Was through Chelsea last week and remain baffled at this lounge, especially as I'd come in via Miami and the excellent Flagship Lounge where the Piper Heidsieck is proferred upon arrival, the food is excellent (mahi mahi in miso and soy, beef wellington on the carvery etc) and the bathrooms were designed by a single person not 5 people working independently with the results thrown together at the end.

The itinerary was MIA-JFK-HEL-LHR-JER so we'd just come off AA business and about to do transatlantic on AY. All flight numbers are BA. On arrival we offered up our boarding passes and I asked whether they needed to see my GGL card. The two attendants discussed and I was asked for my card. Some tapping on keyboard, then a few seconds later 'And where are you travelling to?' and I detailed Jersey as final destination. 'And where did you come from?' and I said Miami. Was then asked to provide the inbound boarding card from MIA-JFK and again there was consultation between the agents. About 20 seconds later it was 'OK thank you' and we were admitted. Talk about putting my teeth on edge from the start - why is our end destination or inbound flight relevant when I have a transatlantic flight on a BA flight number and am GGL?

We then sat down for food - which was very good. I had crab cake and the short ribs, followed by bread and butter pudding. All really nice and with a nice bordeaux accompaniment. The issue - which is repeated ad nauseum - is trying to get a glass of premium champagne. The menu was full of Moet options, but the process to get a glass of Krug was just farcical. I don't blame the excellent server at all - it's clear that there are some sort of restrictions/targets on premium champagnes that are enforced to control costs.

There was someone I saw later in BA uniform but wasn't able to have a word. The agents I saw at reception seemed to be in BA uniform also I thought?

All in all, just another weird experience that is so far degraded from when BA had the T7 Concorde Lounge, and with the Soho lounge degraded from AA's own Flagship offerings elsewhere (cold, limited food on serving area in Soho) it's difficult to understand the mindset that created and operates the JFK lounges.