One of my favorite things about embarking on a trip is heading to the airport and checking in my flight. Sure, it’s stressful and time consuming, but the endorphins that flood my body as soon as I roll that suitcase out of my apartment haven’t changed since childhood.
I love the feeling of having an hour to spare prior to boarding. I immediately start indulging into my guilty pleasures: buying magazines, trying out perfumes and having a bite to eat. The nicer the terminal, the better; but the old Delta Terminal at JFK has always been my least favorite, one I was avoiding at all cost.
Not anymore. Part of a $1.4 billion redevelopment at JFK, Delta Air Lines has previewed its renovation of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 (T4) with a pop-up space in Manhattan called “T4X.” The space was open to the public, May 1-22, and showcased JFK T4’s new features, including Delta Sky Priority® check-in, the new flagship Delta Sky Club® and The Sky Deck™ at Delta Sky Club, a stylish outdoor terrace.
I headed to Soho last week to witness with my own eyes the incredible makeover. Judging from the exterior look of the pop-up space, I knew I would love it –a few floors of travel services located in the heart of downtown Manhattan.
“Our newly transformed international hub at JFK’s Terminal 4 is the cornerstone of the substantial investments Delta is making in New York,” said Gail Grimmett, Delta’s senior vice president – New York. “We are opening T4X as a unique way for our customers and the public to preview the state-of-the-art features of the new terminal, before it officially opens on May 24.”
Some of the activities available were being able to check in existing Delta flights, talking to Delta agents or simply relaxing in a dedicated press lounge, Delta Sky Club. Personally, I mostly look forward to experiencing The Sky Deck, a rooftop terrace created in partnership with Architectural Digest and designed by Thom Filicia. I am also excited to try the new Terminal 4 restaurants including Marcus Samuelsson’s new venues Uptown Brasserie and Street Food, Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack featuring its ever-popular ShackBurgers and fresh frozen custard ice cream and Blue Smoke, a pioneer in urban barbecue.
Inspired by popular international destinations, Delta served sandwiches and salad lunch items in delightful luggage-shaped boxes of four choices: London, Rome, Istanbul, and Athens. I choose the Istanbul one, of course! T4X also featured travel-related retail essentials, both complimentary and for-purchase, such as passport holders, luggage tags and mugs. I went for a small mirror, to carry around in my purse while traveling.
The impressive T4X pop-up space was located at 376 West Broadway and Broome, in the heart of Soho. Open May 1- 22, it was a preview for the new T4X opening tomorrow, May 24th. For more information, visit www.delta.com/t4x
Note: I was a guest of DKC PR, but all views are my own.
