British Airways Club World Business Class Lounge, JFK, New York

British Airways has refurbished its business class Club World lounge at New York’s JFK airport, following suit from similar refurbishments in Rome and Aberdeen, as well as updates to the First Class lounge at JFK.

While the old lounge was certainly expansive, it was long overdue for a touch-up in terms of the styling and offering. Join Australian Business Traveller as we explore the refurbished lounge and see if it hits the mark.

Located in Terminal 7, after security, the British Airways business class lounge offers up over 2,000sqm of floor space for weary business travellers.

If you’ve visited the Rome or Aberdeen lounges, you’ll find the same design DNA in the refurbished JFK lounge – and it’s a big improvement on what was there previously.

There’s plenty of space to relax, dine, work or entertain yourself throughout, with dedicated zones for each activity. If you’ve got a particularly long layover, the Elemis Spa is also available if you’re in the mood for a treatment.

Lounge access is provided to passengers that are:

• flying on a scheduled British Airways flight in First, business (Club World) or business (Club Europe)
• a Silver or Gold Member of the British Airways Executive Club on a scheduled flight operated by British Airways or a oneworld partner
• a Sapphire or Emerald member of any of the oneworld airline frequent flyer programs on a scheduled flight operated by British Airways or a oneworld partner

British Airways also operates a First Class lounge and the Concorde Room in Terminal 7.

When it comes to dining, there are a number of hot and cold options available throughout the lounge, giving you a wide selection of choices to select from.

You’ll find the classics like sandwiches and small bites, but also some interesting options like Char Sui Pork Bao and Korean Chicken Bao.

A menu up front outlines the offerings – in our case for dinner there was:

• Build Your Own Power Salad
• Fusion Bao
• British Global Classics
• Hearty Seasonal Entrée
• Pub Menu
• Sweet Treats

The salad is a great option if you want something light to tide you over until your flight, with a selection of greens, grains and proteins available.

The brasserie’s dedicated food area was my first port of call, where I tried the fusion bao. 

The filling was tasty and well prepared, while the bao were soft and doughy.

From the Global British Classics offering, I tried the traditional Angus cheeseburger sliders, served with chips (or more accurately, crisps!), a pickle and coleslaw. Again, this was a great dish.

For desserts, I tried the butterscotch pudding and the berries with cream, which were well presented and delicious.

There were other dessert options, alongside cheeses and fresh fruits, that were also available.

On Thursdays, you’ll find special dishes from guest chefs. When I visited, the offering was French specialties from Nicolas Abbelo, chef at Michelin-starred L’Appart in New York.

The dining area was kept well-stocked with food, and staff were proactive in making sure that no particular items were in danger of running out. 

While the food offering certainly shines, the range of beverages on offer is also well-curated.

You’ll want to experience Quaich Bar, which has been created in partnership with the Quaich bar at the Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside, Scotland. 

A bartender is on hand to serve up a range of wines and cocktails to-order.

Looking for something light, I opted for the Spring Gin & Tonic, accompanied with elderflower and lavender.

In a nod to beer-drinkers, there’s also a BrewDog craft beer room where there are a range of different beers are available, including the ‘Speedbird 100’ beer that has been designed specifically for British Airways.

Premium spirits like Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, and Grey Goose are also available if you’d rather mix up your own drink, with a selection of juices and mixers on hand.

For lovers of bubbles, the champagne on offer was Pommerey during my visit, and there was also a selection of wines available.

With powerpoints at almost every seat, you can set yourself up almost anywhere in the lounge if you need to get some work done.

There is a small dedicated area for working, with a large communal desk, roller chairs, and a printer on hand, but we found it more comfortable working in the relative privacy of one of the single armchairs.

Internet speeds were average, recording 9.7mbps down and 10.6mbps up – fine for emails, browsing, and light media streaming, but with plenty of room for improvement.

With seating for hundreds, you shouldn’t have an issue finding a spot to unwind even during peak times.

There are also 3 showers available if you need to freshen up in between flights.

If you’ve got a longer layover, you can also take advantage of the reopened Elemis Spa. Unfortunately we weren’t able to visit it during our time in the lounge.

Aside from that, there’s a small entertainment area with sports matches displayed on the television, as well as magazines and newspapers available at the entry.

Overall

The British Airways business class Club World lounge at JFK is a much improved version of the previous offering. With a great selection of food and drinks, and plenty of space to unwind or get some work done, it has everything you’ll need to while away a couple of hours while waiting for your next flight.

The author travelled as a guest of British Airways