British Airways First Class Lounge

What is there to complain about when free food and alcohol is for the taking anytime you want? Well, I'm going to be slightly unfair and snobby for this review. It's unfair because Yelp doesn't have a Hong Kong/Taipei division for me to write about how awesome airline lounges are there. This review is going to seem snobby because most people don't travel to Hong Kong/Taipei twice a year to enjoy lounges.

Food: there are instant noodles that you could add your own hot water to, cookies, and sandwiches available here. Unfortunately, the cheese and crackers platter disappeared a year ago. There's plenty to drink though: red and white wine along with various beers along with a tap. This place is hard liquor heaven!

However, this lounge does not even come close to other lounges in Asia. There's no dim sum station, full service bar, noodle station, coffee house, etc. *Sigh*.

Service: the staff here is quite responsive to your needs if you ask for help. Again, not even close to the way I'm treated in HKG and TPE.

Decor: the place is big, but again, Cathay Pacific can do better. In fact, it has! The airline needs to operate its own lounge at JFK or teach British Airways a thing or two about what the lounging experience should be.

The morning I was there the A/C wasn't on, and it was hotter in the lounge than it was in the terminal. However, that aside the food on offer was good, and the drinks selection vast and quality. The reading material available was quality as well. The concierge desk was well staffed and informative.

The British Airways Terraces Lounge is located in Terminal 7 of JFK past security and is open daily from 8:00am - 10pm. Not to be confused with the British Airways First Class Lounge, the Terraces Lounge is available to first and business class passengers, as well as members of a certain elite standing within the alliance.

I take Cathay Pacific business class flights from JFK regularly so since Cathay doesn't have its own lounge in JFK, it allows its passengers to share the one by its oneworld partner, British Airways.

I love this place. Spacious, elegant, clean, light snacks, open bar. There are many different spaces to the lounge, each nook with a different feel: bar seating, different TV areas, comfortable lounging chairs and couches. The bathrooms are also really clean and have good soap and lotion available. Having been here several times over the years, the food offerings tend to be small sandwiches or wraps, Cup of Noodles, various selections of chips, cookies, and some crudités.

There used to be beer on tap but that seems to have been replaced with a juice bar. All beers are bottled and in the fridges. The open bar area features a make your own bloody mary bar, various selections of wines, and many different spirits to choose from:

Gin - Gordon's
Vodka - Smirnoff
Whiskey - Jameson, Jack Daniel's
Vermouth - Martini & Rossi

They also had Campari, Bailey's, and Glenlivet. The staff can also bring you champagne and white white from the back if they have it available that day.

For the non-alcoholics, there are sodas, water, and tea available.