Review: Alaska Airlines Lounge New York JFK
Intro
Prior to my flight from New York JFK to Warsaw, I had the opportunity to visit two of the three lounges in Terminal 7 of JFK. Ordinarily, passengers flying LOT Polish Airlines in Business Class wouldn’t be eligible for Alaska Airlines lounge access, but seeing as I had just arrived from San Diego in the morning, I was able to access the beautiful Alaska Airlines Lounge at JFK.
This lounge is nothing short of superb for an airline that doesn’t operate any widebody aircraft. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the lounge is better than any Admirals Club, United Club, or Delta Sky Club. With barista-made coffee, a nice selection of booze, and very decent food, this is a lounge I recommend visiting.
Location+Access
Once clearing security in the small Terminal 7, take an immediate left following the signs leading up to the Terminal 7 lounge and Alaska Airlines lounge. Once up the stairs, there will be a large sign saying “Alaska Airlines Lounge” and an agent waiting outside to make sure you are eligible for access.
In terms of access, you can gain entrance to the lounge in the following ways:
Being seated in Domestic First Class on a flight over 2,100 miles. However, if you upgrade your ticket, you do not have access. This is either for paid cash seats or paid mileage seats.
Buy a single-entry lounge pass for 65$
Have the Alaska Airlines Lounge Membership (595$ per year).
Flying on a same-day operated Oneworld flight with OW Emerald or Sapphire
You can* access this lounge upon arrival if you meet the requirements
Back in 2021, this lounge used to be accessible to priority pass holders. However, this has now changed and has become much more exclusive.
Seating
Entering the lounge I was blown away by the beautiful ambiance of this lounge. Depending on what you are looking for seating-wise, there are plenty of options ranging from comfortable enclosed chairs to proper dining room seating, to high-top seats at the bar, as well as chairs overlooking the tarmac. Considering this lounge hasn’t been updated in about 5 years, it was very impressive to see how well it is maintained.
Food+Drinks
Seeing as I spent a couple of hours here taking a test for school, I indulged in the multitude of options for food and drink. In the center of the lounge lies a very large buffet selection, consisting of plenty of options from mac and cheese to pulled chicken and salad, to name a few. These options are constantly on rotation, but this is just what was offered on the day I was there.
Additionally, off to the side features more food! From make-your-own waffle stations to pastries and as far-reaching as other carb-based items. The waffle maker is a neat touch!
When it comes to drinks, let’s just say you are not going to be thirsty getting on your next flight 😅. Around the lounge, you’ll find a lovely coffee machine, soft drinks, and water. However, there is also a full-scale bar featuring run-of-the-mill liquors, as well as a Barista station where someone is happy to prepare you coffee.
Other Aspects Around The Lounge
Unfortunately, the one aspect where Alaska Airlines let itself down with this lounge is the lack of showers. However, they do make up for it slightly with the large and chic bathrooms that are offered, so at least there is that.
Apart from the free wifi, the other part that stood out to me was the exclusivity of this lounge. The Alaska Lounge isn’t the largest lounge, but due to the limited amount of people that have access to this space, it never got too crowded. Even during the afternoon rush of Alaska Airlines flights to San Fransisco, Seattle, and San Diego, it still never exceeded 50-60% capacity, which is impressive.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a relaxing place to go in Terminal 7 at JFK, look no further than the Alaska Airlines Lounge. As mentioned on many threads across Reddit and Flyertalk, this lounge is perhaps the best lounge in the Alaska Airlines network. With no issues of overcrowding, friendly service, great food offerings, and nice bathrooms, my couple of hours flew by here.
