Delta One JFK Lounge is now open. See what it looks like inside here

Delta Airlines The most exclusive airport lounge opened this week for travelers with the right ticket.

The Delta One Lounge at Delta’s hub at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is available to passengers departing or arriving in the airline’s top-of-the-line Delta One cabin, the US airline’s latest move to woo higher-paying customers. CNBC got a peek inside ahead of the opening.

The 39,000+ square foot space will feature an upscale sit-down restaurant, a bakery offering light fare and a walk-up food counter, as well as a full bar and a terrace overlooking the airfield.

Delta’s largest lounge is a step above the airline’s more accessible Sky Club lounges and includes new relaxation areas where travelers can enjoy complimentary spa treatments for the eyes, hands and arms, as well as 10-minute shoulder, scalp and temple massages that the airline calls “restorative therapy.”

Delta says there are eight shower stalls equipped with bathrobes and slippers, and travelers can simply leave their clothes outside and staff will steam them up within minutes.

For travelers who want to continue working, the lounge offers eight soundproof booths. The lounge has a total seating capacity of 515.

Delta Air Lines said last year that the average age of its SkyMiles members has fallen from 44 in 2017 to 39 in 2022, and it hopes to win travelers’ loyalty sooner.

“It’s important to note that not every new member is going to be a million-miler right off the bat,” Dwight James, Delta’s senior vice president of customer engagement and loyalty, said in an interview. “The notion of premium that we talk about is also a goal.”

James declined to say how much Delta will invest in the lounges.

Delta has also struggled with crowding at other Sky Clubs, with long lines to get into some, and last year imposed tougher entry requirements only to roll back some of them weeks later after a customer backlash.

“We are confident that once this lounge opens, the queue issue will be resolved,” James said.

The lounge will be open to Delta One ticket holders as well as those with Delta’s secret, invitation-only “360” status, a status that Delta gives to a select few. It will also be available to travelers flying in comparable cabins on Delta’s partner airlines.

The Delta One lounges are expected to have dedicated security checkpoints starting in September or October, a perk the airline will offer to Delta One passengers at Los Angeles International Airport.

The airline plans to open Delta One lounges in Boston and Los Angeles later this year, and James said the airline is considering opening lounges in other cities, including major hubs Atlanta and Seattle.