If there's one thing to know about me, I'm always going to splurge on convenience.
So when I had the chance to upgrade my Delta flight from New York's JFK Airport to Paris, I didn't hesitate. Initially, I was going to be in a window seat in row 46C (near the toilets, the horror!) for seven hours, and I just was not having that.
So when Delta offered me a same-day upgrade to Delta One, their highest-tier cabin for international flights, at check-in, I did what any other irresponsible millennial would do and paid $1,500 to move out of economy on the spot.
Paris is my annual trip. I go every year purely because I love the city, and I always want to land feeling rejuvenated, or at least like a normal, functioning human, rather than someone who just spent hours scrunched up on a plane.
This time, I wanted to find out whether the upgrade actually lived up to the hefty price tag.
Getting to the airport felt different before I even boarded my flight to Paris.
The Delta One upgrade changed my experience at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport long before I got near the actual plane.
I checked in at a separate, much quieter desk, and from there I was routed to a dedicated security line. Standing in that line, which was practically empty compared to the general security checkpoint, I helped myself to the free mints and ginger shots (grabbing three more to stuff in my carry-on) that were set out for passengers waiting to go through.
It was a small thing that set the tone because this was all before I even made it to the lounge.
Before my flight took off, the Delta One Lounge was the real highlight.
The lounge opened in Terminal 4 in 2024 and is reserved exclusively for Delta One passengers. You can feel that exclusivity the moment you walk in.
The space is enormous, with multiple distinct seating areas, a sit-down restaurant, a more casual all-day dining market, and a wellness section with showers and quick spa treatments.
Because I wanted to save my appetite for the three-course meal I'd be getting on the plane, I didn't sit down for a full lounge meal. Instead, I wandered through and nibbled on a few snacks, pastries, and some fruit, while I scoped out the space.
I wished I'd had more of an appetite to try the sit-down restaurant, but I didn't want to show up to my seat too full to enjoy what Delta had planned for the flight itself.
The lounge felt calm and clean, unlike other lounges I've visited.
As a longtime American Express Platinum cardholder, I like that this lounge felt calm. I'd heard about — and experienced — plenty of other JFK lounges feeling overcrowded and chaotic, especially during the evening rush of European departures.
Still, for this one, there was no line to get in, and the space didn't feel like people were on top of each other. I found a seat by the window, charged my phone, and actually relaxed for a few minutes before the flight.
The seat made the eight hours disappear.
Once I boarded, the difference between this and my usual economy squeeze was immediate.
I had space to actually stretch out, a lie-flat seat that let me sleep for most of the flight, and enough personal space that I wasn't elbow to elbow with a stranger for 8 hours. Or even, in anyone else's vicinity.
The short ribs served mid-flight were excellent.
After my small snacks in the lounge, I was hungry by the time the meal service started, particularly since our flight was delayed by two hours.
There was warm bread service along with three starters: smoked salmon, tomato basil soup, and mixed greens. I'm not big on smoked salmon or tomato soup, so I skipped those, though they both looked good. For my entrée, I had Chef Mashama Bailey's beef short rib, which was excellent.
Overall, I'd rank the meal an 8 out of 10.
I landed and didn't need a nap or a full day to recover.
I landed in Paris and, for the first time in longer than I can remember after a transatlantic flight, didn't feel like I needed a full day to recover.
Since we'd landed around 11 a.m., I went straight out into the city for a bit of shopping, instead of collapsing in my hotel room, so I didn't waste the day away sleeping. It's exactly what I wanted from this trip since I was only in Paris for three nights.
Was it worth the $1,500 upgrade?
For me, yes, completely. I'm not going to pretend $1,500 is a small amount of money because it isn't.
Still, when I weigh it against what I actually got: a stress-free trip through the airport, a lounge experience that felt like a quick reset, and arriving in Paris functional instead of wrecked, it was an easy yes.
I paid to protect my time, my comfort, and my mood, and on the one trip I look forward to all year, that felt like money well spent.
Would I do it again? Without question.
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Kimberly Wilson is a contributing writer for Business Insider.
