Review: Primeclass Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)

During my trip to Japan via Mongolia, I had the chance to check out several lounges at New York JFK Terminal 1 prior to my Air France A350 flight to Paris. One of the lounges that I checked out was the Primeclass Lounge New York JFK, which was surprisingly pleasant.

Look, this isn’t one of the world’s best lounges, but for a Priority Pass lounge in the United States, I thought it was quite good, with nice decor, an extensive food selection, and best of all, it wasn’t crowded. Separately, I’ve reviewed the the Air France Lounge, the Lufthansa Lounge, and the Turkish Airlines Lounge.

Primeclass Lounge New York JFK location

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 is located between gates eight and nine. So after clearing security (hopefully by using the VIP ONE Lounge experience), follow the signage in that direction.

Walk for quite a distance, and then at the end of the concourse you’ll see the entrance to the Primeclass Lounge, which is hard to miss.

The lounge is located one level under the concourse (accessible by stairs or an elevator), so the only thing on the concourse level is the reception desk.

Primeclass Lounge New York JFK hours

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 is open daily from 11:30AM until 1AM, except on Wednesdays and Fridays, when it closes at 11:30PM. However, you can expect the hours to change based on airline schedules, so don’t count on that sticking.

Primeclass Lounge New York JFK entry requirements

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 can be accessed in a variety of ways. For one, the lounge is open to Priority Pass members, with usage allowed for up to three hours. There are of course many premium credit cards offering Priority Pass memberships.

This is also used as a contract lounge for some airlines, though I’m not exactly sure which, since that’s not how I accessed the lounge.

Primeclass Lounge New York JFK seating & layout

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 is roughly 400 square meters (~4,300 square feet), with seating for 95 guests. So the lounge isn’t huge, but then again, based on my experience, it doesn’t get too busy. Terminal 1 has quite a few Priority Pass lounges, so no lounge gets too busy.

When you enter the lounge on the lower level, you’ll see several rows of chairs with small coffee tables, plus high-top seating with dining tables. This is all right by the bar area.

Then when you go deeper into the lounge, you’ll find a variety of other seating options, ranging from a long bench with dining tables, to semi-private chairs, to chairs for lounging.

Then back near the entrance, the lounge has a small business center. This includes two office chairs, along with one PC.

That’s the extent of the lounge — as you can see, it’s quite small, but also reasonably nicely furnished.

Primeclass Lounge New York JFK food & drinks

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 has an extensive food selection, at least for a Priority Pass lounge. The main buffet is located along one of the walls, and features a variety of hot and cold options.

This includes everything from a delicious salad bar, to fruit and cheese, to several desserts, to instant noodles, to two kinds of soups, to four hot dishes.

The soup options included a tomato basil soup and a broccoli cheddar soup, while the other hot dishes included chicken basquaise, creamy mushroom pasta, roasted vegetables, and rice pilaf.

Then there was a drink station with espresso machines, a tea selection, a water dispenser, juice, and canned soda.

Alcoholic drinks are available at the bar. While premium drinks are available for purchase, there are four complimentary wine options (a white, a red, a rose, and a sparkling), five complimentary beer options, and five complimentary liquor options.

Primeclass Lounge New York JFK bathrooms

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 restrooms are located in the very back of the lounge, on the right.

There are two individual, private restrooms, which are fairly nice (well, by JFK standards).

On top of that, the lounge has one shower suite, though I didn’t have a chance to check it out during my visit.

Bottom line

The Primeclass Lounge New York JFK Terminal 1 is an above average Priority Pass lounge, at least by United States standards. The lounge is nicely furnished, and has a good selection of hot and cold food. Best of all, at least based on my experience, the lounge doesn’t get overcrowded.

While I think Terminal 1 is one of the worst at JFK, one highlight of the terminal is just how many Priority Pass lounges there are. This one is worth a visit, in my opinion.

What do you make of the Primeclass Lounge New York JFK?