I’m back.
Today begins Benelux (for which one of us almost never got off the ground—those who know, know). Surprisingly, an easy drive from Bucks County to JFK—for once. That alone feels like a win.
Most airport lounges are the same: a better chair, passable food, and a place to kill time. This isn’t that.
The space is big but doesn’t feel it. Broken up, quiet where it should be, social where it makes sense. No chaos.
The dining room is the tell. You’re greeted by a maître d’, not a buffet line, and it’s a proper three-course meal with impeccable service. Good enough that eating on the plane feels optional. Drinks show up without you chasing them down.
Dessert drove the point home—a proper soufflé, still puffed, lightly dusted with sugar, with a small pitcher of crème anglaise on the side. Not lounge food. Not even typical restaurant shortcut food. Someone in the kitchen actually cared.
They also lean into the “wellness” idea—massage chairs, quiet pods, quick treatments. Not a spa day, but enough to take the edge off before a long flight.
There are work areas if you need them. But the surprise is outside—the observation deck. At JFK. With a retractable roof, no less. Fresh air when you want it, cover when you don’t. Planes, space, a minute to reset.
From the observation deck, the tarmac unfolds like a quiet, controlled stage. A row of Delta Air Lines jets lines the gates, while baggage carts, service vehicles, and ground crews move with steady precision below. Through the softly speckled glass, the scene feels slightly removed—busy, but calm, capturing that in-between moment of travel.
My mind drifts back to fond memories of taking my daughter Lindsey to the captain’s lounge at Mercer County Airport more than 30 years ago—simpler days, smaller planes, and the quiet thrill of watching the runway together.
At one point, an extraordinary number of people kept coming over to a man seated at the table next to us, introducing themselves, and congratulating him on the lounge. It turned out he was Claude Roussel, a senior Delta VP, attributed with developing the best airport lounges in the world. That explained it. So I too introduced myself.
Our friends Rushton and Charles, seasoned travelers and Delta loyalists, have declared this the finest lounge in the world. Rumor has it they fly here just to use it. I used to think that was ridiculous. Less so now.
Access is tight, which is probably the whole point.
This isn’t just a place to wait. It’s part of the trip.
YouDontKnowJackTravels 