Chelsea Lounge JFK Review
Previously, I wrote about my American Airlines Flagship First experience flying from New York JFK to LAX. I’d been curious about this product for a good while, but not enough to burn the miles on it. But with the opening of the Chelsea Lounge JFK in late 2022, I realized I could gain access with a Flagship First seat on that route (among others described below). At this point, I was sold. I was just as much intrigued by this lounge as the flight itself. So how did it measure up with my tempered expectations? Here’s my Chelsea Lounge JFK review.
Access
Located in New York JFK’s Terminal 8, the Chelsea Lounge JFK is jointly run by American Airlines and British Airways. American calls the Chelsea their most exclusive lounge, and their access policy fits that definition.
An international long haul traveler in Flagship First or Business Plus can access the Chelsea, along with one guest. Also, domestic Flagship First or Business Plus travelers on the following five transcontinental routes have access, but no guest privileges:
- New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX)
- JFK and San Francisco (SFO)
- JFK and Orange County (SNA)
- LAX and Miami (MIA)
- LAX and Boston (BOS)
Lastly, ConciergeKey elites have a few more options for access. Certain Hawaii and short haul international flights qualify. Check out AA’s site for more details.
Interior
After my first flight’s arrival at JFK mid-morning, I entered the Chelsea Lounge. Past the initial check-in and subsequent service desks, guests are greeted by the opulent champagne bar, the visual centerpiece of the space. Thoughtful lighting illuminates the area, but I wasn’t quite ready to visit that space.
When entering, a small seating area is located just to the right of the champagne bar, with a larger one to the left with an inviting fireplace and the dining room beyond. The lack of windows and natural light has been a polarizing topic of the Chelsea. I was unphased by those lacking features. Plane spotting isn’t a big hobby of mine. The lounge does a clever job with monitors highlighting natural elements. Throughout the visit, I noticed them in my periphery, and they excellently faked it.
Plenty of other airport lounges have windows, anyway. I liked the Chelsea challenging this norm. Indeed, the Chelsea doesn’t feel like an airport lounge, in many ways. And that’s good, in my view. More on that later.
Food and Beverage
I arrived just after 10 am, happy to see that the dining room was still serving breakfast. The dining room offers an extensive breakfast menu, and I was even more surprised at portion sizes. The French toast was excellent, but I hardly got through half of it. Also, I needed the room for a couple cappuccinos, anyway.
I’m not a champagne expert, but I tried a couple different ones later in the visit. The bartender served up warm nuts – a weakness of mine – probably the same ones AA travelers have experienced onboard.
Later in the extended visit, I ordered a steak frites lunch in the dining room. Following a mundane Caesar salad, the main came out a perfect medium as I had requested. The mixed greens and vinaigrette were a highlight. Like breakfast, diners have a number of choices on the all day menu, but the drink portion was notably outdated. Two different beers on the menu were unavailable. My third choice was the charm.
A few small beverage and refreshment stations dot the perimeter of the lounge. These areas provide limited options, like coffee, tea, water, fruit, cookies, and a few packaged snacks.
Other Amenities
After breakfast, I showered in one of the three or so designated rooms. The shower suite had plenty of space, including a dressing area, full vanity, large shower, and commode. The attendants provided plenty of packaged towels in the room, probably too many. In effect, I only needed half of them. One lounge visitor should not go through this much plastic.
Meanwhile, the relaxation area sports about six loungers separated by translucent curtains. Tucked in a back corner adjacent to an exterior door, this area feels relaxing enough but also like an afterthought within the overall lounge.
Across from the dining room are several handy desk nooks to work. Based on the slight business center feel, it’s natural for one to take phone calls here. Unfortunately, with the overall quiet and small dimensions of the lounge, such visitors are sharing their conversation with most everyone in the area. I couldn’t help overhearing another visitor’s business call throughout my lunch.
Service
Undoubtedly, service is where the Chelsea Lounge shined most during my visit. Workers were tremendously proactive and always interested in providing a thoughtful touch to the lounge experience. When I entered, a lounge attendant greeted me, offered a menu, and asked for my drink order – before I even put down my bag.
In fact, it’s most appropriate to call everyone working in the lounge a waitstaff. Indeed, no matter where I was, a waiter offered a beverage, snack, meal, or assistance with anything else I could possibly ask. Surprisingly, one waiter advised I could order from the dining menu and have it served anywhere in the lounge. In brief, the lounge felt like one big, nice, (almost) personal restaurant. After all, only a few other visitors were there when I visited.
Chelsea Lounge JFK Review – Conclusion
The Chelsea didn’t just feel like an exclusive restaurant, though. It was like my own little sanctuary among the hustle and bustle of JFK surrounding it. While I enjoyed the understated soundtrack, there were plenty of quiet periods, as well. Surely, the Chelsea captures the airport chapel vibe. In fact, I found myself enjoying the benefits of such a stringent access policy. Certainly, fewer visitors eliminates some bad behavior.
All in all, the stellar service, a relaxing environment, and quality fare made this visit quite a pleasure. I tipped waitstaff during my visit, and I recommend others doing so.
To conclude, will I be back? Undoubtedly, no. I don’t imagine I’ll ever be flying another itinerary granting access. Indeed, this one close-to-perfect experience was enough.
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Sadly, the lounge is a step down for BA passengers who had experienced the T7 Concorde Room.
Lee,
Yeah, it’s all relative, and I can understand the adjustment for experienced BA travelers.
Thanks Benjy for another great article.
I have had the pleasure being in this newer lounge several times and your experience, description and photos are spot on.
On my next trip I will be able to enjoy it again on both my outbound and inbound flights.
As far as not having windows, I have mixed views, no pun intended. In some ways it is an interesting different experience to not have windows and they have designed it well with their artificial lighting. However, I do not think I would enjoy a new trend that all future new lounges would not have windows.
Safe Journeys.
JimK,
Thanks for reading and the kind words! Indeed, the no-window design isn’t a trend I’d like to see catch on elsewhere. I wouldn’t mind “putting up” with this situation again in the Chelsea, though!