American Airlines Chelsea First Class Lounge, JFK Review
Hours
4:30am to 12:30amAirlines Services
American AirlinesBritish Airways
One World Airlines
Access Rules
First class ticket on British Airways, American Airlines or Cathay Pacific.Business Plus ticket on American Airlines.
One guest of the above.
The Lounge
There are three new lounges from British Airways and American in JFK Terminal 8, due to BA moving over to this location. They're quite the upgrade, and right above where the majority of London-bound planes leave from, giving you a 1 minute walk to your gate.Mainly the first thing you see as you enter the lounge is the expansive bar. This speaks to me on a deep level. The lighting is on the darker side, but there is astounding attention to detail and it's hard to find a flawed area anywhere in here.
Dining Area
Dining is well called out with a dedicated seating area - step up to the podium, get your seats, and you will be approached shortly by an individual with menus. The seats are pretty standard, but the food was exceptional.Shower Facilities
Quite large and well-appointed shower facilities, but be warned you may have to wait for one during busy times. Warm rooms, hot water, lots of shampoo and wash which was a godsend after there was no hot water at the hotel I stayed at near JFK that shall not be named. And then, well a surprise shown below.Other Areas
They have a very quiet and darkened relaxation room. This could be a nice thing for those with very long layovers or hours they are trying to readjust to alleviate jet lag.Plus the bar and regular sitting areas, and well, serve yourself wine which is quite a bonus for oenophiles and winos alike.
Plus several work pods along the walls for those of us who are slaves to the man.
Summary
Very high-end lounge, with difficult access requirements making it more exclusive. Excellent food, obviously this is designed as a replacement for the Concorde Lounge that was vacated in terminal 7. It's close, but the selection of drinks is definitely at a lower average level than the Concorde had.I would like to spend lunch and dinner here when I can have the opportunity to enjoy some drinks (not doing work at the same time) so I hope this review helps.
Comments
Sam Mahmud - 2022-12-23
Excellent review and very much appreciated. Not to test your wine knowledge but does an example cone to mind re the quality / level of drinks at the Concorde class compared with the lounge now. This is to increase my knowledge of all things Bar related, ofcourse!
Robert - 2022-12-23
From the Real Rob
Sam, Yes, the Flagship Dining in Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles has the level of drinks that one is happy to experience like Johnny Walker Blue, Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, the ones I really relish and at $200 a bottle don't usually have at home. The Pier and Wing in Hong Kong plus JAL's in Haneda (Narita has some but seems lesser overall) have high end Cognac and Whiskeys but seem to think Skyy is high end vodka.
Of course the Concord Room in London still has a crazy amount of high end enjoyment.