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.
Review Source: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.
Cathay Pacific gives its passengers access to this lounge as they do not operate their own lounge in JFK. Â I visited last night as I was waiting for my flight back to Vancouver. Â
While this lounge is quite large, it really doesn't compare to many other airline lounges around the world. Â This one is split into a First Class and Business Class section. Â The First Class room is much smaller, with a few internet terminals and some cold snacks (chips, cheese, etc.). Â Normally if you are flying First on BA you are entitled to enter the "First Class Dining" area to have a buffet meal - by walking through the business class lounge. Â Cathay passengers don't have that access though. Â But the times I have sampled that fare in the past it was just "ok." The business class lounge is quite large.
Overall the lounge is not that well taken care of. Â There were chips and cheese wrappers all over the place. Â The self-serve bar had a lot of empty bottles scattered around. Â The internet terminals were incredibly slow (they reminded me of using the internet over a dial-up modem way back when!). Â The free wifi was not working at all. Â The plug in internet was not working at all if you wanted to use your own machine on the "self-internet" desk. Â The massage spa had a 2 hour waiting list. Â Who the heck is going to come to the airport that much in advance just to get a massage? Â Either really offer the service for your passengers, or just don't pretend! Â Overall pretty poor as airline lounges go in major cities. Â
This lounge really doesn't compare to lounges like Cathay's in Hong Kong (which is perhaps one of the best worldwide). Â To be honest, even the small little Cathay lounge in Vancouver is nicer, has much better upkeep, offers a nicer selection of food and snacks.
So, overall "meh."
I Â travel from New York to London about four times per year and First Class on BA is the way to go. Â The service is extraordinary and it all starts from the moment you arrive at the airport, dedicated check in, as there are only about 12 First Class seats on each plane there is never a line. Â A dedicated security line, which mean from the curb to the lounge in about 15 minutes, painless. Once you are in the lounge you can relax in luxury, complementary massages, pre flight dining, and drinks. Â This is great because once I am on that plane I just want to go to bed. Â
Once you take off the cabin attendant will offer turndown service with a goose down comforter and full size down pillows, they even offer pajamas and slippers, now this is class, go to bed and the next thing you know you are being served a hot breakfast before arriving in London refreshed and ready to take on the day.
However much I hate JFK, and all the miserable things that happen to me whenever I am there (Think 5 hours stuck on a plane on the tarmack during a snow storm), I still love the BA Lounge. Â It is an Oasis within airport chaos. Â
The BA lounge collaborates with ANA so I use this often. Â They have Japanese magazines and onigiri, which is comforting and makes me feel like I took my first step heading home. Â Love the lounge chairs and the serene atmosphere it has.
"First class....up in the sky.."
"Champagne...living the life."
"The glamorous, the glamorous life."
My company booked me business class to Madrid, which entitles me to hang with the swells at the BA First Class Lounge at JFK. Oh shit yeah. I was totally meant for this. Doesn't matter that the hoity-toitys look at me like I'm Laverne from Milwaukee because I'm stuffing all the free chocolate and cheese into my pockets and guzzling the free booze like it's goin out of style. What are you looking at rich byotch, why don't you get some more Botox. Yeah, your husband is looking at me because I'm hot, and not nipped, tucked, pinched, lifted, and aerobizicized beyond human recognition. So I'll sip on my wine, feel fine, not have to wait in line, and enjoy the glamorous life.
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