The JFK Delta Sky Club (near Gate B31) was pretty freakin’ sweet back in 2015

ByScott

Back in December 2015, the JFK Delta Sky Club (the one located near gate B31), was the gold standard for domestic airport lounges. It was large, very stylish, and the food was pretty good.

Kanye West hadn’t even gone rogue yet. What a time to be alive.

A detailed overview of what the JFK Delta Sky Club (near gate B31) was like in 2015

Much of what I’m about to show you still exists. The layout is exactly the same. However – the food and drink sections (including the bar) have been updated significantly. They’ve also done a pretty good job of keeping the decor in touch with current times.

Location

This particular Sky Club was (and still is) located in Terminal 4 near gate B31. It’s at the very far end of the terminal though, so be prepared to walk. A lot. Like, a lot a lot.

Main entrance to the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
The main entrance to the Sky Club here in Terminal 4. Those of you who go through life with a competitive spirit might be interested in knowing that this kicks the absolute snot out of the entrance of the old Gate A68 DTW Sky Club. This is nice.
Escalator leading up to the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
The lounge is located on the upper level, so once past the main doors you needed to hoof it upstairs. And you thought you were done walking.

Honestly? I wasn’t feeling all that impressed as I walked through the signature blue sliding glass doors at the entrance. However, once inside (and up the escalator), I was blown away upon seeing how well designed this lounge was. They weren’t messin’ around!

Newspapers and magazines in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
The first thing that you would’ve seen after being granted access is this newsstand. And you would’ve walked right past it (without taking anything), the same way that you do it today.

How to get in

I was able to get access via to my Delta One (business class) ticket to San Diego. A regular domestic first class ticket wasn’t enough to get you in back then, and it still won’t be enough to get you in today.

These days, the most common ways to get in include:

  • Flying international business class (Delta One) on Delta or any SkyTeam partner airline.
  • Flying transcontinental business class (Delta One) on Delta.
  • Having SkyTeam Elite Plus status with a same day ticket on Delta (or any SkyTeam partner airline).
  • Using the American Express Platinum Card (which comes with complementary Sky Club access).

There are a number of other ways as well, which you can read about on the Delta website.

Layout

The thing that I liked the most about this lounge was the fact that it was broken up into many rooms (both large and small). Each room had its own vibe, and it was fun to walk through the entire space trying to find just the right place to set up camp.

Layout of the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
This is the main room, which contained the bar and dining area. Self serve food is forward to the left (and I would advise you not to get excited about it).
Smaller room seating options in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
One of the smaller rooms. It’s kinda like the VIP room down at your local strip club, except for the fact that the big windows let in a lot of natural light. And maybe the fact that Girls Girls Girls by Mötley Crüe isn’t blasting from the overhead speakers? Probably.
Quiet seating options in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
The interior rooms offered a bit more private seating options, though it was a bit darker away from the windows. I take back what I said about the previous room. I declare this to be the VIP room.
Theater in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
For those that prefer complete peace and quiet, this “quiet room” (with four large screen TVs blasting content right in your face) would fit the bill nicely.
Wide variety of seating options with tables and chairs in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
I really liked the wide variety of seating options in this lounge. Even if Mötley Crüe wasn’t part of the playlist.
Seating layout
Looking towards the back wall with the food and the bar
Communal seating area

Food and drinks

Food options seemed decent. There was a small self serve food bar with two kinds of hot soups and a large bowl of boiled eggs when I arrived, along with a smaller bar consisting of simple snack items. If you wanted a drink of any kind, you had to go to the bar.

Self serve food bar in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
A closer look at the self-serve food bar (and rabid wolves pouncing on the fresh kill).

In addition to the complementary light snacks, there was a full menu of heartier for-purchase food available. You could either order in-person via one of the many menus sitting around on the tables, or you could use the self-serve kiosk to order and purchase your selection.

Self service kiosk for ordering food in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
Self-serve kiosk (iPad, actually) for ordering food. Check out the bezels on that bad boy!
Placing an order for food in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
Placing an order for a veggie wrap. Still one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made in my life up until this point, actually.

I chose to use the kiosk, and it seemed to work well except for the fact that it seemed to be taking a long time to have my order delivered to my table.

Boiled eggs and soup in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
My “appetizer” (from the self-serve bar) while I waited for the veggie wrap. The abuse I put my stomach through sometimes boggles the mind.

I finally had to ask one of the staff members walking around to see if something was wrong with my order. She went to the back to check, and emerged with my meal in less than 30 seconds.

Food for purchase in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
Here it is: the overpriced block of salt (with a pinch of veggie wrap). It was basically a sodium bomb.

It was a decent veggie wrap, but way too salty for my tastes. But hey. I was hungry, it tasted semi-ok, and it was enough to keep me alive. At least for an hour or two.

The view

The windows were (and still are) huge in this lounge. I can’t think of a better place to nibble on cheese cubes and watch airplanes in all of JFK.

View of aircraft from the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
Yet another room of semi-private seating – with nice views of the action outside. Most of what you’ll see is Delta aircraft, but depending on what runway is in use for departures and arrivals, you might spot something interesting off in the distance. Back in 2015, Virgin America A320s were pretty hot sh*t.
Business Center in the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
The business center – with a view. Workin’ and lurkin’ baby!
Exterior open air Sky Deck at the gate B31 JFK Delta Sky Club in 2015
The open air Sky Deck looked like a nice place to go full AvGeek and watch airplanes (but it wasn’t open during my visit). What a tease.

Pros and cons

The most significant downside to this lounge was all the noise coming from the kitchen at times. The entire crew sounded like a rowdy bunch, and I did find it to be a bit distracting. Otherwise it was a pretty nice place to hang out.

Pros

  • It’s huge! Still, to this day, it’s one of the largest domestic Delta lounges I’ve ever been in.
  • It was just a stylish back then as it is today. They do a really good job of keeping it looking spiffy.
  • Finding a comfortable place to sit was easy thanks to the wide variety of seating options.

Cons

  • The selection of complementary food was basic (nothing special) back then.
  • Even the paid food options weren’t all that great. There was so much better food available out in the main terminal.
  • As mentioned, the noise from the kitchen was annoying. At least I didn’t hear any d*ck jokes.

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