TL;DR
The Etihad Lounge in JFK is a stunning piece of work. The architecture on the outside is beautiful, and the decorations inside are quite elegant. The lounge is only open around the times the airline flies out of JFK, and only open to Etihad/Etihad partner airlines premium customers. I enjoyed my time there, and appreciated the kindness of the staff.
The Good: Beautiful design and elegant bar.
The Bad: No lounge for First Class passengers, and made to order food menu was limited.
The Noteworthy: There’s a secret lounge for Residence passengers that I could not find.
Check-In at JFK
As I will mention in my main post for the flight, check in itself was a breeze, the TSA Pre Check line, however, was a mess. As soon as I was through security, I realized the lounge was still closed, so I strolled a bit through the terminal. There was an AMEX pop-up lounge, which I found weird.
Priority Check IN
Heading to Abu Dhabi
Centurion Lounge PopUp JFK
Lounge Exterior
The lounge is located on the floor above the main terminal. Once you go upstairs, you can’t miss it. The facade is stunning. Elegant and subtle design is coupled with the imposing size of the lounge entrance. There is a large logo for Etihad there.
Lounge Facade
Lounge Interior
Once inside the lounge, I noticed how the furniture was of complimentary colors. There were light beige chairs, alongside grey recliners. There were sections for people to sit and lounge, watch TV or eat. The bar is a very long table with a variety of drinks.
Etihad Lounge Bar
Lounge Seating
Lounge Seating
Etihad Lounge
Etihad Lounge TV Room
Lounge Food
The lounge has a limited selection of made to order food, which I found was good in flavor and quality. There is also an ample buffet, which had a bit of everything, from fruit to South Asian cuisine. Tables were set very elegantly, as is the case for everything Etihad does.
Made to Order Menu
Made to Order Food
Made to Order Food
Self Serve Bar
Buffet
Buffet
Bathrooms and Showers
The lounge has bathrooms with the usual amenities, but nothing over the top. Â There is also one shower, which was used all the while I was in the lounge (hopefully by different people).
Bathrooms
Landing Thought
The lounge is a solid lounge. I would rate it as something out of this world based on the soft product inside. However, the architecture and interior design is extremely elegant. If more lounges were as well decorated as this one, the world would be a more aesthetic place.
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if I’m flying aa business class to lhr would I have access? (yea yea, I know AA flagship is an option)
Hi PJ, Thanks for reading!
Unfortunately not, you would not have access. You need to be flying in an Etihad flight, or an Etihad Partners flight. Even then, AA is in Terminal 8 and this is in Terminal 4, and I don’t think TSA will allow you to enter terminal 4 with a flight that departs from T8 only.
Best,
The Millennial Traveler
I understand the part about not being in same terminal, but I don’t understand the partner part of your answer. aa website states they are partners with etihad:
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/miles/partners/partner-airlines.jsp
What etihad partners flights would qualify?
Oh, I see where the confusion comes from. Usually, reciprocal lounge access is limited to alliance partners. Although Etihad is not part of an alliance, they are equity partners in a few airlines (Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Jet Airways, et. al.). Those elite flyers would be able to access the lounge. Although AA and Etihad are partners, they are only partners for award redemptions, nothing further unfortunately.
Best,
The Millennial Traveler
gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. So in that case, I should have access to any oneworld lounge at JFK if I’m flying to LHR ?
So long as you are traveling in a OW flight (in a premium cabin, or elite status), then yes. I used a BA First ticket to access the Qantas Lounge and Cathay lounge at LHR. Remember that some airlines may capacity constrain their lounges to their own passengers. Have fun on your trip!
Best,
The Millennial Traveler