CuiDawei

This week I left EWR early hours of Sunday morning arriving into HKG early doors Monday morning. I connected from the BVI on Jet Blue and got into EWR around 10PM. This left me with three hours and 20 minutes before boarding. Naturally – I went to lounge operated by BA to fill my time – there is not much else to do at the airport. I have to point out that I have flown from this airport before and JFK quite a few times but I try to limit the time before my flight to as little as possible.

After spending three hours and 20 minutes in the BA Galleries lounge at EWR I have come to the conclusion that is absolutely awful. The food is dismal, the lighting hurt my eyes, filtered water, chairs uncomfortable, Wi-Fi slow, only one urinal and one stall in the men’s bathroom and tacky décor (W Hotels in the 1960s).

To top it all off – the taps in the men’s bathroom were not working. However, hand sanitizer was readily available. I went to the front desk and asked about the taps – the BA representative shook her head and the CX representative got on the phone, spoke to someone, then someone else and then the taps were working again. It was all such a joke. The last guy told me that this happens all the time – hence the hand sanitizer so readily available.

Nothing pleased me more than to get on my flight.

Combined – I absolutely loathe the EWR/JFK BA Galleries Lounges’ offerings. They are both dated and uncomfortable. I cannot believe that CX has not invested in its own lounge for such a heavy traffic route with a premium price. HKD 70,000 to 100,000 roundtrip and I have to put up with that? I do not understand why CX flies out of the BA terminal at JFK when the AA terminal is much nicer and convenient for onward connections (how many people fly HKG – JFK – LHR?).

I hate to rant and I do not do it often – I love CX. Been loyal for a long time and bank a lot of cash with them – but I really think they need to step up their game in NY. Is it that hard to have their own lounge? Especially with 4 x daily to JFK.

dkc192

The problem with JFK is that there is no physical space in T7 for CX to build their own lounge.

jona970318

Th reason that CX flies out of T7 at JFK is because of the limited number of heavy gates at T8. Though my experience in the BA lounge at JFK is slightly better, I do agree with you that there is plenty of room for improvement. Unfortunately there is little room for expansion at JFK T7 because of the limited space of the terminal itself

MisterTanaka

Are there showers available at either lounge, particularly before the ~1 am flights? I know that JFK has the "travel spa" area with showers, but I've not been there that late in the evening.

seawolf

CX should take over the BA F lounge at T7 and turn it to an F lounge. It's not like BA is using it for their own F passengers.

Cathay Boy

For some reason CX likes to follow BA around, heh heh. In all seriously, I think CX is forced by the constrains of limited space. CX must be losing a ton of money to BA with their fliers using their lounge. Say there are 50 eligible lounge users per flight, 5 flights daily (JFK/EWR) and that's 250 x $50 a person and that's $12,500 a day CX has to pay BA for lounge access! 30 days and that's $375,000 a month! I'm sure CX is dying to get their own lounge...

seawolf

Maybe that is why BA is holding on to the lease despite it's own F passengers going to CCR.

sxc

BA also has gold members who aren't entitled to the CCR.

CuiDawei

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

Just read that BA's lease on Terminal 7 will expire next year and are in talks with AA to possibly move there (needing an expansion). Wonder what CX will do? Follow BA to AA (is there space) or stay at Terminal 7 and hope other Oneworld members join?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-0...-terminal.html

Cathay Boy

I say CX just takes over T7 and make it their own, and take over BA lounge too. Transfer between T7 and T8 is a breeze as long as there are luggage drop off transfer-point in T7 and all one has to do is hop on the AirTrain to go one Terminal down.

seawolf

Just want to point out the article is 4 years old. Don't know if the underlying business conditions (whatever they were) are still true or not.

makin'miles

If BA is short space, I really wonder why they wouldn't start moving some of the other airlines out of T7... like United, Air Canada, Westjet and even CX, particularly given their significant investments in lounges etc in New York. Could any of the other terminals really accommodate them (they are likely the largest non-American carrier tenant at JFK)?

I almost think its more likely that CX would move over to T8 than BA... fewer aircraft, and CX have very little in terms of their own PPE tied to T7. Plus, connections to AA would be improved.

ernestnywang

I remember seeing somewhere that the plan was to either link T7 with T8(+9) or to make T7+8(+9) a big terminal.

Rivarix

If CX were to move to T8 (or the two terminals linked) and have its own lounge, doesn't that mean all OW SPH/EMD (including AA PLT/EXP) will have access to such lounge when flying US domestic? Wouldn't it be packed all the time even if the lounge is open only around the time of CX flights?

seawolf

Technically yes but judging by BA denying entry to AA OW at PHL, I wouldn't be surprise if a CX lounge would have this policy as well.