As I mentioned in the previous post, I had quite a long layover at JFK, as I arrived at around 10AM from Miami, and departed at around 5PM to Tokyo. With my ANA business class ticket I had access to the British Airways Club Lounge, so I wanted to review that in this post. The…
Continue reading: Review: British Airways Club Lounge New York JFK Airport
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
What is the plan with T7? Thought they are going to tear it down in a couple of years?
The food options at this lounge is more depressing than the KAL Lounge at LAX.
Do you mind sending a complaint email to ANA for their lounge offering..? I have a JFK-NRT booked in J but thought they'd have a deal with BA to allow their own F/J pax into the dining facility, rather than serving the pathetic card spread
I think everyone is anticipating for your ANA first and business class reviews.
I fly Alaska often and the TSA situation in this terminal is insanely bad- the worst at JFK, and worse than LGA or EWR. Even on my last Club World trip security took 30 minutes *with* TSA Pre and going through the priority security line - total WTF. I've heard rumors Alaska Airlines isn't happy at all about how BA manages the terminal, and for good reason.
I seriously don't know what the excuse is - they just 'renovated' this terminal (mostly a new coat of paint), yet they can't seem to bother to keep TSA Precheck open, let alone run enough lanes for their traffic. It's perennially understaffed, and the overall condition of the waiting area is a total dump with wobbly tables, crowded lines, and the absolute surliest staff you can imagine.
It's like they're allergic to properly staffing this place.
I find lockers in airport lounges very useful: when in Tokyo NRT, I stored my duffle bag there while duty-free shopping.
Here in the USA, not sure how they would let passengers store their bags.
Have to agree with the TSA situation at T7. Back when I was there, the fast track security line was massive since there was just one checkpoint open. On the evening. Needless to say it took more than 45 minutes from the moment we entered the line until we were freed from the ogres.
I was there once before renovation. I think Iberia still uses Terminal 7 and they have a 5PM flight, so there might be IB traffic as well. It looks nicer than when I was there a couple of years ago. I did like the space because it was quiet and a whole lot nicer than the rest of Terminal 7. I definitely didn't have lunch there.
I spend few hours before taking QR from JFK, last December.
Man, this BA lounge sucks compared to the QR's business lounge in Doha. The BA lounge looked so depressing I couldn't wait to get in to my Qsuites.
Only departed through JFK Terminal 7 twice, but both times the TSA checkpoint was the worst I’ve experienced. Especially rude agents, no operable pre-check line, very slow and crowded without a good flow pattern. While going security isn’t my favorite anyplace, no place has it been as terrible than at Terminal 7.
Yes! The pancake machine! Nothing says upper class British than the pancake machine:
"Name, Sir?"
"Bond. James Bond. Now excuse me as I load up on machine made pancakes."
I like to imagine the pancake machine salesman as John Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. He travels the earth peddling these things to hotels, lounges, etc.
This is pathetic considering the amount of money British Airways makes on their flights from JFK.
Delta Skyclub at NY is far superior. clean, airy and bright with a salad bar and a few hot food choices.
Plus, If flying to London from EWR, flyers are treated to Polaris.
What is BA thinking???
Lockers were in use when I was there a few months ago so the TSA unavailability thing must be new.
Quote: 'What is BA thinking???'
They are thinking fine - BA customers are well looked after. Presumably the lack of support for other airlines' customers is down to those airlines, not BA.
The lockers are not new - but TSA making them unavailable seems to be. They were in use when I was there a couple of months ago but you had to get a key from staff.
JFK - Salmonella and despair... (“Crazy Rich Asians” nailed that one!) At least you weren’t stuck in the hell hole of Terminal 1!
Can someone confirm if the Skyteam lounge in Istanbul airport is now open? It's on the Skyteam website but could not find it on the airport website. Thanks
I’ve been to that lounge several times recently and I think the overall feel of it is nicer than the review indicates. However, I’ve also been to the Club pre-flight dining area since I was flying BA business, and can say that you’re not missing much. The food selection in that area is surprisingly limited. It’s just a buffet, no menu or a la carte service, and there are just a few dishes on offer. Very disappointing.
I can also say that the first class section of the lounge is almost identical to the business class, just smaller. Even though I’m Oneworld Emerald and have access to the first class lounge, I’ve actually found the business side to be marginally better because it’s more spacious (and you also have to go over there in any case if you want to access the Club dining facility).
The TSA security situation, as everyone has mentioned, is atrocious. BA should be ashamed of the experience their passengers have to go through. It feels like you’re in a 1980s-era K-Mart on Christmas Eve. Bright fluorescent lights, faded and dirty facilities, a mass of humanity.
As an aside, I recently flew BA in business out of Budapest and there is a fast track security lane there, but BA pax don’t have access to it. The agent there told me that BA refuses to pay for their premium and elite pax to use it, so instead we have to wait in the general lane — which is only marginally better than what I described above for JFK T7. I guess BA has made a strategic decision to not give a shi* about the security experience for their customers.
As most of you can tell BA will be leaving T7 for T8. The renovation is very lackluster for the 10 million or so they spent. Quality and selection the materials were poor seats already wearing countertops are stained and shippin Lucky they plan to be out of the terminal by 2022
Yes a fabric cushions are excessively stained and you would not want a say in them
I've used the lounge a couple of times for the morning BA flight. TSA is a breeze at that time of day, was through Pre in 2 minutes both times. The lounge is an improvement but nothing special and feels a bit sterile early in the morning since it's quiet and no one is really using the bar area or beer taps etc. The Alaska lounge is much nicer and has better views from recollection
@Alpha
Is it really BA making decisions about TSA staffing?
From outside the USA it seems quite possible that this poor experience is due to TSA acting in cartel with the US3 to try to persuade everyone to fly on a US airline - "America First".
Yes, I know there is a OneWorld trans-atlantic JV, but that's too sophisticated for TSA to understand.
@bagoly
BA is the operator of this terminal (they're the only foreign airline to operate a US airport terminal as well) and absolutely does.