As I began my Cathay Pacific First Class mileage run I had to first find a way to Asia. This meant booking a JAL First Class flight just a few days prior to my scheduled departure. Since I booked the flight just days in advance I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at the airport. I knew JAL doesn’t maintain a lounge at New York’s JFK airport, so I wondered if I’d have access to one. Thankfully, Japan Airlines answered that question the moment I arrived at the airport and checked in for the flight.
Sitting on the check in counter was an informational placard which informed JAL Premium Cabin passengers of the lounges available at the airport. What I found most interesting of all, is that JAL provides lounge access to Premium Economy passengers, even if it is just the Alitalia Lounge.
Much to my surprise, JAL permits Business Class and First Class passengers to use the Lufthansa Lounge at New York JFK Airport. This is an interesting arrangement as neither airline is part of the same alliance. However, it makes sense given that the lounge would otherwise sit empty for much of the day. Either way, this was a happy surprise at it allowed me to finally review the Lufthansa Lounge at New York’s JFK Airport.
Visiting The New York JFK Lufthansa Lounge
The Lufthansa Lounge at New York’s JFK Airport Terminal 1 is located just beyond security. Terminal 1 is effectively a large L with gates to the right and straight ahead after passing through the single security checkpoints. The Lufthansa Lounge is directly to the right after clearing security. In fact, if you aren’t careful, it’s easy to miss the entrance.
After passing through the understated terminal entrance you’ll find yourself in a small hallway which frosted glass doors at the end. The design of this hall reminded me of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
As I reached the end of the hall the sliding glass doors opened to reveal the Lufthansa Business Class lounge which is located on the first floor. However, since I was flying in Japan Airlines First Class I had access to the much more exclusive Senator Lounge located on the second and third floors.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge JFK Terminal 1
The first thing you see when you enter the entire lounge facility is a large silver cabinet with the Lufthansa Crane proudly displayed. Likewise, there is a beautiful print of a Lufthansa 747!
When checking into the lounge I handed the lounge agent my boarding card and was directed into the elevator located next to the lounge entrance. This is the elevator which takes guests upstairs to the Senator Lounge as denoted by the “S” elevator button.
The Senator lounge was much quieter than the business class lounge below and overall a bit nicer.
As you enter the the Senator Lounge you’ll immediately find the standard airport lounge amenities. This area was home to a coffee machine, tea station, soft drink fountain, and a few candy jars.
This counter then continues around the corner where guests can find typical lounge crudités, soups, and a few hot food items.
Since I wanted to save room for the food on the flight I opted to skip over much of this area. However, I did end up making myself a coffee once I settled into a seat. More on that in a second.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Bar and Lounge
The Senator Lounge is also home to a small bar area which offers an impressive selection of wine and spirits. As I visited the lounge early in the morning I abstained from any alcoholic options.
Just beyond the bar area is a nice sitting area home to several two-top tables. This area of the lounge is best suited for anyone who wishes to eat downstairs in the lounge.
Personally, I found this area perfect to sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy the airplanes passing by through the oversized windows.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this lounge were the massive windows which overlooked the surrounding airport.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Sitting Area
A little further back in the lounge was a more traditional sitting area. This area is home to large leather chairs, power outlets, and reading lamps. There is also a very interesting curved bench which awkwardly overlooks the rest of the lounge.
This sitting area continues into a small alcove to the left which doubles as a media room. Calling it a media room may be embellishing it a bit considering just how small the TVs are in this area.
Either way, I had no interest in watching TV as I much preferred looking out of the windows.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Wining and Dining Area
One thing that you’ll notice about the Senator Lounge once inside is that the space is actually two stories. That’s because there is a lofted dining area located on the third floor of the lounge.
The lofted dining area is referred to as the First Class Wining & Dining area of the lounge.
You can access this area either by the stairs found at the rear of the lounge or the elevator by which you arrived. Since I visited this lounge during the day, in off-peak hours, the Wining and Dining area was not open.
Fortunately Casey Neistat reviewed this lounge a few months ago. With it, he was able to head upstairs to check out the Wining and Dining area in the video below.
As you can see in the video, the food offered upstairs is much nicer than the lounge fare found on the lower level.
Final Thoughts
Overall the Lufthansa Senator Lounge in JFK’s Terminal 1 is nice. It’s a great spot to spend some time before a long flight, but not a lounge I’d go out of my way to visit. However, I wonder if my opinions would change if I visited the lounge in the evening when fully staffed by Lufthansa employees and a little more lively with guests.
One thing that I do appreciate about this lounge is the Wining and Dining area. This is a concept that I wish more domestic lounges would add. See, passengers that frequently fly international First or Business class have little interest in eating on the flight. That’s because no matter how good the food might be, it takes a long time. Frequent flyers tend to maximize flight time with either work or sleep. So, being able to fill up on a nice meal before the flight is a valuable amenity.
Either way I hope to have the chance to visit this lounge again soon. Hopefully next time I’m in this lounge will be prior to boarding a Lufthansa First Class flight back to Frankfurt.
