Review: American Airlines Flagship Lounge JFK

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

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This post is part of a broader Aruba & NYC trip report from October 2015.

  1. Introduction
  2. Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy Class (LHR-MIA)
  3. Review: Amex Centurion Lounge – Miami
  4. Review: American Airlines 737 Economy Class (MIA-AUA)
  5. Review: Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club
  6. Review: American Airlines Admirals Club Miami (Gate 30)
  7. Review: American Airlines 737 First Class (MIA-LGA)
  8. Review: Andaz 5th Avenue
  9. Review: American Airlines Flagship Lounge JFK
  10. Review: American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class (JFK-LHR)

The American Airlines Flagship lounges are the airline’s effort at international First Class lounges. They’re a rare thing in the American Airlines lounge portfolio as there are only four of them in total – three in the US (New York JFK, Los Angeles and Chicago O’Hare) and just the one lounge overseas (London Heathrow, which I reviewed here).

Access to the Flagship lounges is limited to the following guests:

  1. Passengers traveling in international 1st Class
  2. Passengers traveling on a non-stop transcontinental flight in 1st Class (3-class aircraft)
  3. American Airlines Executive Platinum passengers flying on an international itinerary
  4. OneWorld Emerald card holders (Excluding AA EXPs who don’t fall into category 3)

As with the other Flagship lounges, the JFK Flagship lounge is situated alongside an Admirals Club (American Airline’s Business Class lounge) and, at JFK, this is straight ahead (and up one floor) as you exit the TSA security checkpoint.

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

As you walk into the lounge there’s a help desk on the right hand side together with an open TV area:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Just past the TV area, on the right, is a small section of the lounge set aside as a business centre with desks that overlook the JFK tarmac….

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

…..and a few cubicles with PC stations for guests to use….

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

…as well as a couple of printers:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

While the business area is to the right of you (after you walk in through the glass sliding doors) the rest of the lounge is off to the left. And, just like a number of other American Airlines lounges in the US, one entire side of the lounge is a large glass window looking out over the gates below.

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Most of the seating in the lounge is set up against, or facing, the long glass window so, during the daytime, it’s nice and light and quite a pleasant place to wait for your flight. On this occasion, however, it was a dark, rainy New York night so the effect wasn’t quite the same 🙂

The Lounge seating has a bit of a hotchpotch feel to it in that there doesn’t appear to be any pattern to the seating that’s available – it varies throughout the lounge:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

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Flagship Lounge JFK Review

There are even a few super-expensive Eames recliners adjacent to the business centre but they’re usually in quite high demand so don’t bank on getting one:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

At the far end of the lounge is a sit-up bar with a bank of three PCs set up for surfing the web:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

This web-surfing bar is what divides the seating area of the lounge from the dining area:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

The Flagship Lounge at JFK offers a selection of hot and cold food and, as we were there in the evening, dinner was being served.

The cold selection:

  • Various cheeses
  • Mixed green salad
  • Spiced beluga lentil salad
  • Strawberries
  • Grapes
  • Mixed breads

Above the cold counter was a further selection of fruit including apples, bananas and plums.

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

The Hot selection included:

  • Chicken breast
  • Herb and pepper crusted sirloin
  • Honey glazed carrots
  • Oven roasted fingerling potatoes
  • Toasted barley and rice pilaf
  • Minestrone soup
  • Beef and mushroom barley soup

The chicken breast was ok but the star of the show was the herb and pepper crusted sirloin which was surprisingly good. And I wasn’t the only one to think that as a couple of guests made a point of complementing the chef when he came out to check things were ok.

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

As with a lot of lounges, there was a self-serve bar which was stocked with Taittinger Champagne and an assortment of wines…..

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

….and spirits:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

The under-counter refrigerators held more wines and Champagne….

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

…as well as various beers and an impressive assortment of water and soft drinks:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Last but not least, there was a hot beverage point with a coffee maker, filter coffee dispensers, various teas and hot water:

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

All in all the food and drink offering was pretty good for a US lounge – which isn’t saying much but it’s still something!

The JFK Flagship Lounge shares a set of showers with the adjoining Admirals Club and, if you wish to use the facilities, you need to see the agent at the door who’ll show you to the showers and provide you with a touch-card to get back into the Flagship Lounge (the touch-card is used to prevent Admirals Club guests from accessing the Flagship lounge after they’ve used the showers).

The showers at JFK are very similar to the ones at the Miami Admirals Club I reviewed a few days ago so, if they look familiar, that could be why 🙂

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Flagship Lounge JFK Review

Overall

The JFK Flagship Lounge isn’t too bad as US lounges go. The food was surprisingly tasty and there was an ample choice of beverages from which to choose. Although the lounge got a lot busier as the evening wore on, there was never a shortage of seats and the lounge never felt overcrowded or claustrophobic.

The one annoyance was the TV at the entrance to the lounge – why any lounge needs to have a TV that is open to the rest of the seating area is beyond me. It only takes one person to decide they feel like watching a bit of TV and you suddenly have a large part of the lounge forced to listen along.

Still, despite the annoying TV, it’s generally a nice place to relax before a flight. It’s definitely not a lounge you’d go out of your way to arrive at the airport early for – those are few and far between – but the food offerings and drinks are definitely better than the Admirals Club and it goes without saying that it’s overwhelmingly better than waiting at the gate.

The Amex Centurion Lounges (when not overcrowded) are still considerably better than American Airlines’ Flagship Lounges but, with no Amex Lounge at JFK, the Flagship lounge isn’t a bad option to have.

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