Review: Delta One Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)

I love when everyone comes together to deliver an exceptional product that the service staff can be proud of and show that pride. A common sentiment after flying with Asian airlines is longingly asking "why can't we have this in the US?" so it's refreshing to see Delta deliver on that. Props to DL, and I really hope they can keep this up for the long-term with no degradation.

Was just there love it! Way better than AA's offering. Was able to grab a late dinner on arrival from LAX. Great staff and great dinner.

With Delta being the main tenant of JFKs terminal 4 as well as being one of their hubs, they really need to renovate the landside areas especially the departure and arrival areas from signage and flight information displays down to the floor tiles and paint as the paint is literally peeling.

Thrilled that the service here is top notch. Hiring a good service worker, let alone a good service team, is a huge challenge in manners-challenged NYC.

What I mean to say is not that NYC is rude but NYC lets you get away with rudeness and an non-discerning hiring manager will quickly find his or her staff full of people who don't return a "thank you" with "you're welcome."

Let me explain. Moreso than any other city, NY is home to a wide spectrum of people. Knowing nothing about a New Yorker other than they are from here (let's even say born and raised) it is nigh impossible to know whether they'll say "thank you" when you hold the door open, whether they'll greet the receptionist at the doctor's office with a smile, and whether, when they tell you (non-sarcastically) to "have a nice day," they will wait for "you too" or they will instantly hang up the phone without even saying bye.

Few New Yorkers are out-and-out nasty. Many have RBF and look grumpy; about half these people are just genetically/phenotypically ugly, and the other half merely don't care to present a likable countenance, which is their right but at the same time, goes to show you how much they care. But then you have people who do care, and to find and hire and train these people is a huge feat. Way to go Delta.

AA's food at JFK lounges gave my colleague food poisoning. Please avoid.

Is this the best business class lounge on the East Coast? I can't think of one that's better. Polaris is objectively a step down. The staffing levels at Delta lounges are just much higher, which leads to more curated, bespoke service.

For people that aren't obsessed with the pricetags on alcohol, they will enjoy the better food, service, and amenities much more than even at the Chelsea Lounge.

My major concern is the bizarre inconsistencies and access policies with D1 lounges. You have one that's 1/4 the size in LAX, then the BOS one is 1/2 the size of LAX, with short opening hours and weird partner access policies.

A common sentiment after flying with Asian airlines is longingly asking "why can't we have this in the US?"

Diversity is the reason we can't have this in the US. I do not mean DEI. I mean the US celebrates individuality to an extent that we have no common sense of pride.

This lounge and the subsequent DeltaOne flight JFK->LAX has made me switch loyalty to DL after I tried it.

I may not pay 2x the other carriers, but I'll happily pay an extra 35%.

It comes down to differences in culture.

In the US, service workers are notoriously underpaid and take no pride in their work. This leads to them putting in the bare minimum to get their paycheck.

In East Asia, kids are taught from a young age to excel and take pride in delivering high quality output. Since customer satisfaction is the top metric for the service industry, you get Asian staff that focuses on providing good service for customers.

This has to be one of the most pointless word salads yet.

They're one of the top trolls on the platform and has an army of accounts to upvote their drivel.

They always talk some nonsense or reference some dumb law firm that they don't work at.

@Aaron

Agreed. And also patently untrue.

I'll be in this lounge on Thursday and again the following Monday.

Thanks for the post - it reminds me that I'm in for a treat during a three-hour layover on one of the trips.

As a SFO based Flyer who sometimes gets routed thru EWR, for me Polaris is still beyond in the drinks game. On my last trips, they poured Lanson Black Label. I think it’s cheap of Delta to have this partnership with Taittinger and then to not pour it in one of their main gateway lounges. I’m one of those that prefers the “well-rounded” experiences, and Delta one just doesn’t do it (yet at least). For me food in the air always sucks, so I make sure I eat on the ground or have my own provisions.

Excellent Thanks I was hoping my VA UpperClass flight would get me access. The VA Club house is nice, but this is new!

I would expect such sensationalism and payola from Zach Griff at TPG, but not One Mile at a Time:

"The Delta One Lounge JFK is incredible. It’s without a doubt the best business class lounge in the United States, and I’d argue it’s one of the top few business class lounges in the world (if not the best)."

They charge for wine that other lounges give away for free.

