Review: Emirates Lounge New York (JFK)

It might not be labeled, but our first class experience there was outstanding. My travel partner and I were recognized by face on entry to the lounge (not AI, the staff were looking for us). We were seated in a secluded section of the dining room and food and drink were brought to us. I asked for a masala chai, which was not on the menu, but magically appeared in a Starbucks cup 20 minutes later; we’re still convinced someone walked out to Starbucks to get it. We were given the option to board first or last. They definitely took care of us.

I flew JFK-MXP on EK 206 three weeks ago in Business Class and spent about 2 hours in the lounge. It is pretty nice overall, airy, and lots of space to spread out and never felt all that crowded even though there are two A380 departures within 40 minutes of each other (MXP and DXB). The food was hit and miss. Some things were good (Arctic char, the popadums, and the vegetables) and so were the cookies. The beverage selection is varied, generous, and of high quality. EK doesn't often board the MXP flight from the Lounge, as we were informed by the lovely staff at the welcome desk but the evening we flew out, we boarded through the lounge and it was lovely. Overall the lounge doesn't feel very premium, but in look and feel, but it actually works well and a great spot to spend time before a flight, away from the awful mess that is T4 below and the apron views are spectacular. As the T4 extension was already underway, it will be interesting to see what happens to the Lounge and whether it gets reconfigured.

Unless you're some sort of VIP or have iO status, this type of treatment is not the norm for F passengers at JFK. Even EK Platinums in F don't get this treatment.

The lack of power at the dining tables may have been an intentional nudge away from having people settle in to work there.

I have visited the Emirates lounge many times, both as a Business Class passenger and a First Class passenger and have always found it to be one of the best lounges I have visited in the world.
However I was sorely disappointed when access to the A380 from the lounge directly was stopped for the 11pm Dubai flight.
I was told that this was because of the timing of the Milan flight which departed 40 minutes previously.
This I cannot understand as the direct boarding from the lounge was available for both flights for a long time.

When I visited the lounge, they didn't use the dedicated gate to board directly to the plane.
They made me get out and board with the poors >:(

But it's a good lounge, nothing really stands out, Just a good lounge to eat, relax and wait.

I flew JFK to Dubai in January. This was my first Emirates lounge experience and I was very happy with the breakfast food options. I used the shower facilities as well and was pleased with the service. We weren't able to board directly from the lounge, but that wasn't a problem. I loved the artwork on the walls and think the whole experience was A+!

I have often wondered why EK does not operate any differentiated F lounges outside of DXB. You would think at least at a few outstations where they operate a substantial number of flights with high paying customers, they would want to have a differentiated experience. LHR is probably the first that comes to mind (CDG, JFK, SYD, and perhaps a few ME destinations as well). I get that airport real estate is limited, but at SFO they have an absolutely massive lounge for one flight a day - not really worth separating areas - but probably could.

Lounge boarding was never available for both flights. One of the flights had to board from a different gate, since their departure times are so close.
How do you expect them to load an entire A380 with catering, passengers, luggage etc in 40 minutes?

Welcome to JFK. Blue lives matter.

That’s what the 3mirates lounge looks like at MXP verbatim.

Good report. Thank you.

Lets get real! Why are we such needy persons to require a barrista made coffee or a barman cocktail? We must be pretty poor specimens to need this kind of detail to make us happy?
How about comfortable chairs, variety of seating arrangements, reduced lounge crowding - sensible useful things?
Are we so precious that we need to be pandered to like a bad tempered child?

As soon as i read "signage" instead of "sign," I was sure that I would note all your observations but disagree with most of your conclusions.

I agree with grichard: the lack of electrical outlets at the dining tables is to preserve a dining ambience separate from a keyboard and printer machine area.

The lounge strikes me as very similar to the Emirates lounge in New Delhi, which I last visited in February 2020, just before India closed. I was one of about six passengers in total in the huge lounge. It was super quiet, and peaceful, and relaxing. A huge TV wall of sports programming was at one end. In the middle was a self-serve bar of assorted alcoholic beverages, some high-end. The usual self-service push-button coffee machines--the $8,000.00 version, and not the $20,000.00 barman-operated version. I think that the lack of a barista and lack of a barman is part of the ambience, of being a very posh and quiet lounge. The SkyTeam lounge in Dubai similarly has a self serve bar of various high-end alcoholic beverages, and even though it's in an alcove, it just has a quiet relaxing feeling of posh well-dressed passengers only conversing in hushed tones. Every other lounge in America tends to have the ambience of Ma and Pa Kettle at the County Fair, and their cousin in trainers, shorts, dirty tshirt and backwards baseball cap who engineered access with points. But, to be fair, the sound of the cocktail shaker in the hands of an experience barman adds to the high energy excitement of the typical American business lounge.

We were the only two F travelers that morning, which may have made a difference.

Thanks for a nice report Lucky. Interestingly, last July we flew First to Milan and the Dubai flight left a little while before us. Both that flight and our Milan flight boarded from the lounge.

I had no idea that offering decent coffee was pandering to ill-tempered children. The vast majority of my machine coffee experiences has been somewhere between mediocre and foul.

Thanks for a nice overview Lucky as always. When we flew to Milan last summer the Dubai flight left a little while before we did and both flights boarded from the lounge. But Emirates was running a 777 to Milan at the time, so maybe that was why.

“ There’s also a selection of tea and an espresso machine, though oddly there was no Arabic coffee, which I’ve otherwise found to be a standard offering in Emirates lounges”

I’ve never come across Arabic coffee being served in any J EK lounge, be it in DXB or outstation lounges.

I believe it’s only served in the F lounges in DXB and on board in F class.

Again, impossible. The lounge boarding is for the A380 upper deck only. If you were on a 777 to Milan it's not possible to have boarded from the lounge.

Interessanter und aufschlussreicher Beitrag. Danke dafür.

First Class isn't just about the SEAT.
Business class isn't just about the SEAT.
First and business class is about feeling effortless and pampered from the moment you walk into the airport.
EMIRATES, even in not-so-great-locations handles this well but that treatment is linked to the A380.
You step into JFK and get a decent hotel-like lounge with open bar and buffet. If you care to drown yourself in Moet, you can.
Soda? Sure! Water? Seltzer? Juice? They have all those too and you're welcome to do so. Yogurt, fruit, cereal, hot food, cold cuts...they have it all. Eat as you wish.

Need a shower? They have shower spa bathrooms. Very well kept and very comforting after long flights.

Then there's the airplane. You won't worry about anyone pushing your seat or breathing in your space: First class is private booths and business class is Maybach-style seats with a mini bar at your shoulder. ECONOMY on the A380 is large, spacious, comfortable and nice too but obviously not luxurious.

First class, of course, gets the highest caliber food (Caviar, wine, etc) and gets a 30 minute session in the shower spa on the plane. BUT ONLY THE A380 HAS THE SHOWER. And that's the real shame: the A350 which will ultimately rule the sky (since Boeing's 777x fell off) has no shower despite its upgraded first class (Game Changer).

Business class is comfy, quiet, lets you walk around and enjoy the stand up bar. You can even sit back there and hob nob.

Then there's Dubai's DXB business and first class lounge. It's everything I've already mention with breathtaking views of the lavish airport. Shower spas, big bathrooms, buffets, open bars - and there's an army of servants to help you.

The cost? $5000 Business to $30,000 first. Ticket prices can be anywhere in between depending on the season. Is it worth it? OH ABSOLUTELY YES.

As for your list of things you want to see: I'm not sure they want to hire specialists to stand there making drinks and then have to give them shifts. It would be nice, but for what you want: go to Starbucks. The terminal has them.