Review: AA & BA Greenwich Lounge New York (JFK)

For the next portion of my review trip, I checked out the three “new” American Airlines & British Airways lounges at JFK’s Terminal 8, prior to my British Airways first matriculation flight to London. In this post I’ll review the Greenwich Lounge, and then in separate installments I’ll review the Soho Lounge and the Chelsea Lounge.

The Greenwich Lounge is a solid merchantry matriculation lounge, with unconfined views, well-appointed seating, and a solid selection of supplies and drinks. To many American fliers it should moreover squint familiar, as it’s the former Flagship Lounge, and not much has changed.

Basics of American & British Airways JFK lounges

To provide a bit of background, in late 2022, British Airways moved to Terminal 8 at JFK. American Airlines and British Airways have a lucrative transatlantic joint venture, and New York to London is one of the most important air markets in the world. As a result, this terminal move was a big minutiae for the two airlines.

Given how big the combined presence of the two carriers is at JFK, we’ve seen major lounge investments at Terminal 8. There are now three premium lounges in the terminal — the Greenwich Lounge, the Soho Lounge, and the Chelsea Lounge.

While it’s cute that they’re named without neighborhoods that exist in both New York and London, the names don’t do a whole lot to tell you which is most premium, and which you have wangle to.

To transiently summarize the nuts of the three lounges:

• The Chelsea Lounge is the most sectional lounge, and is roughly 10,000 square feet with seating for 128 passengers, and it’s an all-new space; it’s unshut to select first matriculation passengers on American and British Airways, and it replaces the former Flagship First Dining facility
• The Soho Lounge is the next lounge, and is roughly 12,000 square feet with seating for 282 guests, and it’s an all-new space; it’s unshut to oneworld Emerald members on select itineraries
• The Greenwich Lounge is the final lounge, and is roughly 27,000 square feet with seating for 590 guests, and it replaces the former Flagship Lounge; it’s unshut to select merchantry matriculation passengers on all oneworld airlines, plus oneworld Sapphire members on select itineraries

I’ll go into increasingly detail on each of the lounge’s entry requirements with the individual reviews, but wanted to provide a vital overview.

Greenwich Lounge New York location

The Greenwich Lounge New York is easy to find. Once you well-spoken security at JFK Terminal 8, just walk lanugo the main pathway toward the gates, past the Bobby Van’s Grill (which is on the right).

You’ll see signage whilom the walkway pointing in the direction of the various lounges, and as you can see, the Greenwich Lounge is to the left.

When you turn left toward gates 1-12, you’ll immediately see the elevators to the Greenwich Lounge on the left.

It’s useful that there are signs on the terminal level that share the entry requirements for the lounge, though that didn’t seem to help a whole lot with lamister confusion. I’m sure over time increasingly travelers will get the hang of who can wangle each lounge.

Greenwich Lounge New York hours

The Greenwich Lounge JFK is unshut daily from 4:30AM until 11PM, tent virtually all departures from the terminal. If you’re valedictory on a oneworld flight, then the Greenwich Lounge should be open.

Greenwich Lounge New York entry requirements

Despite its name, the Greenwich Lounge is a Flagship Lounge for all practical purposes when it comes to entry requirements. The Greenwich Lounge can be accessed by:

• American Flagship Merchantry passengers; this includes those on premium transcon flights (to LAX, SFO, and SNA), as well as long haul merchantry matriculation flights
• Long haul merchantry matriculation passengers on all oneworld partners, including British Airways, Qatar Airways, etc.
• American AAdvantage Platinum members and Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold members on long haul itineraries (this doesn’t include premium transcon flights)
• oneworld Sapphire members with foreign frequent flyer programs on any same day oneworld itinerary, plane if it’s domestic

Note that those accessing the lounge based on flying in merchantry matriculation can’t bring any guests, while those accessing the lounge based on their status can bring one guest.

Greenwich Lounge New York layout & seating

While the Soho Lounge and Chelsea Lounge full-length all-new decor, the Greenwich Lounge is just a repurposed Flagship Lounge, and the diamond reflects that. The lounge primarily consists of one huge room, with floor-to-ceiling windows that sire unconfined views of the apron. I’d say the decor feels fresh but moreover a bit sterile.

When you enter the lounge, there a variety of seats with side tables, and then moreover some dining tables with two to three seats each.

There’s then a sitting zone with TVs, which is (fortunately) the only part of the lounge where TVs are prevalent.