This is my problem with it too. By all means, this lounge looks very good, and I'll actually consider flying eligible Skyteam airlines to try it.
BUT, a paywall in a lounge? Don't like it all.

And as great as the lounge may be they're still putting you on a dumpy old 767 or an old A330. Would you rather a glitzy lounge or a better on-board product at $5,000 a ticket?

You're literally so obsessed with alcohol and their price tags. It's not healthy. Every post you cry about this, HA's wine is to cheap for you onboard, D1 alcohol isn't good enough, etc.

They already have plenty of great options that are complimentary. Them serving better alcohol would make a marginal difference, truly.

If a cup of fermented grapes matters to you so much, then go to a vineyard, not an airport.

The sign clearly references VS Flying Club Gold members (but no other elites). Does that mean that you can get in flying in Y as long as you have that card?

Food is good. Staff is good. Lounge is gorgeous. It’s also unbearably loud. Nothing absorbs any noise in there. I left after 20 minutes to sit at the gate. Which was much quieter.

Do you have to tip the bartender after buying a fancy glass of wine?

I hope UA takes notice here. Not expecting them to make significant upgrades to match, but with ORD's Polaris lounge getting renovated/expanded and the EWR getting expanded, I do hope UA takes the time to get closer to this.

DL took a long time to get here, but yeah this looks fantastic.

The best place to avoid the noise is the observation deck. It has the sound of the planes, yes, but it's more of a white noise than the inside of the lounge (I can't hear a thing when I'm in cacophonous settings, and yes, that D1 lounge does get LOUD during peak times).

This lounge is so great, the bartender tips YOU.

I'll provide a bit of a counterpoint. I was surprised by how crowded the lounge was, and a lot of the services -- massages and what not -- seem to be offered more to check boxes than anything else.

The sit-down restaurant falls into this category as well. After experiencing a long international flight, really I want a comfortable, quiet space and a decent buffet -- not a four-star meal.

I say this as a Delta aficionado who loves the regular SkyClubs, though admittedly I have not been to the one at JFK. I would have much preferred if they had dedicated more space to seating.

Ben loves to throw some red meat into the ring regarding airline strategy but his reviews are accurate because he realizes his reputation is associated w/ his reviews.

Thus when he says the following, you have to respect that he is one of the most traveled traveler reviewers.
“Delta waited a long time to get into the game of operating premium lounges and competing with American Flagship Lounges and United Polaris Lounges, but my gosh, the airline knocked it out of the park.
“The Delta One Lounge JFK is incredible. It’s without a doubt the best business class lounge in the United States, and I’d argue it’s one of the top few business class lounges in the world (if not the best).”

The real question is how these new Delta One lounges move the market; Delta is obviously investing in them with the expectation of a return on investment.
Let’s look at where DL stands and where it has the potential to go in NYC, BOS, LAX and SEA – the 4 cities that have or will have D1 lounges in months.
At NYC, Port Authority data shows that DL and UA are virtually tied in number of passengers boarded over the past 12 months. DL is the only one of the 4 NYC big players (also including AA and B6) that is growing; UA’s shrinkage will accelerate in 2025 as EWR rehabilitates runways.

DL is the largest domestic carrier from NYC and also the largest to Latin America in conjunction with Latam. DL operates 15% more flights than UA from NYC and still has potential to grow flights from NYC due to slot usage exemptions; UA is at capacity unless it gets back into JFK.

DL on its own metal is about 2/3 the size of UA on international routes but the two are on par when their JV partners are included; AC is the largest foreign airline in NYC (and in the US) but a fairly small percentage of AC’s traffic is to outside of N. America. In other words, DL and its JV partners’ widebody operations from NYC are larger than UA’s international operations plus UA’s JV partners.
AA is about half the size of DL in both int’l and domestic flights from JFK and LGA.

DL is larger than B6 at JFK in international passengers; given that DL’s international capacity is much more heavily skewed to longhaul international routes than B6, DL’s international revenue east of the Hudson is much higher than B6’s.

In BOS, DL has handedly over taken B6, is the largest international carrier at SEA, and is the largest carrier at LAX even before it begins its inevitable further international buildup of Asia flights.

Let’s keep in mind that DL does not operate any flights to Asia from either JFK or BOS and that is certain to change from JFK within a couple years; BOS potentially later.

