We spent the weekend in the city (we stayed at the Andaz Wall Street, which I won’t be reviewing again). We got to JFK at around 9AM, plenty early for our 12:30PM flight from New York to Baku. Azerbaijan Airlines departs from JFK Airport Terminal 1, as do many other international airlines. I found it funny that Azerbaijan shared a sign with Meridiana, which is another airline I really want to try.
JFK Airport Terminal 1 exterior
Azerbaijan’s check-in counter was surprisingly empty, though I guess we were arriving early. I’m used to Terminal 1 being super crowded, though in this case the terminal was almost deserted. That’s the benefit of flying earlier in the day, before most of the transatlantic flights depart.
Azerbaijan Airlines check-in JFK Terminal 1
The people working the Azerbaijan check-in desk were friendly, and processed our check-in pretty quickly. I was a bit surprised that they didn’t ask us if we had our visas. While Americans ordinarily need visas to visit Azerbaijan, there’s a special exception for passengers taking this flight. I was fully expecting they’d be unaware of this policy, so we had printed out all kinds of documentation, etc. Suffice to say I was very pleasantly surprised when they didn’t even ask about a visa.
While we outright paid for business class, I should point out the posted pricing for Azerbaijan Airlines upgrades. Upgrading from economy to premium economy costs $250, upgrading from premium economy to business class costs $350, and upgrading from economy to business class costs $600.
Azerbaijan Airlines upgrade cost
Within a few minutes we were handed our boarding passes and invitations to the Air France lounge, which Azerbaijan uses for their premium passengers.
We headed to the security checkpoint, which was deserted. There were maybe a dozen people ahead of us, so I figured we’d be through within minutes. Not so, unfortunately. There was also a flight to Jamaica departing around the same time as our flight, and everyone else in line seemed to be on that flight.
Every single bag needed a secondary inspection, people didn’t realize they had to take off their hats, three layovers of clothing, etc. I don’t blame the passengers for it since clearly they just weren’t familiar with TSA rules, but boy was it painful to watch.
JFK Airport Terminal 1 security line
Eventually we were through security, and then headed towards the Air France lounge, which is located near gate one.
JFK Airport Terminal 1 airside
JFK Airport Terminal 1 airside
The lounge is at the very end of the hallway, and has an impressive two story exterior. Obviously Air France has no flights this early in the day, so instead the lounge is open to passengers traveling on all kinds of other airlines, and even Priority Pass members can use the lounge (at least between 6AM and 5:30PM, and then again between 11PM and 2AM). So, if your boarding pass and cabin don’t grant you entry, there are many credit cards with lounge access that could help.
Air France Lounge JFK exterior
Upon entering the lounge we handed the associate our invitations. She laughed and said “I don’t see a lot of these invitations here.” That was a bit surprising, given that they have three flights a week. I suppose business class isn’t usually that full. She invited us into the lounge, and informed us that there would be no boarding calls.
The lounge had two floors, so we started on the first floor.
Air France Lounge JFK entryway
Near the entrance was a display with all kinds of magazines and newspapers.
Air France Lounge JFK magazines & newspapers
The lounge was massive, and featured tons of seating. There was a main walkway throughout the first floor, with seating on both sides of it.
Air France Lounge JFK seating
The lounge had tons of partitions that made the lounge feel quite private.
Air France Lounge JFK seating
There were lots of great seating choices, and the lounge was still empty given how early in the day it was.
Air France Lounge JFK seating
Air France Lounge JFK seating
In the center section of the first floor was a cafe area, which is where the bar and self serve buffet were located.
Air France Lounge JFK dining area
Even though it was still early in the day, there was a selection of self serve liquor, beer, wine, champagne (Mumm was on offer), etc.
Air France Lounge JFK drink selection
The food selection was fairly limited, I suspect given that Air France doesn’t have any flights around that hour. So I guess Air France caters to the absolute minimums that their partner airlines require, which is understandable. There were finger sandwiches, fruit salad, salmon, sushi, muffins, etc.
Air France Lounge JFK food selection
Air France Lounge JFK food selection
Air France Lounge JFK food selection
Back near the entrance were bathrooms and shower rooms. There were two shower rooms, and they looked nice, as each had a sink and toilet in addition to the shower.
Air France Lounge New York shower room
Air France Lounge New York shower room
The main bathroom was nice as well, though I found it puzzling that there was a single stall and a single urinal. For a lounge of this size you’d think they would have more (maybe there were others that I was missing).
Air France Lounge New York bathroom
The second floor could be accessed either by escalator or stairs, and it had a nice view of the first floor.
Air France Lounge New York upper level
View from Air France Lounge New York upper level
The seating design on the second floor was quite similar, though felt a bit more open, as there weren’t as many partitions along the windows.
Air France Lounge New York seating
Air France Lounge New York seating
Air France Lounge New York seating
There were some high-top seats facing the windows.
Air France Lounge New York seating
Perhaps the downside of this lounge is that the views of the taxiways and runways are obstructed, as there’s a gate in the way.
Air France Lounge New York view
The second floor had a similar food and drink selection to what was available on the first floor.
Air France Lounge New York drink selection and Nespresso machine
Air France Lounge New York drink selection
Air France Lounge New York Mumm champagne
Air France Lounge New York drink selection
Air France Lounge New York food selection
Air France Lounge New York food selection
There were also instant noodles, I assume in part because EVA Air uses this lounge for their passengers (and perhaps some other Asian carriers as well).
Air France Lounge New York instant noodles
Then there were a few types of chips and cereal.
Air France Lounge New York food selection
My favorite aspect of the food & drink selection was the excellent Nespresso machine. As far as non-barista made beverages go, it doesn’t get better than this. The last time I saw a machine this cool was at the Oman Air lounge in Muscat.
Air France Lounge New York Nespresso machine
Given that it was a Monday morning we tried to get as much work done as possible, since we wouldn’t have Wi-Fi on the flight. The lounge was really quiet when we first arrived, though eventually a few dozen EVA Air passengers showed up who were quite loud.
Our flight was departing from gate 7, which was on the opposite side of the terminal. We decided to leave the lounge at around 11:30AM, and the walk there took about five minutes.
JFK Terminal 1 airside
Once at the gate we saw the gorgeous Azerbaijan 787. As far as I’m concerned Azerbaijan’s 787s have the sexiest livery out there.
Azerbaijan Airlines 787 JFK Airport
Boarding was scheduled to begin at 11:50AM, and at around 11:45AM they started lining everyone up. They already checked our passports so that we could put those away when it was time for boarding. Finally at 11:50AM sharp boarding began, starting with business class.
AZAL Azerbaijan departure gate JFK
I was excited to try yet another new airline!
Air France Lounge JFK bottom line
For a contract lounge that’s accessible by Priority Pass members, I was extremely impressed by the Air France lounge. It was spacious, modern, and stylish. I especially liked that it was nice and quiet.
The food selection was a bit disappointing, though I suppose that’s because Air France doesn’t have any of their own flights at that hour. I imagine the food selection gets better in the evening, though it’s a trade off, since the lounge likely isn’t as tranquil.
Regardless, this lounge was significantly better than the Korean Air Lounge Terminal 1, which is the other SkyTeam lounge I’ve visited in the terminal.
Do you have a favorite lounge at JFK Terminal 1?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.