Off to the side of the TV zone is a quiet area, which is located in a separate room with a door. I find that this space tends to stay quietest, and many people don’t plane notice this space.

When you go deeper into the lounge, there’s a inside walkway with a tuft of dining tables and communal tables, and this is moreover where the self-serve wine bar is.

Then the when of the lounge has plenty increasingly seating, with rows of chairs that frankly finger a bit like your run-of-the-mill Admirals Club.

There are moreover some tomfool x-shaped seating arrangements which can each unbend four guests, as well as some booths that make good workstations (they’re the only cubicle-style seats in the lounge).

The weightier seating is by the windows, where there are plenty of chairs with ottomans. This is an platonic place to sit if you’re wanting to take in the views.

Since my visit a few weeks ago, two expansions have opened to this lounge. Both of these spaces are unshut to all Greenwich Lounge guests at no uneaten cost.

First of all, the Greenwich Lounge now has the Brooklyn Brewery Pub, which is in the space of the former Flagship First Dining facility. This space opens daily at 10:30AM, and features a large selection of beer, plus a small bites menu. Plane if you’re not big into beer, it’s definitely worth checking out this space, as it features well-appointed seating and unconfined views.

Second of all, the Greenwich Lounge now has the Bridge Bar, which is located inside the archway to the lounge and to the right. This is an open-air space overlooking the terminal, and it’s intended to have a mid-century modern diamond with a archetype 1960s feel. The Bridge Bar has a variety of cocktails on offer, with a special focus on Aviation American Gin and Betty Buzz. This is moreover a space I’d highly recommend checking out.

As far as crowding goes at the Greenwich Lounge, you can expect that it’ll be nice and quiet for the mornings and early afternoons, given that most long haul flights out of JFK Terminal 8 are to Europe. The lounge really gets rented in the evenings, starting at virtually 5PM, when passengers start to show up for all the flights to Europe.

Greenwich Lounge New York supplies & drinks

The Greenwich Lounge has a large self-serve buffet, located toward the front of the lounge. I checked out both the breakfast and lunch selection.

The breakfast storeroom had a yogurt parfait bar, a variety of fruit, unprepossessed cuts and cheese, pastries, bagels, bread, croissants, and several hot dishes. Hot options included scrambled eggs, baked beans, sausage, bacon, and potatoes.

For lunch, the selection included a variety of yogurt, olives, several types of salads, unprepossessed cuts, sushi, a variety of hot dishes, bread, and dessert, including chocolate squares, lemon bars, and cookies.

As far as drinks go, there was a Coca-Cola soda fountain and coffee machine (both of which weren’t working), a selection of beers, canned soda, bottled water, and juice.

Then in the part-way of the lounge was the wine selection, which included several white, red, and rose options, as well as champagne. Self-serve Piper-Heidsieck isn’t half bad, if you ask me!

There’s moreover a large selection of self-serve liquor. With the Bridge Bar having now opened, you can of undertow moreover have the bartender there make you a cocktail.

I think the supplies & drink selection in the lounge is solid, but moreover nothing memorable. This isn’t to the level of a United Polaris Lounge, where you get a la carte dining and barista-made coffee.

Greenwich Lounge New York bathrooms & showers

The Greenwich Lounge’s bathrooms are in the very when left of the lounge. The men’s room had half a dozen sinks, and several urinals and stalls.

The Greenwich Lounge moreover has six shower suites, which are excellent.

Each shower suite has a toilet, a sink, and a walk-in shower, with toiletries from D.S. & DURGA.

Bottom line

The Greenwich Lounge offers a pleasant wits for merchantry matriculation passengers and peerage members, with a spacious layout featuring lots of natural light, a decent selection of food, a good selection of drinks, shower suites, and some special amenities, in the form of the Brooklyn Brewery Pub and Bridge Bar.

Personally I don’t think this lounge is quite to the level of a United Polaris Lounge, but then again, this is the least premium of the three lounges in the terminal.

In the context of the lounge changes we’ve seen, the Greenwich Lounge is largely unchanged compared to the former Flagship Lounge. However, it is a bit largest than before, given the introduction of the Brooklyn Brewery Pub and Bridge Bar. Then again, a lot increasingly people moreover have wangle to this lounge now.

This is definitely the least elegant of the three lounges, which isn’t surprising, since it wasn’t unquestionably designed from scratch.

What do you make of the Greenwich Lounge JFK?