In terms of product, DL is not just upgrading its ground facilities w/ the D1 lounges but also upgrading its onboard product and training its FAs.
Not only are the D1 lounges some of the best in the world, according to Ben, but DL’s onboard product and service could be on par with other carriers – including JV partner AF’s first class – within a couple years.

In terms of fleet, DL is retiring 767-300s, an aircraft that its execs have said generates the lowest premium cabin NPS scores – and replacing them with A330-900s which have D1 suites.

By the end of the year DL will have about 80 A350s and 339s with Delta One suites while AA should have a half dozen 787s in service with business class suites and UA will have precisely zero. All 3 will have premium configured A321NEOs by the end of the year; AA and DL have already said the focus will be on domestic routes; AA and UA will use them for transatlantic flights but DL will not. UA’s only business class suites will be on narrowbodies for years to come.
DL will be getting its A350-1000s and will have more than a dozen of the most capable A350-900s in its flight by the end of the year, more than enough to fly anywhere in the world on an aircraft that is more capable than aircraft in AA or UA’s fleet. When the A350-1000s enter service, JFK and LAX are likely to see them which will also give DL the most capable and efficient aircraft i
n the US carrier widebody fleet.

Delta moves very methodically and has built its presence in NYC as well as at each of its 4 coastal hubs faster than any other carrier has ever grown in any competitive hubs. The DL One lounges, new aircraft, and upgraded onboard service will put Delta in the best position any US airline has ever been in to grow in highly competitive international markets, of which all of DL’s coastal hubs must be characterized.

The Delta One lounges are just a part of what DL will do to grow its international network.

DL's JFK widebody operation is 2nd largest behind ATL.
When ATL gets a D1 lounge, we can compare how large it is.

DL allows transcon D1 passengers into the D1 lounge; UA does not. AA might add a bunch of 321XLR flights which will increase the usage of its premium clubs at JFK but the size of the JFK D1 lounge - its largest lounge on its system right now - reflects the number of eligible passengers that can use it.

The LAX D1 lounge seems to be less crowded than JFK at either's peaks. Lounge size is related to potential demand.

DL will add more D1 flights to BOS and increase hours. Their partners for the most part apparently are not willing to pay the fees DL wants to use the D1 lounge or DL is not interested in outsourcing its JV partners, probably a combination of both.

otherwise your comments are spot on.

I'll concur that this lounge is the best in the US, and would have to really sit down and think about what international J lounge would be better.

One commentor mentioned the one and only draw back......it gets FREAKING LOUD around 6PM. You have to go back toward the massage area or where the phone booths are to get away from the noise.

As for the people complaining about the wine prices, the way I look at it is the free stuff is very good. So that is definitely good enough, and good for Delta to get a little money out of it from people can afford the more expensive stuff. They don't care.

The first two paragraphs are relevant. The rest is drivel. Why, why, why….

Sorry, this lounge doesn't even compete with United's Polaris lounges. Besides, Delta is a second tier airline, employing non-union workers. In fact, Delta has spent tens of millions of dollars demonizing unions over the years, resulting in employees who make less over their careers, have fewer benefits, and are at will employees meaning they can be fired at any time for any reason with or without cause with or without notification. Why anybody would want to fly an airline with those kinds of values is beyond me. But as for the product itself, this is definitely second rate.

Sorry, but Delta is anything but United. It is very hard to come together when you demonize labor, and spend tens of millions of dollars on anti-union propaganda to ensure your employees make less, have fewer benefits, and are at will so they can be fired at any time with or without notification with or without cause. Now you know, so spare me your BS.

just because you can't understand it doesn't make it irrelevant.

To add, DOT data shows that DL's international profit margin was 9% compared to its domestic system at 5% which is comparable to UA for both its international and domestic systems.
AA loses money on its international network driven by losses on its TATL and TPAC networks even though it reports its Latin network as profitable.

The implications are clear.
AA will be very challenged to profitably grow its international netork.
UA's profit margins on its international networks are comparable but its greatest strategic need is to grow its domestic system. It simply cannot grow its international network and also grow its international network because of the huge investments it is having to make to grow its domestic system.

DL makes more money per dollar of revenue flying international than domestic.
They aren't willing to commit to a huge international expansion without knowing that it will be sustainably profitable. In order to grow, they are spending on the 35K - the most expensive aircraft in the US carrier fleet - and the D1 lounges - which are not cheap to operate - even before upgrading onboard service.

