Review: The Emirates Lounge New York JFK

by Enoch

Emirates is one of the handful of airlines that operates an extensive network of its own lounges. Instead of utilizing partner or contract lounges in outports, they offer their own lounges in over 30 destinations.

Prior to my flight from New York to Dubai, I visited the Emirates Lounge in JFK, which is available to Business Class and First Class passengers. Emirates operates out of Terminal 4 at JFK, and I proceeded to the lounge right after check-in. The lounge is located one level up from the main departure area.

The Emirates Lounge JFK

The Emirates Lounge JFK

I showed my boarding pass, and the agent at the reception desk invited me in right away.

The Emirates Lounge JFK

The Emirates Lounge JFK

Main Seating Area

The lounge consisted of a big L-shaped room, and the seating options were mostly just armchairs. They were arranged in groups of four or six, around coffee tables.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Seating

The Emirates Lounge JFK Seating

The Emirates Lounge JFK Seating

The Emirates Lounge JFK Seating

Tucked in the corner of the main seating area was a beverage station. For my morning visit, I opted for coffee and tea.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Coffee & Tea

The Emirates Lounge JFK Coffee & Tea

There was also a variety of alcoholic options available. The liquor selection was extensive, but mostly mid-shelf. The champagne on offer was Veuve Clicquot.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Liquor

The Emirates Lounge JFK Liquor

The Emirates Lounge JFK Wine Selection

The Emirates Lounge JFK Wine Selection

There was also a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and beer. I liked that they have both Pepsi and Coke products, as well as both sparkling and still mineral water.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Soft Drinks and Beer

The Emirates Lounge JFK Soft Drinks and Beer

There wren’t any formal dividers, but a centerpiece and a few strategically placed plants helped create a few smaller sections. Though Emirates offer 3 daily flights from New York, they are spaced out pretty nicely. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one late at night. As a result, the lounge never got too crowded during my time there (unlike my experience in Lounge Istanbul).

The Emirates Lounge JFK Centerpiece

The Emirates Lounge JFK Centerpiece

In one corner of the lounge were a few work stations, and a more cozy seating area.

The Emirates Lounge JFK

Many of the seats in the lounge faced a giant window with a fantastic view of the tarmac. The A380 aircraft that operated by flight was just taxiing in during my time in the lounge.

The Emirates Lounge JFK View

The Emirates Lounge JFK View

The Emirates Lounge JFK - Aircraft Taxiing

There were roses on many of the coffee tables, which was a nice touch.

The Emirates Lounge JFK

A few “charging towers” were placed around the lounge. They featured both UK and US outlets, as well as a few USB ports.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Charging Tower

Charging Tower

When it came time for boarding, I was able to board directly from the lounge, thanks to a jet bridge that connects the lounge to the plane.

The Emirates Lounge JFK - Boarding Gate

The Emirates Lounge JFK – Boarding Gate

Dining Options

A pretty extensive buffet occupied the back of the lounge, with both cold and hot options. The buffet had its own seating area, with dining tables and bar tables that far the tarmac, but I was free to eat anywhere in the lounge.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Dining Area Seating

The Emirates Lounge JFK Dining Area Seating

For breakfast, the lounge offered some pretty upscale continental options. The signature Emirates circular display had lox and bagels, fruit plates, yogurts, deli meat, cereal, etc.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Cold Breakfast Options

The Emirates Lounge JFK Cold Breakfast Options

The Emirates Lounge JFK Cold Breakfast Options

Cold Breakfast Options

There were also pastry options at the other end of the dining room.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Breakfast Pastries

The Emirates Lounge JFK Breakfast Pastries

Finally, there was a nice setup of hot dishes, with both Western and Arabic choices.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Hot Dishes

The Emirates Lounge JFK Hot Dishes

The Emirates Lounge JFK Hot Dishes

Hot Dishes

I put together a small English breakfast for myself, with a fruit plate on the side.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Fruit Plate

The Emirates Lounge JFK Fruit Plate

The Emirates Lounge JFK Hot Dishes

The Emirates Lounge JFK Breakfast

Bathroom & Shower

There are two shower rooms at the Emirates Lounge at JFK, for passengers who might want to freshen up before the flight. I didn’t see any dedicated bathroom attendants, but the shower rooms were kept immaculately clean. The showers were not particularly fancy, but got the job done.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Shower Room

The Emirates Lounge JFK Shower Rooms

There was a set of plush towels, as well as toiletries from Timeless Spa.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Towels

The Emirates Lounge JFK Towels

Towels

The Emirates Lounge JFK Shower

Shower

The bathroom also featured Timeless Spa products, as well as amenities like dental kits, combs, and shaving kits.

The Emirates Lounge JFK Bathroom Amenities

Bathroom Amenities

Overall Impression of The Emirates Lounge JFK

I admite Emirates’ effort in providing a consistent experience by operating their own outport lounges. The Emirates Lounge at JFK is certainly a step up from any US domestic lounge offerings, and their breakfast spread was extensive and high-quality. I loved the fact that I could board directly from the lounge, which saved time from having to walk to the gate and wait in line. With a great view of the tarmac, it was a wonderful place to kill a few hours before my flight.

Have you visited The Emirates Lounge at JFK? What was your experience?

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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6 comments

ghostrider5408 October 14, 2016 - 9:02 am

EK is one of the most aggressive carriers in providing an d”experience” to their biz and fc passengers. One is where possible boarding directly from lounge to airplane, DXB being the best example. And I agree with the poster it’s great especially since most are booked solid.

The rest is pretty much standard for EK outside of it’s flagship lounges in Dubai which are over the top. Having flown both nighttime transfers and daylight transfers the endless crowds seem to grow in DXB. I think I saw somewhere there is anticipation that DXB will be the busiest airport by 2020.

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kofi Dankwa Osei October 15, 2016 - 4:14 am

I visit quite a number of business class lounges but nothing beats the friendly and homely nature of Emirates.

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OMG October 15, 2016 - 12:54 pm

The Bangkok, Dubai, and Frankfurt lounges are the same. EK does a good job taking care of their premium passengers.

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Review: Emirates First Class A380 New York to Dubai (with 99 Pictures) - Point Me to the Plane October 16, 2016 - 1:18 pm

[…] The Emirates Lounge New York JFK […]

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AliW September 13, 2017 - 7:30 am

Emirates JFK Lounge is CLOSED (week 3 oday) for a 5 month remodel. Not clear why Emirates isn’t telling First/Business passengers before they arrive JFK. I needed to charge my phone, work. No lounge left me w no where to go as Swiss/Star Alliance & Delta wanted nothing to do w an EK boarding pass. (Boarding fm BUSES to plane, 45 mins is biggest downside as Emirates JFK Lounge allows gate boarding). Not what I expected.

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JW October 6, 2017 - 6:56 pm

The Emirates lounge at JFK is equivalent to a Holiday Inn Lobby, the food is on par with any Chinese massage parlor on the lower east side. If you think this is high end you need to get out more. Warm champagne. crusty sushi. Both my wife and I got food poisoning on the way to Milan. The on board experience was great, especially the showers. For me however that is the only stand out aspect of the A380. It might as well not even have upper deck windows because they are so small and angled and the sidewall is so deep that you can’t see anything anyway..
The 747 remains the queen of the skies. The 747 main deck experience up in the nose – like you get in the Virgin config, in my opinion, is the most exclusive experience in the sky. Emirates is chinsy and gaudy.

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