The entry to the Lufthansa Business Lounge in JFK Terminal 1, a Priority Pass Lounge. Photo by: Evan Berman

This lounge recap occurs prior to the international flight to Norway, a part of the Nordic Expedition. For more info on this trip, follow these links:

Intro

Flight: Delta Comfort+, CHS-JFK

JFK Lounges (This Article)

Flight: Norse Airways Economy, JFK-OSL

Flight: Norwegian Economy, OSL-BGO

The Magic of Bergen, Norway

Christmas Markets

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret, Bergen, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, BGO-SVG

Flight: SAS Economy, SVG-OSL

2 Days in Oslo, Norway

Oslo Restaurants

Hotel: Comfort Karl Johan, Oslo, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, OSL-TOS

Terrific Tromsø, Norway

A Whale of a Meal, Tromsø, Norway Restaurants

Seeing the Northern Lights

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora, Tromsø, Norway

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel With, Tromsø, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, TOS-OSL

Flight: Norse Atlantic Airways Economy: OSL-JFK

December in New York

Lounges at LGA

Flight: Delta Economy, LGA-CHS

Conclusion

JFK Airport Layout

JFK is one of the largest airports in the world. While the number of passengers has decreased in recent years, it was still the 6th busiest airport in the US in 2019. Delta and American both have major hubs there and many other airlines have strong presences there as well.

The layout of the airport is not very intuitive. There are currently 5 terminals open since Terminal 2 is permanently closed: Terminal 1, Terminal 4, Terminal 5, Terminal 7, and Terminal 8.

I flew into Terminal 4 and out of Terminal 1. Terminal 1 is where many international departures leave from. Lufthansa, Air France, Korean Air, Turkish Airlines have major operations in Terminal 1 and all have lounges there.

Terminal 4 is a beautiful, relatively new terminal and is offers both domestic and international flights. Delta has a large presence, as do Virgin Atlantic and Air India and all 3 have lounges in this terminal. This is also where the Centurion Lounge is located at JFK.

Terminals 7 and 8 are primarily operated by oneworld airlines. Both American and British Airways have large presences, including sharing 3 new lounges.

With the layout underway, it’s time to get into the reviews of the lounges.

8 Hours in JFK

I stepped into Terminal 4 on a Delta flight just after 2pm and departed on a Norse Airways flight from Terminal 1 roughly 8 hours later. I spent time in Terminal 1 and 4. While I did not go to the Centurion Lounge on this occasion, I’ll review my previous experiences in this lounge in this article as well.

Terminal 1:

Terminal 1 is, quite frankly, in need of a renovation or complete overhaul. There is no Clear line and only one line for security. Unfortunately Norse does not yet participate in TSA PreCheck, so I needed to wait in the standard line. I’ve been spoiled by PreCheck and Clear and the 31 minutes it took to get through security (23 minutes to approach the the agent, 8 minutes to pass security).

After passing security, I attempted to enter the Air France Lounge but was turned away due to overcrowding. Unfortunately, this was a recurring phenomenon– I tried at 5pm, 10pm, and 11pm and was turned away each time. This lounge offers Priority Pass access, but the agents have the right to turn away anyone that does not qualify for lounge access via premium cabin seating on a SkyTeam Business Class flight.

Primeclass Lounge:

I headed to Primeclass Lounge, located all the way down the terminal. The lounge requires heading down some stairs to access the entry, then down more to enter the lounge. It is a Priority Pass Lounge with a twist: you must show your boarding pass to order drinks and you only receive 2 complimentary alcoholic beverages.

The food was decent and wine was quite good. There are several bathrooms, including ones with shower stalls. I spent some considerable time here, including a meeting. The wifi was good enough to support a video call without interruptions.

Lufthansa Lounge:

After I finished my 2nd drink at Primeclass, I decided to try again and see if I could access the Air France Lounge. Once again, I was denied entry due to capacity and told that the Air France flight departing for Paris had been delayed. The helpful desk agent told me to check out the Lufthansa Lounge.

Though it does not appear on the website, Priority Pass is accepted for entry at the Lufthansa Lounges at JFK Terminal 1. There is a Lufthansa Senator Lounge and Business Lounge, with the Senator Lounge reserved only for business and first class passengers and open for less time upstairs. AmEx Platinum cards may get you into these lounges, but only if you have a ticket for a Lufthansa Group Airline (Swiss, Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, etc.). As such, I used my Priority pass once again.

I had another small plate of food from the buffet. The food was decent, though nothing to write home about. I enjoyed being able to pour myself a German beer to accompany the food.

Finally, before leaving the lounge, I had a digestif before heading out to board the flight.

I very much enjoyed how festive the Lufthansa lounge was, truly a sign of what was to come on this trip

Terminal 4:

Prior to heading to Terminal 1, I stayed in Terminal 4 and enjoyed the Delta Sky Club that I know well. Entry is permitted to those with Sky Club access (AmEx Platinum Card, AmEx Delta Reserve Card, or membership) as long as they have a same-day Delta flight. This is in bold as you can access one of these clubs before or after a flight. Thus, it was no problem to gain entry despite flying on a different airline later that night.

As I got in around 2:15pm on a Thursday, you may expect that it was empty. If so, you’re not familiar with the JFK Terminal 4 Sky Club! The staff welcomed everyone with champagne but there was the typical lack of seating, so I had to hunt a bit before finding a spot.

The food was a bit underwhelming for a Sky Club. The soup was terrific as always, but the rest of the food was merely a bit above average. I realize that is a high bar, but I’m usually blown away by the quality of food in Sky Clubs.

I stuck around to have a pretzel from Nathan’s Hot Dogs and a glass of wine, both of which were pleasant. After a while, I decided to head over to Terminal 1 to ensure I had plenty of time to scope out the lounges that I reviewed above.

When I stepped outside of the Sky Club, I was glad that I arrived when I did– the line was enormous.

Centurion Lounge:

While I did not visit the Centurion Lounge this time, this is a great choice if you have access. Remember: you will need an AmEx Platinum Card or AmEx Delta Reserve Card while flying Delta to enter and you can only access 3 hours prior to departure. The guest policy has changed recently. This review is from my last visit:

Drinks are terrific in all Centurion Lounges. There are a few specialty cocktails, but they have everything from Chianti and Dom to draft beer and mid-shelf liquor. You will not go thirsty! In this instance, I ordered a nice glass of red wine and the Port in a Storm and both were delicious.

There is plenty of space in the Centurion lounge at JFK, including an entertainment room which offers TV’s, newspapers (subject to COVID restrictions), magazines, and other items.

It’s no secret that Centurion Lounges are very popular. Unfortunately, that means despite hosting a large space, it is usually difficult to find seating. There is seating all along the left side as you walk into the main level of the lounge. Additionally, you may find seating in the other rooms, including the Speakeasy!

Summary:

I spent roughly 8 hours in JFK prior to heading on my next flight to Oslo. I flew Delta into JFK Terminal 4 so I was able to access the Delta Sky Club there before heading to Terminal 1 and enjoying my time in the Primeclass Lounge and Lufthansa Business Lounge. In all, it was a lot of food and drink but a great way to kill time before the flight. Next up: flying to Norway!