In the end it didn’t matter much because I wanted to visit more for curiosity sake as I usually prefer clearing security to attend the AA Flagship lounge, but it’s a little annoying to be so confidently dismissed when I told them I’m flying Alaska with my BAECG FFN attached when I clearly have access to the First Lounge flying a oneworld partner.
I had a healthy lunch in queens and the AS lounge provides a fine alternative, but you would think that agents at BA’s most popular outstation would know the rules