Questions and Answers

Hello!

Since AUH is a US Customs pre-clearance city, what exactly happens when you land in Terminal 4 in JFK? If your bags have been checked through to a connecting flight, could you just hang out still within security in T4? I ask because we have a super-long layover and it looks like EY may allow us to use their first class lounge even though we’re connecting from JFK to SEA on AA. But if we had to exit security, I understand we might not be let back in since our connection on AA will be from Terminal 8.

If we choose to fly DL, VX, or AS from JFK-SEA on a separate ticket, I assume EY won’t check our bags through to SEA so we’ll have to reclaim them at JFK. In that case, I assume there’s no hope of getting back to the EY lounge, right?

Thanks so much for your help! I don’t want to make plans that won’t work! 🙂

Best,
Todd

If your bags are checked through and your departing flight is from the same terminal, then yes, you won’t have to leave the secure area and it would be just like a domestic terminal. I’m not quite sure what the JFK policy is allowing people into different terminals than their departure terminals so I’m not sure I would count on getting back in if you leave. The bigger question would be getting into the EY lounge. From what I’ve read it seems to be a departure only facility. Have they changed their policies? Also flying in with them in Feb so very interested in this.

[QUOTE=”Gaurav, post: 24497, member: 79″]If your bags are checked through and your departing flight is from the same terminal, then yes, you won’t have to leave the secure area and it would be just like a domestic terminal. I’m not quite sure what the JFK policy is allowing people into different terminals than their departure terminals so I’m not sure I would count on getting back in if you leave. The bigger question would be getting into the EY lounge. From what I’ve read it seems to be a departure only facility. Have they changed their policies? Also flying in with them in Feb so very interested in this.[/QUOTE]

[USER=79]@Gaurav[/USER] — Thanks very much for the information. Yeah, the EY lounge is definitely a departures lounge. I’ve been trying to sweet talk them into granting us arrivals access after flying with them for 24+ hours HKG-AUH-JFK since our layover is 7 hours before our AA flight to SEA. They’ve agreed to let us use the lounge (once it opens — we arrive at 10:25am and the first departure isn’t until 3pm) for $75 each. I don’t know if that’s standard policy or if I achieved something with my begging. 🙂

Ah! Would you mind sharing who you contacted and what time the lounge opens? Our situation is a little different but might be useful for people in the future.

[QUOTE=”Gaurav, post: 24524, member: 79″]Ah! Would you mind sharing who you contacted and what time the lounge opens? Our situation is a little different but might be useful for people in the future.[/QUOTE]

I wanted any permission they granted us to be in writing, and since I couldn’t find any email addressed on their website, I had to use their “send feedback” facility that let’s you designate a complaint, compliment, or comment. I honestly don’t remember which I chose (I don’t get the sense that it matters), but eventually I received an email reply from a “Guest Relations Officer” who said she would contact the JFK lounge manager and get back to me. After several days I hadn’t heard from her, so I emailed her back (just replied to her email — it goes to a generic address) to see if she had an update. A few days later she gave me the information I shared here.

I never received an official opening time from her — I supposed I could ask — but I’ve read elsewhere that it opens two hours prior to departure, which appears to be 2:15 during daylight savings time and then 3:15 afterwards (though the flight then quickly changes to a 3pm departure by the end of March). I wonder if [USER=4]@Lucky[/USER] or [USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER] know details about the lounge opening times?

Best,
Todd