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Delta Lounge First Class Review. New York JFK

The Delta Lounge First Class in JFK Terminal 4 is pretty stellar. The space is large, the buffet is high quality and there’s complimentary alcohol. The lounge design was nice too. Kudos to Delta for investing in their Premium Experience!

JFK Terminal 4 is probably the best terminal in the USA for airport lounges. There’s a Virgin Clubhouse, Chase Sapphire lounge, AMEX Centurion Lounge and others. The Delta Lounge is amongst the best.


The negative is the same as for all Delta Sky Clubs. There’s too many people! Overcrowding is often an issue.

I only got 45 minutes in the lounge, but I was happy with what I saw. Even though there wasn’t much time, I made sure to take lots of photos. You can click any photo, to open up the slideshow.

In this article, I explain the different ways to access the lounge. You can’t get access with a Priority Pass. However, there are five lounges in JFK Terminal 4 that you can access with a Priority Pass. I cover this in detail.

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What I Liked

  • Large Lounge
  • Large Windows with runway views
  • High quality buffet
  • Manned bar with complimentary alcohol
  • Well designed lounge

What Could be Improved

  • Very busy. I thought I wouldn’t get in!

The Entry Requirements

The Delta Lounge First Class is classified as a Delta Sky Club. Below, I summarise how to access the Delta Sky Club, JFK.

  • Fly on a Delta One Ticket for domestic or international travel
  • Purchase a Sky Club Membership for $695
  • Get the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. $650 annual fee
  • Get the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card. $650 annual fee
  • Get the Platinum Card from American Express. $695 annual fee
  • Get the Business Platinum Card from American Express. $550 annual fee
  • Fly in Business or First Class with one of Delta’s 18 partner airlines
  • Hold elite status with LATAM, Westjet or Virgin Atlantic


I got in as I was flying in Delta’s international First Class. They call this cabin, Delta One.

If you have access to the Delta lounge, you’ll also have access to the Virgin Clubhouse. That lounge is also in JFK, Terminal 4. It has an excellent reputation. Review here. I chose not to go to the Virgin Clubhouse, this time.

The Delta Sky Club was next to my departure gate. I was travelling as a family of 4. I didn’t want to drag them across 30 gates and back!


The Lounge access with Priority Pass

One alternative for Lounge Access is to have a Priority Pass Card. You can use the card to access over 1,500 airport lounges worldwide. You can access five Priority Pass Lounges in JFK, Terminal 4. The Virgin Clubhouse, The Air India Lounge, The Primeclass Lounge, The Chase Sapphire Lounge and Minute Suites.

You can buy membership on this webpage. This is a special link, that provides discounts of up to 30% on membership.

  • Standard membership costs $69. 30% discount
  • Standard Plus membership costs $263. 20% discount
  • Prestige membership costs $422. 10% discount


Standard Plus membership costs $263. You get 10 free lounge visits per year. So each visit costs $26.30. Great value for unlimited food, unlimited alcohol and your own personal space. Prestige membership costs $422 and gives unlimited lounge visits.

If you go direct to the Priority Pass website, then you won’t get any discounts. Don’t go direct to the Priority Pass website! Better to use this link.

The Location

The Delta Lounge First Class is in New York JFK, Terminal 4. Next to gate B32. My flight was leaving from B32. So this was a good result!

JFK terminal 4 has the A concourse and the B concourse. The A concourse is right after security. You need to travel further to get to the B concourse.

There’s a Delta Sky Club on the A concourse and the B concourse. The experience in both lounges is similar. So I would choose the lounge that is most convenient for you.

The Lounge

When I arrived at the Delta Sky Club, the lounge was at capacity. There was a large queue outside. It was 2 hours to my flight. I was resigned to not getting in. I’m always sad when I don’t get to do a review!

Fortunately, my wife walked past the lounge 20 minutes later. She saw that the queue was gone. So we decided to use the lounge for a few minutes.

The lounge is massive. It’s on level four, with the main concourse on level two. The lounge has windows on all four sides, with some lovely runway views. Sadly, it was the evening, so it was dark. In the day, the lounge would be soaking in natural light and warmth.

