Few places feel as engineered to remind you of your social standing as the airport. Each of its protocols, from check-in to security to boarding, imposes a hierarchy. Are you Executive Platinum? Premier? Do you have T.S.A. PreCheck? Global Entry?
The peak of that pecking order has long been the airport lounge, which allows elite passengers a cushioned escape from the tumult of the terminal. Now, even as airline stocks have tumbled and ticket demand slows, American airlines and credit-card companies are reaching for an ever-higher level of luxury and exclusivity — particularly when it comes to food.
At the year-old Delta One Lounge at Kennedy International Airport, it’s common to hear an employee ask passengers, “Would you like an ounce of caviar before your flight?”
At the lounge, which includes a full-service brasserie with leather banquettes and gold finishes, the menu of complimentary offerings features sirloin steak with red wine jus and salmon sashimi with blood orange ponzu. (The caviar will run you an extra $85, or 8,500 miles.)
