Last Updated on March 9, 2024 by CreditFred
I visited the Delta Sky Club (Terminal 4) at JFK on my recent trip from San Francisco to New York. In case you missed it, check out my previous review on the Delta Sky Club at SFO! Also check out other JFK lounge reviews such as Amex Centurion Lounge (JFK) and American Airlines Flagship Lounge (JFK).
In this post I’ll be sharing how I used the Delta Sky Club T4 as an arrivals lounge after a red-eye trans-continental flight.
Overview
Location
The Delta Sky Club is located after security in JFK’s Terminal 4, near Gate B32. It is quite a trek from the main terminal building, but should be in close proximity to your gate since this is where Delta flights are operated from.
Hours & Access
The lounge is open daily between 4:45AM – 11:30PM.
You must have a same-day Delta boarding pass and hold a participating credit card to enter, unless your ticket/membership/SkyTeam status already includes Delta Sky Club lounge access.
Beginning 6/1/2022, access is limited to 3-hours prior to departure, or for any eligible connecting flight. Luckily, arrivals access is still permitted. For full details, check out official Delta rules.
I documented specific credit cards that will allow you access to Delta Sky Clubs in this earlier post.
My Lounge Experience
Check-In
I knew that Delta allowed Sky Club access as long as it is a “same-day” boarding pass. However, it occurred to me mid-flight that my overnight flight would technically cross over to the next calendar day.
Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try upon landing at 6:30am. I was tired, hungry, and desperately looking for a place to kill some time and freshen up before heading into the city.
I found the entrance to the Delta Sky Club and ascended up the escalator. There, an attendant scanned my boarding pass and I saw the device light up with a green check. I got in!
It later occurred to me that since my flight left around 10:40pm Pacific, it was already the next day on the east coast. Therefore, my boarding pass was indeed “same-day”, and that is why I was able to gain entry upon landing the next morning. This is just my theory, but maybe this is how it works? If anyone knows, please comment down below or DM me @thecreditfred on Instagram!
Now, time to go enjoy the lounge!
General Environment & Seating
The Delta Sky Club at JFK Terminal 4 is one of Delta’s flagship lounges, and is one of the largest in the network at over 25,000 square feet.
I arrived probably during the peak of the morning rush hour, with lots of business travelers and consultants on their early Zoom calls. Still, I was so happy to be able to relax, watch sunrise, and enjoy sweeping views of the busy air traffic outside.
Here’s some photos of the general environment of the lounge:
Food & Drinks
Food at Delta Sky Clubs definitely aren’t a thing to write home about, especially compared to American Express Centurion lounges. That being said, I was very happy with the breakfast offerings during my visit, and really appreciated having some hot coffee to get me started on the day.
Here are some pictures of Delta Sky Club’s breakfast offerings…
This definitely beats taking a 2-hour subway into Manhattan on an empty stomach!
There is also a bar with various complimentary and for-purchase options, but I didn’t check it out.
The View
This Delta Sky Club truly is a av-geek’s heaven. I ended up spending about 2 hours at the lounge, mostly just watching planes take-off and land.
I got really lucky and saw an Emirates A380 (Expo 2020 livery) land and taxi in front of my seat!
I was really looking forward to checking out the Sky Deck outdoor patio area. Unfortunately it appeared to be closed when I visited.
Bathroom & Shower
The bathroom was clean and spacious. It was nice that the bathroom has individual stalls that close completely and includes a sink inside too!
Unfortunately, the showers are still closed due to the pandemic (no idea why when Amex and other lounge operators continue to offer showers). It would have been nice to be able to take a quick shower after a long flight though.
Conclusion
If you frequent JFK on Delta Airlines, this is a terrific facility to relax, fill up your stomach, freshen up, or plane-spot before and after your flight. Although the food offering was nothing too exciting, it definitely gets the job done. While there are many other lounges such as the Amex Centurion Lounge for departures, it is rare to have access upon landing and the lounge definitely serves this use case very well!