According to British Airways, New York is the most popular destination when redeeming Avios points for flights. So, if the Big Apple is on your wish list and you have an upgrade in mind, you’ll be pleased to hear there are new premium lounges to look forward to at JFK airport.
Named after fashionable suburbs common to London and New York, the Chelsea and Soho lounges opened in JFK Terminal 8 in December and function as First Class plus (like Heathrow’s Concorde Lounge) and First Class boltholes.
BA recently moved to Terminal 8 from Terminal 7, joining American Airlines and enabling smoother connections between the two partners. BA’s sister carrier Iberia has also moved to T8 and another Oneworld alliance member, Japan Airlines, will join them in spring 2023.
The new Chelsea and Soho lounges opened on December 1 and are shared by BA and AA, along with a new joint check-in area for premium customers. The improvements follow a $400m revamp and expansion of Terminal 8 with upgraded gates and baggage handling to help it receive more transatlantic flights.
With extra special inclusions, like Krug champagne in the exclusive Chelsea lounge, it’s an exciting step up from what BA offers its most premium passengers elsewhere.
Chelsea Lounge
This top-tier first-class lounge, in the new Terminal 8 extension, opposite Gate 14,
replaces the BA Concorde Lounge that was in Terminal 7. It also becomes the top premium lounge for AA, with the previous American Airlines Flagship Lounge (which served first and business class passengers) now rebranded as the Greenwich Lounge. The Chelsea Lounge can accommodate up to 128 passengers and is open daily between 4.30 am and 11.30 pm. Curious about how British Airways Tier Points work? You can find a full breakdown on our dedicated page here.
Look and facilities:
There’s a circular cocktail bar with a striking Czech glass chandelier /sculpture above and decor in muted shades of brown, cream, and grey. Strips of ‘digital wallpaper’ in one area help adjust the mood at different times of the day.
A separate dining area allows for meals to be enjoyed restaurant-style and there are booths with double seats and basic desks for a spot of quiet work. If a little shut-eye is required guests can use the chaise longues in a more dimly lit area. For freshening up there are three hotel-style shower rooms with marble sinks and luxury toiletries. Other handy features include power points by most seats.
Food and drink:
All dining is a-la-carte with British and American classics including steak and fries, breakfast eggs benedict, and afternoon tea on offer. The menu has been designed by Ayesha Nurdjaja, a finalist chef in the US's prestigious James Beard Awards. The bar serves up cocktails on request, but the real highlight is the 17 types of champagne on offer, including top-label Krug. Can’t decide which to have? Try a champagne flight with a choice of three.
- Passenger1
To access the Chelsea Lounge you must be…
Flying in First Class with British Airways or in Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus with American Airlines.
Or
Flying in any class with BA or AA and holding the upgraded Guest List level of BA Gold Club membership (requiring 5,000 Tier Points and 3,000 Tier Points each year thereafter) or holding AA ConciergeKey membership if you’re on a relevant Flagship itinerary.
Or
Flying with BA/AA and you are a guest of someone who has the relevant status above.
Note that, as with the Concorde Lounge at Heathrow, Chelsea Lounge customers with regular Gold status with BA or who have top status or are flying first class with other Oneworld Alliance airlines, cannot access this lounge as they would other first-class lounges. So, if you’ve tracked down a business or economy bargain through our Reward Flight Finder (RFF) and are planning to wield your Gold card at JFK you’ll have to use the Soho Lounge.
Soho Lounge
The Soho Lounge serves BA and AA’s first-class passengers and those of the airlines’ Oneworld Alliance partners. It also welcomes those with top loyalty club status, so it can even be accessed alongside British Airways reward flights in business or economy, so long as you hold a Gold card. It’s situated adjacent to the Chelsea lounge in JFK’s Terminal 8, can handle up to 282 guests, and is open daily between 4.30 am and 11.30 am.
Look and facilities:
Soho Lounge décor comes in restful greens, browns, greys, and creams. Design highlights include a glass chandelier/sculpture and a long tabletop made from petrified wood. There’s a large buffet area and a staffed bar. Seating includes five booths and a screened-off (bookless) ‘library’ area for quiet working. Plug points are plentiful.
This lounge also has a couple of advantages over the Chelsea lounge - natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows with runway views, and four of the hotel-style showers (two of which are disabled accessible) compared to three.
Food and drink:
Menus are divided into breakfast and all-day dining. Simple, popular food like honey and garlic chicken is to the fore on the self-serve buffet and there’s a charcuterie section plus plenty of salads. There’s also an a-la-carte option. The bar has a cocktail menu for further pre-flight indulgence.
To access the Soho Lounge you must be…
Flying first class with BA or American Airlines.
Or
Flying first class with another Oneworld Alliance member.
Or
Flying with BA /AA in any class and have BA Club Gold Card status/ ConciergeKey status / AA AAdvantage Executive Platinum status or AAdvantage Platinum Pro or MVP Gold 75K status on a qualifying flagship flight.
Or
Flying with BA /AA in any class and holding Oneworld Emerald status.
Or
Flying with BA / AA / another Oneworld member and are a guest of someone with the relevant above status.
Find more detail on JFK lounge access requirements for BA passengers here and AA passengers here.
A note on achieving Gold status
Unless you are flying first class, access to the new lounges at JFK requires a status of Gold (for Soho) or enhanced Guest List Gold (for Chelsea) in the BA Club, while the business class Greenwich lounge can be accessed with Silver.
If you’re keenly collecting Avios points for flights, remember British Airways reward flights will not earn you any of the Tier Points which advance your status through Bronze, Silver, and Gold. You only accrue Tier Points on flights you pay for in full or on the proportion of the flight you pay for if you’re part-paying with Avios.
So, if you fly frequently with British Airways before you hop on the Reward Flight Finder (RFF) and start hunting, it’s best to weigh up if your current goal is to bag free flights or if you’re tempted by lounge access and want to climb to the next tier of the BA Club, whilst still earning Avios for future trips.
