "The Brasserie" Chocolate Souffle

Service was phenomenal here, as the manager of the restaurant came around to check in at each table multiple times during the meal.


Showers


Another highlight of the lounge is the quality of the showers. The showers are located in the very back of the lounge and has an agent working around the clock to assist you.


Upon arriving, the agent escorted me to one of the shower suites and informed me of some cool features.


Delta One Lounge New York Showers

Yes, you are seeing this correctly: bathrobes in a business-class lounge. Wow!


Delta One Lounge New York Showers

Delta One Lounge New York Showers

One of the most incredible aspects was a free streaming service for your clothes when you are in the shower. The agent informed me that if I wanted to leave my clothes, they would be steamed and returned in this slide-out drawer 10 minutes later. Wow.


Delta One Lounge New York Showers

There were plenty of amenities available as well, such as a shaving kit, deodorant, and facial cleanser.


Delta One Lounge New York Showers

The actual showers were fantastic, with great water pressure and easy control of temperature.


Delta One Lounge New York Showers

Delta One Lounge New York Showers

Delta One Lounge New York Showers

Overall, this is one of the nicest showers I have ever had in an airport. I am a sucker for bathrobes, so maybe that contributes.


Service


The service in the Delta One Lounge was nothing short of spectacular (unlike some other aspects of Delta, which I'll get into in another post).


The second I walked up to the lounge, I was greeted by two Guyanese agents! Cool! I met some other really interesting people who worked for Delta, such as the European manager of the Brasserie, a staff member from Haiti, and a lovely lady from El Salvador.

Everything about it felt polished to the letter.


If you happen to be roaming the lounge, there are drink carts on every corner where you can grab a mimosa or anything else that you desire. However, staff are also willing to bring drinks to your table.


Delta One Lounge New York Service

This didn't feel like I was in an airport lounge. The service demonstrated during my extended time here was the best I have ever experienced.


Final Thoughts


The new Delta One lounge is one of the best lounges in the world and by far the best business-class lounge in the world. For starters, the service is what really shines, with everyone making "Delta One" known around the lounge. I just hope that what happened with Polaris doesn't happen with Delta.


The food offerings at the market and the bakery are very good. However, The Brasserie is a restaurant that could be put in downtown Manhattan and do well.


The amenities are extensive, from bathrobes in the showers to complete spa treatments and lots of different seating options.


Overall, simply fantastic and thank you for having me, it's just a shame that I wasn't able to fly Delta One.








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2 Comments


kperea
4 days ago

I'm confused about The Brasserie. you said this - To gain access, a server will be waiting at the front to let you in. It is on a first come, first served basis, and reservations are made through Resy.


So you CAN make reservations on Resy? I don't see it listed at all in the app. Just trying to get clarification.

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tillman08
4 days ago
Replying to

Hi, no worries. I phrased it a tad wrong, and my apologies. I believe that the Resy app is used during busy hours (afternoon-evening). I couldn't see it online either, but they had a QR code outside of The Brasserie when I was there to add yourself to the "waitlist" (at least that is what the text message they sent me said)

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