Delta One private security opens at JFK, with direct link to high-end lounge

11.11.2024 - 18:37 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy / Delta I (I)

Last month, Delta Air Lines cut the ribbon on its second business-class-only lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). A beautiful but smaller, more food-and-beverage focused outpost, the new LAX facility can't quite match the sheer scope of Delta's sprawling, 40,000 square-foot oasis at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which launched the high-end lounge portfolio this past summer.

Yet, from day one, the Delta One Lounge at LAX did boast at least one distinct advantage over the 4-month-old facility at JFK: a dedicated, private security checkpoint to help the carrier's high-paying guests skirt the chaos of the airport concourse.

Already, though, JFK has closed that gap in a big way.

Delta One private entrance at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

In late October, Delta quietly opened a key, remaining component of its premium facilities in New York, complete with a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint only open to passengers eligible to use the Delta One Lounge.

Today, if you're departing JFK on a Delta One ticket, you'll be able to navigate check-in, security, and the walk to the lounge without ever coming into contact with the rest of the flying public.

To use the Delta One check-in facilities or lounge, you have to be flying on a Delta One ticket; a domestic first-class ticket won't get you in. Neither will any Delta cobranded American Express credit cards or Medallion elite status — although flyers with invitation-only Delta 360 status can use the Delta One Lounge even if they're flying on a domestic first-class fare. Passengers flying on comparable tickets with certain SkyTeam partners can use the space, too.

You'll find the dedicated Delta One check-in facilities on the right-hand side of JFK's Terminal 4, steps from the drop-off curb as you enter the departures level; look for the tan wood structure adorned with Delta One branding.

The initial portion of this check-in experience actually opened in conjunction with the lounge debut this summer.

Walk through the sliding doors, and you'll be in a spacious, walled-off (but open-air) lobby.

Compared to LAX, you'll get a few more steps in as you make your way from entry point to lounge, but it's still a far more serene and seamless experience than what you'd typically expect at an airport.

Walk down a makeshift, naturally-lit hallway — perhaps pausing for a photo along the way — and you'll arrive at the presecurity lounge area.

There are Delta One-exclusive check-in desks. You can also sit with a customer service representative if you need assistance.

Like at Delta's premium LAX check-in facility, there are some presecurity refreshments. You can grab some Nespresso coffee, a