Delta Air Lines will create a new, more exclusive tier of airport lounges, with the first “premium” lounge set to open at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport this June and two others expected later in the year in Boston and Los Angeles. The JFK lounge will be Delta’s largest, at 38,000 square feet, and will have a restaurant and “wellness” areas, the company said.
The move positions Delta’s premium lounges alongside United Airlines’ Polaris lounges and American Airlines’ Flagship lounges, which target higher-spending travelers.
The company also announced plans to open a standard Sky Club in Charlotte, N.C., and at an additional location in Seattle this year, along with expanding clubs in Miami and New York’s LaGuardia.
Delta has been working to increase the number of its Sky Clubs, and last year it said it would limit entry into its lounges. However, customer pushback caused it to walk back that stance. It has not yet revealed the entry requirements for the new lounges.