Wow, pretty crowded yesterday and kind of surprising for a Thursday. There was a line when I had entered and the line was even longer as I exited.

You could see the people waiting were visibly irritated and I could hear mumbling which sounded like discontent as I made my way to the elevator to the gate level. I can't recall seeing the lounge this packed with every seat, as far as I can see, occupied. Based on the Skyclub thread in the DL forums, I imagine the situation there, at least in JFK, would likely be just as bad, if not worse.

The food served was chicken prepared with what appeared to be a very (and, I mean very) mild curry flavor as to not offend the western palate; the sides were a kind of pasta in a cream sauce (not bad, actually) and some potatoes (actually, very good and flavorful). In my estimation, the sides were better than the main course--I mean, it's chicken thighs and with a bone, and I prefer boneless when it comes to chicken, anyway. There appeared to be salad bar, which I...er...didn't have time investigate it, but it appeared pretty good and a wide enough selection. Coffee machines all working and the Speakeasy popular as ever where I had not one, but two of those Espresso Martinis.

All in all, good experience and easy enough to pass the time before my flight, though it just appeared really overcrowded with people sitting in very close proximity, phone call chattering in the background and children crying and playing boisterously throughout some sections. Just a wild guess, but I'm not sure this is the "premium" airport experience many of my fellow cardmembers envision when think of the airport lounge experience.