To be honest, we are kind of spoiled when it comes to airport lounges. In the past, we had a great time in lounges in Europe, Asia and especially the Middle East. Due to that, there was only a little chance that the American Airlines Admirals Club at the New York John F. Kennedy Airport would satisfy us. However, we were not disappointed at the same time as the seating was very comfortable.
Check out our rating of the Admirals Club New York JFK (C)
When we flew from New York JFK to Berlin with Air Berlin in Business Class, we had the pleasure to spend some time at the American Airlines Admirals Club at the New York JFK Airport in Concourse C.
This lounge is mainly used by passengers awaiting to board a transatlantic flight to Europe. Due to that, we expected that the lounge would at least hit the spot.
After hearing a lot of bad things about American airport lounges, we were a little surprised that the AA Admirals Club at the JFK Airport made a very good first impression!
As the Admirals Club is one of the American Airlines Lounges that got refurnished lately, seating in the lounge is comfortable. There are several different areas including one for kids solely.
You’ll find spots for working, dining tables and relaxation chairs in separated areas. I especially liked the highchairs right in front of the window. Sitting there you can enjoy great views of the tarmac with many big airplanes passing by. The only downer about seating in the Admirals Club at the New York JFK Airport is the limited availability of spots in the evening.
From our arrival in the lounge and till our departure there were only few and sometimes none at all seats available. The size of the Admirals Club at JFK Airport seems to be not suitable for the masses of people that got access.
In the past, I’ve only been to a lounge in the USA once. It was by the United Lounges in San Francisco and to be quite honest: The buffet was horrible and just consisted of crackers and cheese.
Due to that experience, I was a little surprised to find some real food in the Admirals Club at the JFK Airport. The lounge in Concourse C offered the standard choice of chocolate pretzels and salty snacks, but did moreover have a nice little healthy buffet.
There were fruits, vegetable sticks, olives, cheese, crackers and even a soup available. When it comes to drinks, the Admirals Club at the New York John F. Kennedy Airport offers iced tea and water as well as hot drinks free of charge.
If you haven’t been to an Admirals Club before, it is important to know that there is a bar where you can order real dishes and other drinks for an extra charge. Depending on the airline you fly with, you may even get food or drink vouchers.
When it comes to entertainment, the Admirals Club at the JFK Airport is absolutely okay. There are newspapers and magazines available free of charge. Guests may also use one of the computers in the working area or one of the tables that are available close to the bar area. I especially liked the fact that they had complimentary tablets you may use to browse the internet before departure.
However, it seemed like nobody was really interested in the tables even though the internet speed was quite decent (on the tables and on the devices we brought with us). Additionally, you may watch news shown on one of the televisions in the lounge.
Considering that the American Airlines Admirals Club at the JFK Airport in Concourse C also got showers that you may use before departure, the lounge is pretty solid. The complimentary food does neither offer a good choice nor is it of good quality. However, there are plenty of options to buy food, so that may be a good alternative. Seating in the lounge is nice as far as you get a spot.
The capacity problems of the Admirals Club at JFK Airport should be something American Airlines has to think about. However, our overall experience in the lounge was not a bad one, so I would recommend to have a look at the lounge if you got some spare time prior departure, but be sure to not expect a luxurious or outstanding experience.
Curious what the world of lounges has to offer in comparison?
I’ve recently have not great experiences with american lounges. The united lounge in SF was not appropriate to business travelers. If you compare lounges from Lufthansa or British Airways to American lounges, European airlines offer a lot more of drinks, foods and a better atmosphere.
Absolutely. That’s why we didn’t expect a lot. But if you like European Lounges, I can only recommend to stop-over in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha one day. The lounges there are an outstanding experience.
Ok 🙂 Thank you for this advise
You are very welcome 🙂
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I hope this message find you all well. I have a question and I hope you all can help. I have an overnight layover at JFK and I am trying to find out do you leave out at 10:30 when they close or are you able to rest there for the night?
Hey Monique! I’m actually not 100 percent sure, but I highly doubt that it is possible to stay over night. I’d definitely recommend to book a hotel instead as you most likely won’t be able to spend the night in the lounge.
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My husband and
I just returned from a 15 1/2 hour transatlantic flight from Hong Kong to JFK. We flew Business Class and have two more legs before completing our flight. In Hong Kong we enjoyed the Cathay Pacific Lounge. Upon entering the JFK Lounge, we were rudely informed we did not have access. We were told we would have to upgrade our credit cards to Executive status. When did American stop allowing access when flying 1st class?