I visited a Delta's airport lounge during the pandemic and couldn't believe how luxurious and close to normal the experience was

• Sky Club lounges are airport retreats for Delta's top flyers with 26 open locations across the US and a new lounge in Salt Lake City opening in September.
• Unlike rival carriers, the Sky Club experience has largely remained with luxuries like a hot food buffet and full-service bar available for patrons.
• Capacity restrictions and mask requirements help ensure proper social distancing in the lounges.

Delta Air Lines' premium airport lounges, known as Delta Sky Clubs, have largely stayed open during the pandemic, offering an exclusive retreat to the airline's top customers.

Across the country, 26 Sky Club locations are currently open compared to 16 American Airlines Admirals Clubs and seven United Airlines United Clubs. Delta has evened opened a new Sky Club during the pandemic, the largest one in its network, in Salt Lake City at the airport's newest terminal.

Keeping the lounges open, even in restrictive locales like New York City, required some modifications to the normal offering and new safety measures. Face coverings are required in all lounges, even if the airport doesn't require it, and plexiglass partitions now divide staff from patrons.

But despite the changes, the lounges have maintained most of the luxuries to which customers have become accustomed and the airline is even trialing new safety features like a UV light cell phone cleaner in a push for innovation in the lounges. It's part of a larger trend that is seeing Delta keep as many of the old comforts of flying as possible, as Business Insider found on a recent Delta Air Lines flight over the summer.

Take a look inside the Delta Sky Club inside Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Delta has two Sky Clubs at JFK Airport but the only operational location is in Terminal 4, where all of the airline's flights have been departing and arriving during the pandemic.

Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The very first sight as passengers walk in is that of a hand sanitizer dispenser, accompanied by two unused podiums with plexiglass partitions.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

A larger banner then outlines all of the changes being implemented by the airline before ascending into the lounge.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Chief among those changes that flyers will immediately notice are social distancing placards spread throughout the lounge...

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And the mask requirement. Masks are to be worn at all times in the lounge, except when eating and drinking.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Reminders around the lounge make sure flyers don't forget it.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And even if the lounge is empty, as the JFK Airport lounge during our visit was, they still have to be worn.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Check-in for the lounge takes place on the upper level where the staff is completely separated from the passengers via a plexiglass barrier.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Customer-facing ticket scanners help reduce interactions between lounge guests and staff.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The lounge itself is massive with capacity for around 400 guests.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

But Delta says that roughly 40% of the seats have been blocked with placards like these...

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Or have been removed from the lounge completely.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

That's why some seats in the lounge might have a slightly different arrangement compared to when guests last visited before the pandemic.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Even with the 40% reduction in capacity, the lounge will only be filled to 80% of its reduced capacity.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Once 80% is reached, new visitors will have to wait until someone exits the lounge before they can enter.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Lounge staff is laser-focused on cleanliness with workers constantly roaming the lounge and wiping down seats or surfaces that have been used.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The most impressive aspect of the lounge is its food and beverage offerings.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Hot food offerings during our visit consisted mainly of soups, including Italian wedding soup...

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And tomato bisque.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Breaded chicken cutlets and a macaroni and cheese bar were also on offer.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The hot food paled in comparison to the huge selection of fresh food items, also individually packaged. Items on offer included hummus, cheese cubes, pepperoni and cheese, antipasto salad, and crudite.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Individual salads were also available with a choice between a garden salad and Caesar salad...

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

As well as pasta salad and an Asian-style noodle salad.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Pre-packaged sandwiches also included tomato, mozzarella, and pesto and turkey and cheese.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

For snacking, popular items like Biscoff cookies, potato chips, pretzels, Cheez-Its, and other goodies were available.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Healthier snack options like apples, oranges, and bananas were also available.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

A single-serving cutlery dispenser provides forks, knives, and spoons, although the green towers didn't exactly blend in with the rest of the decor.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Opposite the food buffet, the full-service bar is also fully operational.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Social distancing placards lead the way to the bar...

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

While patrons order behind a plexiglass partition that also features the drink menu so guests don't have to use the handheld menus.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Cocktails are still served in glasses and can be paid for in cash or Delta Sky Miles.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Pre-packaged bar snacks like peanuts and individual menus are also available.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

But the days of sitting at the bar and watching the news or a sports game is over as barstools have been removed to reduce crowding.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Patrons seeking a soft drink can also make use of the self-serve and hands-free Coca Cola dispenser...

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Or one of the coffee machines in the lounge.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

They're not touchless but the screens are frequently cleaned and a hand sanitizer dispenser next to the station provides an extra layer of protection.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

This nondescript box is actually one of the lounge's newest features, a UV light cell phone cleaner. Experts recommend cleaning phones as they can carry bacteria and pathogens.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

A quick clean takes 15 seconds while a deep cleaning takes 60.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The process can be stopped at any time just by opening the lid.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Business travelers can also enjoy the same amenities that they did before the pandemic at the workstation desks along the lounge's southeastern perimeter.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

A printer and complimentary WiFi, the password to which cheekily reminds passengers of the mask rule in the lounge, are fully functional.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Every other workstation has been blocked off with a placard and divider.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And the chairs have even been taken away to ensure nobody accidentally takes a seat in a spot they shouldn't.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

But business travelers won't have to worry about not getting a seat in this space for quite some time.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The only closed section of the lounge is the shower area. Most lounges have suspended this service for safety reasons.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The Sky Club does have one feature that others in the terminal don't, an outdoor patio deck.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Nicknamed the Sky Deck, guests can enjoy the outdoor seating and natural disinfecting properties of the Sun.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

It's largely uncovered so passengers only have a few more weeks to use it before the weather takes a turn for the cold but come spring, this will be the only outdoor post-security section of Terminal 4.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And the unobstructed views of the tarmac make for great photo opportunities.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

New safety features have also been embedded in the decor, such as these partitions. At first look, they appear as if they've always been there but they're newly installed.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Some areas naturally lend themselves to social distancing with these high-walled chairs providing somewhat of a barrier between occupants.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The scores of open seats during midday on what would normally be a busy time for business travelers show the lounge still has a long way to go in terms of reaching capacity.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Delta has shown, though, that operating a lounge during a pandemic doesn't have to mean reducing luxuries as most of what is expected from a Sky Club was available.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

This Sky Club is much more than a quiet, clean place to wait before a flight, – which is what most other airlines have defaulted to with their lounges – and worth arriving early to enjoy.

The Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider