Chelsea Lounge JFK - British Airways & American

Having visited a number of times I can safely say this is a superb lounge and one of my favourites globally. The decor is gorgeous and there’s a wealth of seating types for whether you’re wanting to relax, work or dine. The staff at the bar are exceptional and when it isn’t busy they’re proactive at bringing drinks to wherever you’re sitting. The cocktail menu is decent and the range of drink options high end. Some coasters for the glasses would be one obvious improvement, especially given the marble surfaces. If you’re there before it starts getting busier the space can be a bit lacking in atmosphere, since there’s no background music, but it at least keeps the space blissfully relaxing. There’s electric sockets everywhere and the lighting is great at each of the sofa style seats. Food is very good too. The menu isn’t extensive but everything offered is presented and cooked perfectly. There’s no buffet options here with everything full table service and when the staff are on top form this works wonderfully. However on a couple of visits now I’ve had excessively long waits between courses, and the staff haven’t been the easiest to get the attention of. Isolated incidents though and otherwise it offers a brilliant pre-flight meal. Overall a fantastic airport lounge that’s so good I’d pick the terminal especially so I could visit; I can’t wait to return.

The Chelsea Lounge was fantastic. The drinks and food were great, and the sleeping area was very comfortable. The atmosphere made it easy to relax before my flight. Service was excellent, my waiter was amazing and really added to the experience. Definitely worth visiting.

Nice food and service but why no windows? Strange for the most premium lounge to be fully enclosed. I don't get it. The One World Gold lounge is so much nicer in decor, but ask for Grand Siecle here and you'll be served it.

The Chelsea Lounge in John F. Kennedy is pure luxury, with its jaw-dropping chandelier that doubles as the champagne bar. I’ve enjoyed every premium bottle they pour — from Dom Pérignon and the Lady Gaga special edition to Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle and Cristal — all complementary, which you rarely find in any other first class lounge.

Lounge surpasses the hype. Wow is all I have to say. Impressive …. look at the complimentary single malt scotch! The rest area is absolutely impeccable, but let’s start with a check-in process. Check-in process is flawless efficient with unbelievable Customer Service. Food menu amazing … Suitable for all diet types… if there is something here you don’t see here … you have access to the SoHo Lounge which is adjacent to Chelsea. I can see why one elite member cancelled their flight for a later departure to LHR. Everything is top shelf here … even the fries!!

Been there 3 times now and by far my favorite lounge (probably in the world, but definitely in the USA). Read reviews about bad champagne? Every time I’m here my man Paul has the best bottles; Dom multiple years, Rare, Krug… plus cool liquor and amazing wine. Food is also great. Service is amazing, plus the bar is a great spot to meet people and chat a bit. It’s truly the last “luxury speakeasy” airport lounge left. I live in Philly and sometimes ride up just to go here before heading back to Europe.

I like this lounge a lot. It has everything you could need in a relatively good sized package. Smaller than its sister lounge next door, it is more exclusive and looks beautifully decorated. The food is of good quality but I feel the menu is trying too hard to be amazing and just needs some good basics on there too. The showers are clean and large which makes freshening up lovely. There were plenty of towels to be used and the powerful new Dyson hairdryers too. The staff are lovely, especially those working in the dining area. All of the seating is comfortable, with plenty of sockets for charging including USB-A and USB-C ports. The staff on reception are also extremely helpful, especially if you are suffering a delay with your flight and need someone to keep you updated.

I am at the Chelsea first class lounge at JFK airport and extremely impressed by the level of hospitality by the staff and a special mention for "Jada" who made my stay very enjoyable. A credit to JFK hospitality, thank you Jada, very appreciative of your service. Also like to mention the food and i had the gnocchi that was eceptional.

The best lounge I've ever been! Wonderful ambience with nice fire place, a great bar, and sit down 'restaurant' where you get to pick whatever you want. The service is on point. All of the staff is super attentive and friendly. You'll be lucky if you get Rodriguez and Rohiud. Food is good with great attention to detail. 10 out of 10!

This has to be one of the if not nicest lounges I have been to. Very nice decor, table service, high end wine and champagne, outstanding service, great food menu and sparsely populated since it is only for first class. I had lobster bisque, potato croquettes with caviar and lamb and pomegranate kofta which were all exceptional and high end restaurant quality.

I've been through quite a few American Airlines lounges over the years, and Chelsea Lounge at JFK is easily the best of the bunch. It's not on the same level as Al Safwa in Doha (very few lounges are) but it's a solid step above the usual Flagship experience. The space hits a nice balance between upscale and relaxed. What really stood out to me, though, was the wait staff. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and the plated dinner was a pleasant surprise. The menu had a good range of options, and the quality was way above what I usually expect in a U.S. lounge. Honestly, it felt more like dining at a boutique hotel than anything you'd find in an airport. One thing that really impressed me was the selection of aged scotch. You don't see that every day, even in some of the better lounges. It felt like someone actually put thought into the bar setup, which I appreciated. For context, I'm Executive Platinum with American and also hold oneworld Emerald status through another partner airline, but I was only allowed in this time because I was flying Flagship First to London. The access policy is what it is, but once you're through the door, the experience holds up. It's not trying to be a five-star Middle East or Asia lounge, and that's fine. For an American carrier, this is a standout. Definitely a welcome upgrade to the JFK experience.

