We've all had to endure meals at the airport. But for the month of May, Delta is bringing the airport to you --or, at least, to downtown Manhattan--with a surprisingly delicious twist.
In the run up to the highly anticipated opening of Delta Airline’s spiffed up, celebrity chef-studded Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Delta has kicked off a pop-up lunch spot called T4X --that gives travelers an idea of what can be expected at the new terminal.
The modern, airy spot in lower Manhattan offers about a half-dozen internationally themed (and quite good) sandwiches on the go. While there, visitors can check flight status on the bright display screens around the pop-up, check in for an upcoming trip, or just dream up a destination while taking a midday break.
The revamp of Delta's Terminal 4 is a much-needed $1.4 billion development project at the international hub. In addition to the upgrade in food options, Terminal 4 will include new shopping options --including those focusing on cosmetics, electronics and travel accessories, as well as the largest SkyClub lounge in the world.
“Our newly transformed international hub at JFK’s Terminal 4 is the cornerstone of the substantial investments Delta is making in New York,” said Delta senior vice president Gail Grimmett in a press release for the pop-up. “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.”
By state-of-art, Grimmett is referring to Delta's new iPad –centric booking and check-in services, charging stations for smart phones and other mobile devices – and, of course, the ante-upped food choices.
It's no small bit of relief for frequent travelers that the food in airport terminals around the country has improved by leaps and bounds over the past years.
Delta’s new Terminal 4 culinary options – a make-over that cost around $28 million -- will offer selections by "Top Chef" and James Beard Award fame, chef Marcus Samuelsson, an outpost of Danny Meyer’s wildly popular Shake Shack and beloved barbecue haunt, Blue Smoke, and sweets from La Brea Bakery and Cake Tin, among other epicurean entries.
For the month of May, $4 at the T4X pop-up gets you a cute “travel box” of treats, including sandwich choices like the Paris – thinly sliced French jambon with gruyere cheese on a toothsome baguette or the savory San Juan, which layers slices of roast pork on a cushy onion-poppy brioche roll, a soft drink or bottle of water, as well as a bag of pretzels, a fresh apple, and Biscoff cookies.
This adds a whole new, delicious meaning to eating on the fly.
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