The lounge has the following facilities:

  • Large space
  • Hot buffet
  • Manned bar
  • Different types of seating
  • Runway views


The centre of the lounge has the bar and the buffet. This section of the lounge doesn’t have windows.

The lounge was very busy. I couldn’t find four seats for my family, so I had to stand! The busyness of the lounge affected the ambience and atmosphere. There was constant chatter and people walking by. I like to have my own space in an airport lounge, so I would have liked it to be less busy.

I liked the design of the lounge. The furniture was nice. Everything was in excellent condition. I would say that the décor was more functional, rather than luxury.

The Food

In the centre of the lounge, was a small cold buffet and a separate hot buffet. The following was on offer.

  • Sourdough bread
  • Cooked mushrooms
  • Olives
  • Roast potatoes
  • Roast vegetables
  • Cut fruit
  • Salad
  • Fish casserole
  • Turkey sandwich
  • Soup
  • Potato chips
  • Cookies
  • Pastries


I had roast potatoes, bread, olives and mushrooms. I wasn’t hungry, as I’d already eaten. However, I wanted to eat something for this review.

The food was very good. The bread was fresh. I topped it with mushrooms and olives. Which were flavoursome and oily. The roast potatoes had the skin on and were herbed.

The food was cooked properly. Rather than being taken from a freezer and reheated in an oven. I would have happily eaten dinner here.

The Drinks

There was a manned bar that served alcohol. Beer, wine, spirits and cocktails were complimentary. There were premium drinks that were chargeable.

Coffee was available from a machine. You could also get Starbucks drip coffee. I didn’t try anything, as I didn’t have time. I had 45 minutes in the lounge. In that time, I took photos, got food for my kids and ate something myself. There was no time for me to do anything more.

I hope your visit to the Delta Sky Club is more relaxing than mine!

If you have access to the Delta Sky Club. Then you also have access to the Virgin Clubhouse in JFK, Terminal 4. They have champagne on tap. Which is a pretty nice feature. You could even try both lounges!

The drinks options at Delta Sky Clubs are very consistent in different lounges. I visited the Sky Club in Miami. Review here. They also had a manned bar and Starbucks drip coffee. That lounge is a pretty good option, when you travel via Miami.

The Best Activities in New York

The Delta Sky Club is located in JFK Terminal 4. JFK being the main airport, serving New York. New York is a global centre of culture, business and finance. It’s one of my very favourite places to visit. Below are some of my favourite activities.

A ticket to the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Experience can be booked here. It costs $46.The experience is rated 5* from 3,228 reviews. It’s amazing! Explore three levels of mind-bending immersive experiences atop the tallest commercial skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Enjoy spectacular 360 views of NYC.

The best value boat tour can be booked here. The Circe Line Harbour Lights Cruise costs $54. The cruise is rated at 5* from 2,360 reviews. The sunset cruise lasts 2 hours. You’ll glide across the Hudson River and into New York Harbour.

The most popular helicopter tour can be booked here. Rated 5* from 850 reviews. It costs $329. You’ll soar over the Big Apple. And see the Manhattan Skyline, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, One World Trade Centre, Statue of Liberty and more. This was one the favourite things I’ve ever done!

Conclusion

I really liked the Delta Lounge First Class at JFK Terminal 4. The food and drinks were excellent. In a terminal with some great lounges, the Delta Sky Club impresses.

The lounge suffers from overcrowding, as do all Delta Sky clubs. If you can get in, then you’ll like it!

I flew in Delta First Class from New York to Miami. Review here. The flight had a large recliner seat. There were personal TV screens, complimentary alcohol and a friendly crew. However the food was bad!

JFK Terminal 4 has an AMEX Centurion Lounge. Review here. I enjoyed my visit. They have a wide variety of hot dishes, manned bar serving alcohol and natural light. I can definitely recommend it.

One of my favourite hotels is the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Review here. The hotel is famous and hosts the Golden Globe film awards. It has stunning décor, beautiful rooftop pool and excellent food. In my review, I explain how I stayed at the hotel for a 64% discount.

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