Delta Airlines' The most exclusive airport lounge opened this week for travelers with the correct ticket.
The Delta One lounge on the airline's hub at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is accessible to customers departing or arriving within the Delta One cabin, the airline's highest class of service. It's the newest attempt by a U.S. airline to draw big-paying customers. CNBC got a peek inside ahead of opening day.
The 36,000-square-foot space features an upscale restaurant with seating, in addition to a fast bakery and snack counter. There can be a full bar and a terrace with airfield views.
The lounge, Delta's largest, is a step up from the more easily accessible Sky Club lounges and offers recent areas to loosen up. Travelers are offered complimentary spa treatments for the eyes, hands and arms, in addition to a “Recovery Remedy,” a 10-minute shoulder, head and temple massage.
According to Delta, there are eight shower suites with robes and slippers, and travelers can leave their clothes outside to be steamed by staff inside minutes.
There are eight soundproof cabins for travelers who need to proceed working. The lounge has space for a complete of 515 people.
Delta announced last yr that the common age of its SkyMiles members had dropped from 44 in 2017 to 39 in 2022, and the airline desires to secure travelers' loyalty early.
“It's important to realize that not every new member starts out as a million miler,” Dwight James, Delta's senior vice chairman of customer retention and loyalty, said in an interview. “This premium term we're talking about is also an aspirational goal.”
James declined to say how much Delta is investing within the lounge.
Delta has struggled with overcrowding and long lines at a few of its other Sky Clubs. Last yr, the corporate introduced more restrictive access rules, only to loosen up a few of them weeks later after customer outcry.
“I’m really confident that the queuing problem will be solved once the lounge opens,” said James.
In addition to travelers with Delta One tickets, the lounge can be open to travelers with Delta's secret, invitation-only “360” status, which is awarded to pick out individuals. Travelers within the applicable cabins of Delta's partner airlines even have access.
Starting in September or October, the Delta One Lounge can have its own security checkpoint, a profit the airline offers Delta One travelers at Los Angeles International Airport.
The airline plans to open Delta One lounges in Boston and Los Angeles later this yr. James said the corporate is currently evaluating Delta One lounges in other cities, resembling at its fundamental hub in Atlanta and in Seattle.
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