What are an incredible experience. Fantastic James Beard level food, wonderful service. Amazing atmosphere. There is no better way to start your trip. Blown away by what is on offer here.

Just when all hope of decent service from an Airline appears lost, something surprises you - if you have the budget or miles for First Class. As a consequence of integrating some of the facilities at JFK between American Airlines and British Airways three new lounges have opened - Soho, Chelsea and Greenwich - all names familiar to Londoners and New Yorkers. The Chelsea lounge is beautiful, service first rate and the menu great. We experienced the lounge while waiting for an 06:00 flight to the West Coast and found the staff cheery, the tea drinkable and the food a pleasant surprise. Hope to visit again when the budget is next there and in the meantime the British style bacon sandwich will linger in my memory...

The Chelsea lounge. The newest addition to the worlds most exclusive airline lounges. A joint venture between BA and American Airlines that has been open just long enough to get the service ironed out. And crisp and ironed it is! For background AA and BA opened a series of joint lounges after BA moved to terminal 8 and someone figured out the old (just a few years so old but not dated) Flagship Lounge couldn't handle the volume of passengers, even post Covid. So the airlines teamed up and have opened 3 lounges cleverly named after districts in both New York and London. US reviewers have struggled to understand why each lounge is named the way it is so let me try to explain, being a native Londoner and having spent years in NYC. The Greenwich Lounge, like Greenwich in London, is the old flagship lounge. It's comfortable, out of the way, a little dated and not very cool. A bit like Greenwich in London. Sure it's got the prime meridian and it's nice to be there but you know it's not exclusive. This is for business class passengers with no additional status. The Soho lounge, just like Soho in London, is more exclusive. Well heeled. Cool. Elevated. It has gorgeous views of the tarmac and planes, it's huge and uncrowded. Modern, a large self service buffet and decent cocktail bar along with drinks and self serve stations for soda and water, coffee etc. this is a bit like the 'First' lounge at Heathrow, which isn't really for first class passengers, rather for business class folks with tons of status with the airline. This is where I would have been yesterday if I had flown Cathay to Hong Kong. It's really nice. Wouldn't complain. Just like living in Soho in London, surrounded by actors and the like. There is a cocktail bar in here which certainly elevates it from most 'first class' lounges. And then there is Chelsea. In London Chelsea has all kinds of people, millionaires and billionaires. If you have to ask the price you can't buy something there, whether it's a house, a flat or a beer. The Chelsea lounge is the Concorde room equivalent. First class seats and concierge key (or BA equivalent) flying long haul only. It is elegant, refined and service based. Everything is brought to you. The champagne bar has 6 champagnes, predominantly Moët, the signature BA Grand Siecle and a guest pour. Cocktails are hand crafted and food is ordered from a menu (top tip if you don't see anything you want on the menu you can go grab food from the buffet next door and bring it back. You can also grab a bottle of water for the plane that way). That said the burger is the excellent American burger from the Flagship First Dining days, and what I saw and tried was outstanding. The big circular bar is roomy, room for about 16 folks so better than the Concorde. room (6) or the Soho next door (8). There are comfy seats around a fireplace, and a more formal seated area for grown up meals, though you can eat anywhere. Much has been made of this lounge having no natural light. However I like it. It's subdued. Everyone speaks in hushed voices. This isn't a place to be loud or vibrant. It's a high end champagne bar. And let's be honest, no one needs to see what time of day it is when you are drinking champagne. Like it's sisters, the Concorde lounge, The Wing, JAL First and others around the world this is a quiet oasis to sit, think, and sip in quiet perfectly served surroundings. And for that, it's 5 stars.

This lounge is beautiful and quiet. Just want I needed before boarding my flight. The food and drinks were amazing as well. I highly recommend the beets salad - the horseradish yogurt gives a great kick at the end. All the staff there were very friendly.

Really bummed with the terrible staff here. I was at the lounge recently and had brought my dog who remained in her carrier. Instead of asking me directly if my dog had a pet ticket, one low life worker at the club decided it was better to just call my gate to flag the concern. Fully knowing that I was rushing and had talent care of the ticket. Not professional and trust me I'm going to find out who this person is as I expect more from American Airlines and especially the is first class lounge. Sad staff.

First time flying AA from JFK to DOH and in flagship first. With that got access to all the lounges. Chelsea was amazing. Food was superb, service was out of this world. Area was quiet 95% of the time. Only had a bit of noise when the flight banks came through. I had 7 hour layover so had plenty of time to try everything.