Pickles

Sorry to hear that, but you're probably right. For some reason the BA F Lounge in JFK T7 was particularly noxious in this regard. Don't know if it was the shape of the lounge (low ceilings, one open room, always crowded to the gills) or the kind of transatlantic flatulent and inconsiderate twerp that frequents it. A bit of both, probably as the issue is almost as bad at the LHR T5 F Lounge.

rockflyertalk

I know it must be a hardship having to step foot into a Galleries Lounge for a short period but I’m sure you will all cope. We had to ‘put up’ with the lack of any lounge and share a 3rd party lounge with LCC pax at Gatwick for almost a year. Just look forward to the delights of a new lounge at JFK when it arrives. I’m sure you’ll all survive. Happy New year.

ExpatExp

Any word on when the JFK CCR refurb is happening? I saw it mentioned in another thread but cannot find it now…

nick.t.davies

As I’m currently sitting in it, I can say the GF lounge at JFK is open and as mediocre as usual.

i did ask about the refurb as I’d read this thread but I was met with a confused look, so no useful info to impart on that unfortunately.

corporate-wage-slave

Thank you very much for checking this and reporting back, even if the mystery thickens somewhat.

nick.t.davies

Ok, so I’ve done a little more digging (asked questions nicely).

There are a lot of small movements coming on the two lounges over the next couple of months.

As I’m sure a few will have noticed the former computer/work area of GC is now a supply closet. The next big work is a refurb of the GF lounge and that will require closing it. The staff didn’t have an exact date but will be most likely in Jan and for a decent period of time (weeks). They said that my next trip at the end of Jan will most likely be affected.

There is a lot of noticeable construction in other areas of the terminal, but nothing majorly interfering with the “feel” of T7! (The McDonalds has gone and is being replaced with an upmarket burger place)

Pickles

Glad to hear it still "feels" like Saigon in April 1975.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_o...ert-van-es.jpg

chistery

It was nice to see a Fika appear in T7, so you can at least get a decent coffee now.

mmxbreaks

No to-order food, just the poor buffet selection.

Here's hoping the updated F lounge will actually be decent...

xenole

I'm not quite sure why they still need a F section there.

With CX gone to T8, it's probably only GCH / OWE who would use it and it was never that well received anyway.
Thought it would have been easier to extend the main lounge seeing how practically everything is there anyway. Perhaps let GCH use the dining part as AA do in their T7 Flagship lounge.

Might have been nice to downsize the CCR and merge everything into one, using the old F bit as CCR dining.
The desks and entrance area is oversized, as are the luggage and business centre bits. Might be useful not having to trudge half way across the terminal to get to the Elemis Spa, showers etc.

sts603

xenole

My trips into the CCR have been with less than 12 people in there at a given time and that's between 5pm-9pm.
It's only really BA2 that boards anywhere near it now, as far as I know, and I would expect a lot of those passengers not to have CCR cards anyway.
It just seems a lot of overkill for a limited number of people.

Whilst a separate Gold / First lounge is nice, you still have to pop next door for the spa and showers and if allowed by class, to visit the pre-flight dining bit.
The Flagship lounge at T7 seems to work well with GCHs getting the buffet regardless of travel class (although too many people in there sometimes, but not when I've been through). The separate dining room for selective F passengers only seems to work well - maybe not a large CCR type place, but it serves a purpose for a short layover of an hour or two before your flight, of which there's pretty much 1 an hour out of T7 if something similar was done.

T7 is just a lot of wasted space and bits left from yester-year.
Would have thought combining things would result in some cost saving which would definitely be of interest to BA.

The BOS lounge works fairly well with it's separate F section and everyone else outside that. Ok, it's not Concorde Dining anymore or anywhere near a CCR, but who knows if JFK will hold on to a CCR in the future?

Tobias-UK

The JFK CCR can be very busy with so many flights all departing within a few short hours of each other, and all with a First cabin. It’s size is just about right although, as mentioned above, a larger dining area would be welcome.

Andriyko

Well, this OWE does appreciate that there is a separate lounge. It does offer a good drinks and snacks selection. It is somewhat dungy and I read that people complain about it being too hot in there sometimes, but as someone who hates when establishments freeze their patrons with air-conditioning I have never found it uncomfortable there.

Regarding AA's lounges. Flagship dining is only for first class passengers. And while new Flagship lounges is a vast improvement even over former first class lounges in terms of food/drinks selection (and overall ambience), AA must have forgotten that it was extending access to J/OWS passengers. The lounges have become overcrowded and it is often impossible to find a seat..

rossmacd

I must live in a parallel universe.

The drinks selection, I agree, is good for a BA G/OWE lounge which is much appreciated. But the snacks are terrible and very low quality. Hummus? I don't think I've eaten hummus containing more preservatives, coupled with the sliced vegetables (designed to be paired with said offending item) are uniformly dried out. The sandwiches look unappealing, as does the crumbled cheese on offer. The only thing I consume are the Oreo cookies, usually located in the jar behind the pillar.

The place is always far too warm for my liking, to the point I had to leave in November to the main part of the terminal to cool down. The lounge agent on reception also said she was struggling with the heat, without any prompting.

All that being said, my last visit in mid-December, one of the staff was serving drinks to guests which I thought was a very nice touch (he was especially welcoming, and I had not seem him in the lounge before). Long may this continue ^