Bottom line is that DL intends to grow its international network, is the most profitable US carrier in international markets - on both an absolute dollar and margin basis - and they are investing in what it takes to grow.

The Delta One lounges are part of a major international expansion that will be rolling out over the next five years..

you do realize that UA's FAs and mechanics - 35,000 employees - are working under contracts that became amendable in the past? Those 35K employees are being paid well below their peers.

And remember that even UA's pilots - which have the same profit sharing formula as DL's pilots - got just 2/3 of the profit sharing that DL pilots go.

spare us the union non-sense. Not only are you dead wrong on the value of what unions do or have done for United employees but every other objective person - including Ben - accurately notes that the Delta One lounges are in a league well beyond Polaris lounges.

And the Delta One suite is in a league well beyond Polaris.

I'm sorry if your bubble has been burst but the evidence is overwhelming that DL is growing its more profitable international network and WILL take a piece of the share that UA is now carrying.

It seems your real beef is with DL's union stance. The comparative judgment against Polaris is not only absurd but feels shoehorned in.

This is aesthetically on par with Polaris ORD or IAD (maybe a tad bit gaudier) and the food/bev offering is better across the board.

I will take the Polaris in-flight product over Delta One for international travel, though, as far as domestic carriers go.

I am a self-professed over-tipper. I spent my teens and college years doing all sorts of crappy service industry jobs. But I don't tip at airline lounge bars and won't. The proposition is that it's a space where you get taken care of nicely as part of the fare you paid. But I detected a microsecond of awkwardness at the lovely new DL lounge at LGA where it was clear that the bartender expected me to leave a dollar or two.

All this said, 28k SkyPesos for a bottle of Grand Siècle? Or 2500 for a pour of Blue Label? Yes please.

I would agree that if you're going to partner with Taittinger, this is the place to showcase the damn product for free to your high-value travelers. It does ring a little cheap.

I love Lanson and it's good to hear UA is pouring that in Polaris. Last Polaris flight I took had Monopole Blue Top and the FA and I joked that it was an unusually good selection for a US airline.

And to your last point, yeah food expectations with J and even F seem quite distorted. Outside of Do&Co, airlines provide pretty much Sysco-level catering for altitude-impaired taste buds. I'm not sure why people expect Michelin quality. I'd much rather eat on the ground and use my flight for sleep and work. But I'll take caviar and exceptional desserts if they're offered.

You could have argued about UA having better int'l network, DL's crappy 763s etc, but you picked THAT hill to die on? Wow.

As impressive as this lounge is now, its long-term appeal will depend on the durability of its hard product in the coming years. Many lounges I’ve visited don’t age well, often due to questionable choices in fabrics and materials that lack longevity. Only time will tell.

@Paul What on earth are you talking about? I think that DL employees are among the happiest of the airline workers groups in the U.S. industry. Don’t they have industry leading profit sharing schemes? Even if DL 16,700 pilots are in a union they get a cut of the profit sharing too. Not sure about their 500 dispatchers though since they are unionized as well but I would tend to believe that they are a part of the profit sharing scheme as well. Look at an earlier OMAAT POST:

https://onemileatatime.com/news/delta-profit-sharing/

Delta’s profit sharing leads the pack among U.S. airlines. Also, being in a union or not does not equate to the overall morale and salary and benefits package of employees which you can see with DL’s non-unionized employees. Look at how passengers would often mention about negative feedback with UA or AA unionized flight attendants but not as much with DL non-unionized flight attendants because they are actually happy with their jobs which they treat as their long term careers. Go international and see other employees who are not in unions and they are happy as well. It all depends on the relationship the company has with its employees and what management/the boss will do to show how much it values and appreciates the workers.

Paul’s quote: Sorry, but Delta is anything but United. It is very hard to come together when you demonize labor, and spend tens of millions of dollars on anti-union propaganda to ensure your employees make less, have fewer benefits, and are at will so they can be fired at any time with or without notification with or without cause. Now you know, so spare me your BS.‘

Why would you even defend United? Look at how their frontline employees are still fighting for a new contract. Do you support an airline that demonizes its frontline employees?

https://onemileatatime.com/news/united-flight-attendant-union-chaos-strike-strategy/

thanks for being willing to state the unpopular truth, Paul, even when the travel interwebs are chasing the latest shiny objects.

is the space more modern than some US lounges that opened many years ago? sure.

is it a better lounge at opening? ehhhh.

will it be a better lounge 2 years from now when delta's war on premium passengers locks it into sight? eehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

lol yolo i am sorry but this is like saying "if a lie flat seat with food is so precious to you then stay at a hotel, buy an omakase, and just fly coach in the daytime, moron"

it's a core component of the service as advertised!

