The exclusive Chelsea Lounge at New York’s Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the crown jewel of the partnership between British Airways and American Airlines covering the lucrative, business-heavy route between New York and London. I enjoyed spending time in Chelsea Lounge in October 2023 and March and April 2024.
Inception
Is it unwarranted personification to think that the best airline lounges should have origin stories like Greek gods and comic-book superheroes? In any event, the genesis of Chelsea Lounge is easy to trace.
As part of the effort to consolidate all oneworld airline alliance flights into one JFK terminal, in December 2022, British Airways relocated its flights from Terminal 7 to Terminal 8, the American Airlines terminal. Coinciding with the move, British Airways closed its First Class Lounge and opulent Concorde Room in Terminal 7.
Prior to the move, the American Airlines Flagship Lounge, a slightly better-than-average, business class lounge that included a small Flagship First Dining area, was the only Terminal 8 lounge catering to premium cabin customers and top-tier frequent flyers.
To replicate an experience similar to the closed Terminal 7 lounges, in late 2022 American and British Airways created three Terminal 8 lounges for premium passengers. These lounges are named for chic neighborhoods in New York and London — Chelsea, Soho and Greenwich — and serve first class, business class, and upper-echelon frequent flyers, respectively.
Chelsea Lounge Access, Location and Hours
Chelsea Lounge is exclusive. Access is limited to customers who are: (1) traveling on a flight operated by American in Flagship First International, Flagship First Transcontinental, or have paid for Flagship Business Plus service; (2) flying in first class on a long haul international or transcontinental flight operated by British Airways; (3) British Airways Gold Members with 5,000 Tier points; or (4) American Airlines Concierge Key members (big-spending, invitation only status) on a qualifying flight.
Concierge Key members are allowed to bring immediate family or up to two guests. Customers in British Airways first class and American Airlines Flagship First get one guest. Those who buy Flagship Business Plus enhanced ground services (figure on $400 at least) get no guests. Guest privileges are intended to apply to associates, friends and family traveling together but can used by others.
There are threads in the Flyertalk online community and certain social media sites where people seeking lounge access can arrange meet ups with people who are willing to provide access as a guest. Terms of such an arrangement are negotiated between the guestor and guestee.
Chelsea Lounge is on Concourse B near Gate 14. A large overhead sign just past TSA security gives directions. The Chelsea and Soho lounges are one level up from the concourse and are reached via stairs and elevators immediately on the right.
Chelsea Lounge is open from 4:15 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily.
Lounge Layout and Services
Arriving on the lounge level, the entrance to Soho Lounge (business class and non AA/BA first class customers) is straight ahead.
Chelsea lounge is to the right.
Attendants provide greetings and scrutinize boarding passes. If they discover someone who lacks access, they seem to take a bit of pleasure in sending them off to another lounge.
Those who are in the proper place proceed down a short hall with two work stations.
I’ve never seen these positions staffed. Check-in agents assist with travel-related questions.
Chelsea Lounge occupies a fairly small, open, rectangular room consisting of a bar area, space for relaxation and work, and an à la carte restaurant. Capacity must be less than 100. It would be unusual if occupancy ever tops 30 passengers at the same time. All food, beverages and services are complimentary.
Champagne Bar
The entrance hall leads to an area that features a large circular bar with premium alcoholic beverages.
Expensive champagne is available. You’ll need to ask a bartender or server because the lounge rotates the stocks of really good champagne and does not list them on a menu.
Seating and Work Areas
The primary area for relaxation and work is situated between the bar and the restaurant. Most guests are solo travelers. That means few conversations and no children. People who want to talk usually sit at the bar. It is a very quiet lounge.
An enclosed firepit is the focal point of the seating area. I’m glad that fireplaces have become standard features in most premium lounges. A fire stimulates pleasant feelings in some primitive area of my brain.
Semi-private work stations line the far wall.
Those who want to nap will find a quiet area at the back of the lounge.
Dining
The dining area is at the back of the lounge. Customers generally seat themselves. The maître d’ or wait staff provide menus and take orders for beverages and food. Dining is strictly à la carte.
Like Flagship First Dining in the old JFK Flagship Lounge, chefs affiliated with the James Beard Foundation create the menus.
Ayesha Nurdjaja, a Brooklyn native, was the chef responsible for the menus when I visited. The New York Times named her restaurant, Shukette, as one of the top 10 new restaurants of 2021. Coincidentally, her two restaurants, Shuka and Shukette, are located in the Manhattan neighborhoods of Soho and Chelsea, respectively.
In October 2023, I went vegetarian and ordered English pea soup and an impossible burger.
English pea soup is served chilled which surprised me. I enjoyed it nevertheless. The impossible burger was juicy and flavorful. It was a healthier way to satisfy my meat craving.
In March 2023 was a near disaster, after enjoying a delightful meal in Miami Flagship First Dining, the flight to New York was severely behind schedule. A mechanical issue delayed boarding. Then, after passengers embarked, the plane remained at the gate. The flight deck offered little explanation, but I had a good view of the problem.
It looked like the bag scanner malfunctioned. Tracking information had to be manually entered for each bag.
At JFK, I had less than one hour before departure of the transcontinental Flagship First Class flight to San Francisco. I told the maître d’ I didn’t have time to dine. He assured me they could prepare something PDQ. I requested Rigatoni, and it was on the table in 10 minutes.
Ordering and eating took only 20 minutes. I made it to the next flight, but I had been looking forward to having a leisurely meal in Chelsea Lounge.
Time was not an issue in April 2024.
The meal consisted of curry sweet potato bisque, roasted salmon and olive oil cake.
The soup and salmon were amazing. Nurdjaja’s olive oil cake was sweet and practically dissolved in my mouth. I hoped the olive oil would partially offset some of the health disadvantages of the sugar.
Compared to FFD in Miami, Chelsea Lounge has better service, setting and overall experience. The only advantage of Miami FFD is the runway views that windowless Chelsea lacks.
Showers and Lavatories
Unlike Flagship First Class Dining, it is not necessary to leave Chelsea Lounge to freshen up or go to the bathroom. Showers and lavatories are located on a hall behind the restaurant. There are four or five shower suites, so a clean one should always be available.
Rooms come with a lighted shaving mirror, body lotion, toilet, towels and bath mat, hair dryer, luggage stand, and bench for changing. Dental kits and shaving kits are available on request.
The men’s bathroom has a contemporary design. Motion detectors activate the faucet, soap dispenser and hand dryer.
General Impression
Luxurious surroundings, expensive champagne, highly professional staff, celebrity chefs, create an elegant experience fitting for American Airlines and British Airways international and transcontinental first class passengers. Adding table cloths would be my only suggested improvement.
Chelsea Lounge is the best U.S. airline lounge at JFK. That status, however, might be challenged by the Delta Airlines first ever business class lounge that opened last week in JFK Terminal 4. I’ll compare them after visiting that lounge in about four weeks.
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