While my friend was due to catch his flight to Paris at 6pm, we left midtown Manhattan at 3pm.
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:
Check-in and ground experience
As this was a round-trip flight, I checked in at the same time as the outbound flight, which I had already postponed.
Having left Manhattan at around 3 p.m. by subway, we arrived at Jamaica station at around 3:40 p.m., and had to take the AirTrain to the JFK terminals.
Chaos reigned at the AirTrain station, with many passengers having to pay the necessary surcharge, but in the face of the crowd, the attendant opened the gates and everyone could pass through without paying.
We also learnt that the Terminal 1 station was currently closed for works. No problem, however, for the T8 from which I was leaving.
I was already able to bring my flight forward during the day, but as I was earlier at the airport, I went to the Premium check-in area to tried and make a change, but no flight was available before the one I was booked on.
I was escorted to the front of the TSA queue by an agent from the premium zone, and cut the whole line.
Location
The Soho lounge is located on the mezzanine of the main terminal.
At first glance, on seeing my British Airways Gold Guest List card, the attendant directed me to the Chelsea lounge, but I knew in advance that I was going to be turned away, since the latter is only accessible to passengers with international connections or on transcontinental American Airlines flights.
So back to square one, where I was invited into the Soho lounge.
Lounge design
The design of the lounge hadn’t changed since my last visit, but it was late afternoon and British Airways traffic is much heavier than it was in the morning when I first visited: the lounge is full, but I was still able to find a double set of armchairs by the window for the few hours before my flight to Boston Logan.
Catering
The catering offer was rather qualitative, with a well-stocked buffet, in addition to which it was possible to order à la carte. This time, I tried the fish and chips, which was quite good without being exceptional. As for the bar… Is it possible to get a competent bartender? Not understanding the difference between champagne and sparkling wine in a Premium lounge is absolutely unacceptable, and I didn’t dare ask for a cocktail…
Bottom line
A very pleasant lounge, with an excellent catering offer. A few adjustments are needed to prevent it from continuing to descend into mediocrity…
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