Delta's most exclusive airport lounge opens. Here's what's inside

Delta Air Lines' most exclusive airport lounge opens this week to travelers flying on the right ticket.

The Delta One lounge at the carrier's hub at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport will open Wednesday to customers departing or arriving in the Delta One cabin, the airline's highest tier of service. It's the latest effort by a U.S. airline to win over top-paying customers. CNBC got a peek inside.

The more than 39,000-square-foot space features a high-end restaurant, as well as a quick-bite bakery and walk-up food counter. It also features a full bar and a terrace overlooking the airfield.

The lounge, Delta's largest, is a step up from its more accessible Sky Club lounges, with new areas to relax. Travelers are offered complimentary spa treatments for the eyes, hands and arms and what it calls "recovery remedy," a 10-minute shoulder, scalp and temple massage.

There are eight shower suites complete with robes and slippers, and travelers can leave their clothes out to be steamed by staff within minutes, Delta says.

For travelers who want to continue to work, the space includes eight soundproof booths. In total, the lounge seats 515 people.

Delta is taking a page from the playbooks of American Airlines and United Airlines, which already offer dedicated lounges for travelers in their long-haul business or first-class cabins, but the carrier hopes the new amenities will attract more flyers to its Delta One cabin.

Delta last year said the average age of its SkyMiles members has dropped from 44 in 2017 to 39 in 2022.

"It's important to note that not every new member starts out as a Million Miler," Dwight James, Delta's senior vice president of customer engagement and loyalty, said in an interview. "This notion of premium