The only better lounge in the US is Delta One LAX (which has a sushi bar, which makes it better). AA Flagship pre-covid was comparable, due to Flagship First Dining before it got "value-engineered" down, and the AA Chelsea lounge at JFK is nice but much smaller/worse as a pure lounge.

it does look impressive and the items offered, VERY unusual for a US carrier lounge!
COOL

How did we get into this culture, where everyone has to claim their airline is the best, and no one can be better?

The competition is good! Be glad that UA set the standard with Polaris and Delta is matching the heat with the D1 lounges, and did do a very good job.

You should want better and more competitive products. I don't really care that much about airlines "winning" at hubs or whatever.

More airline competition is good for consumers, let's hope that they all thrive. Fly whichever is your preferred carrier.

you are absolutely correct that competition is good and, as someone says, airlines don't have to be all alike.... however.

It is competition that allows companies and customers of all kinds to make comparisons to each other.

The Polaris SEAT is better than Delta One on the 767 (see Ben's latest review) but it is not better than the Delta One seat on the A350 (also see Ben's reviews). Polaris is a consistent product across UA's fleet but very few major carriers attempt to have a consistent product across their fleets because it is impossible to maintain that consistency without falling below the curve. Polaris is not even close to competitive w/ the best business class products in part because it does not have a door. The Delta One Suite came out on the 359s about the same time that Polaris came out at UA. DL will have 80 aircraft with D1 suites on 350s and 339s by the end of the year and the 330CEO fleet is apparently next up to get them in 2026 and beyond which means that 75% of DL's widebody fleet will have the DL One suite on the 330 or wider by end of the decade - and maybe closer to 85% based on estimates of DL's fleet size.
and the 35Ks are expected to get an even more upgraded product that may become the basis of the Delta One seat on that fleet as well as the 330CEO fleet.

second, this article is about the Delta One lounge. Delta's Sky Clubs have long been better than the AA and UA "standard" lounges and when DL entered the business class lounge arena, it has made the D1 lounge so much better than what AA and UA, and in Ben's estimation, many global carriers offer.

third, all of the US airlines are for-profit and most are publicly traded which means that they generate huge amounts of data that eventually becomes public. DL has been the industry leader in the US in profits for about 15 years and Scott Kirby took financial comparison to a new level when he became the CEO Of UA. UA has improved dramatically but still trails DL in financial and customer service metrics 7 years after Kirby took the throne. He, like many aviation fans, cherrypicks data including arguing about hub profitability while excluding credit card and ancillary revenue which is part of how airlines make money. that, of course, is no surprise given that UA has the lowest value credit card deal right now.

comparisons are going to happen. some people invite comparisons. Some people accurately make them. Others cherrypick data in order to try to come out ahead.

Consumers are ultimately the ones that decide.

Same for hotels. It amazes me. Who are the idiots who think carpet in a hotel room at a sandy beach resort is a good idea? Or white or off-white sofas?

And who's the idiot who designs lounges but doesn't put USB outlets and electrical outlets at every chair or small tables high enough to actually eat or work from?

Sushi is more "upscale", but I like the fact they seem to be putting "local" flavor in the lounge (the pizza bar, in this case).

Why is something many of us ask when TD posts.

Reminds me of the Japanese Proverb "the nail that sticks up will be hammered down".

This plays on the Japanese Proverb "the nail that sticks up will be hammered down".

Very good and comprehensive review. Thank you!

Hi
Does anyone know if they still have that sign allowing virgin gold to use d1 check in not lounge...i know
Kinda feel that there is no other upper class check in jfk and that what’s the point of being gold if you can’t access it with family and kiddos.

Hi
Does anyone know if they still have that sign allowing virgin gold to use d1 check in not lounge...i know
Kinda feel that there is no other upper class check in jfk and that what’s the point of being gold if you can’t access it with family and kiddos.
Thanks so much