To break it down even further, I think the U.S. carriers do okay with their newest J products but still fall far, far short of the best carriers in F.

A United Club isn't too different than a lot of the J lounges around the world. Some a little better, mainly because they don't serve American beer and have better food. Some a little worse because they're shared lounges and don't have an agent who can really solve issues related to your itinerary. I think the U.S. carriers are *close* when we're talking about J - close enough that I wouldn't significantly reroute my travels to avoid them.

One thing I hardly ever see discussed on FT: what are the best airlines out there that use a two-cabin service, with the forward cabin booking as J (whether paid or award), but a "near F" overall experience? Is there any J award in this world that would put me in a truly premium lounge and have a top-top-shelf liquor/wine list onboard?