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First Look: American Airlines' Newest JFK Lounge

Dec. 13, 2016
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4 min read
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First Look: American Airlines' Newest JFK Lounge
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Update: This lounge was re-opened in May 2017 as the Flagship Lounge, with better service, food and drink options. However, the overall look of the lounge is the same as photographed below.

American Airlines' newest lounge is now open in New York's JFK airport, and it looks like a big improvement. The newly remodeled and renamed International First Class Lounge opened its doors last week in Terminal 8, and TPG reader David C. stopped by this week and provided us with the photos you see below.

Per an American Airlines spokesperson, "International First Class Lounge" is the new temporary name for locations formerly known as a "Flagship Lounge." These lounges — in Chicago (ORD), London (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX) and New York's JFK — are in the process of being renovated and completely reimagined. AA and partner airline first-class passengers and Oneworld Emerald customers get free access. Until the lounges are fitted with the new amenities, they'll feature the "International First Class Lounge" branding, and once the remodel is done, these lounges will be reopened with the name "Flagship Lounge."

Naming and branding issues aside, these new top-tier lounges look pretty nice, with elegant seating and finishes throughout. For those looking for a peaceful place to work, there's a Quiet Room behind seemingly tinted glass.

The Quiet Room off the main lounge area should be a good spot to rest and relax.

The main dining and seating areas look just as sharp:

Main room of the International First Class Lounge JFK.

There's plenty of seating, so hopefully visitors will find a spot even during peak times:

The dining area has no shortage of seating.

The main room's window seats have a nice view overlooking the gates and the other T8 concourse.

The main room overlooks Terminal 8 gates.

The dining area encircles a central bar, which wasn't yet stocked at 6am:

The central bar.

If you need a place to sit down and work, there are individual workstations, some of which include a desktop. Compared to the workstations in other Admirals Clubs, these are disappointingly small.

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Unfortunately, the work stations look to be on the small side.

The internet was impressively quick when David C. visited the lounge, although there were only a handful of other guests on site.

Internet speed test in the International First Class Lounge JFK.

If you want to freshen up before an international or transcontinental flight, you can utilize one of the lounge's shower rooms. While American might swap out the soaps before reopening the lounge as a Flagship Lounge, the finishes already look pretty sharp.

There are four to five shower rooms at the new lounge.

Bottom Line

The new International First Class Lounge in JFK looks like a big improvement, and it's a great sign of what's to come from American Airlines' other upcoming clubs. It'll be interesting to see how this space is further enhanced between now and the spring 2017 opening date of the new JFK Flagship Lounge.

A huge thanks to David C. for the great shots of the new lounge.

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.