British Airways operates from terminal 7 at New York’s JFK airport. The British Airways Concorde Room at JFK is located airside adjacent to gate 1. Once you clear through the First Class Check-in and Fast Track security lane, keep to your left and walk past the waiting area for gate 1. This part of the terminal is a little cramped and the signage is not very large so you might miss it if you’re not paying attention. The Concorde Room is only open to first class passengers flying on British Airways operated flights. First class passengers on partner flights and oneworld Emerald members may use the British Airways Galleries Lounge located at the other end of the terminal.
The entrance to the British Airways Concorde Room is surprisingly understated and simple. Fully expecting an explosion of British elegance and sophistication, I found myself a little disappointed with how small and simple the Concorde Room actually was. Long and narrow with living room-like spaces, the best way to describe the JFK Concorde Room is by comparing it to the lobby of a fancy boutique hotel. . . from the 90s. It was intimate and private but the decor and furniture felt old and dated.
As you enter the Concorde Room, you will be greeted by the desk agent and a small unsecured, luggage storage area to the front. There is a small restroom located in the Concorde Room but there are no shower suites, day rooms, cabanas or any other private rest areas. If you want to get a massage or freshen up before your flight, you will need to make the trek over to the British Airways Galleries Lounge.
In the middle of the Concorde Room is the dining area with several private booths and open tables. The individual booths have these high backs and are partially enclosed to give you lots of privacy from the handful of other passengers in the lounge. Here, you can order anything from drinks and appetizers to a full meal with dessert. In fact, that’s the whole point with the pre-flight dining service. British Airways wants you to enjoy your meal pre-flight so you can then snooze or work during your short hop across the pond. Don’t want to sit in the dining area? No problem. You can sit anywhere you want in the lounge and order anything from the full menu.
Here’s a printed menu. I wanted to eat on the plane so I just ordered a tuna nicoise starter and creme brulee dessert along with a couple glasses of Laurent-Perrier Rosé. The tuna tasted decent enough but the creme brulee was absolutely delicious.
The rest of the Concorde Room is comprised of high-back chairs and deep sofas grouped together in small living room-like spaces. There are no walls or partitions to provide any real privacy but considering how empty the Concorde Room is, you don’t really need much privacy. The seating options are plush and comfortable and though you technically could sleep on the couch, that’s probably frowned upon as there are no dedicated areas for you to kick up your feet up and snooze a bit.
There is a small business center located in the back of the Concorde Room with a few computers and a printer/fax machine. I use the term “business center” very loosely as there’s really no space there to be very productive or conduct any actual business at all. WiFi is provided throughout the lounge and electrical outlets are located near most seats.
At the time of my visit, 8:00 PM on a Monday night, the Concorde Room was very quiet and calm with only a handful of passengers. I’m assuming they were all on my same flight to London with me. Being exclusive to British Airways first class passengers only, I would imagine you will never get more than 20 people in here at any given time.
Service-wise, the place was spotless and the waiters were attentive. No matter where you sat, several employees would come by occasionally to check on you and offer to bring you a drink or some food.
Overall, it’s nice that British Airways has a dedicated space for their own first class passengers and the space benefits from its exclusivity. The pre-flight dining concept is fantastic and will allow passengers to sleep or work during the short flight but everything else from the decor to the lack of amenities fell a tad short. Not having any showers, first class amenities or even a decent work space to be productive seemed like such an oversight on BA’s part and made the overall experience slightly disappointing for me. I know I’m being terribly picky here but c’mon, this is the best of the best right? Shouldn’t you expect a little bit more? Have you visited the Concorde Room at JFK before? If so, let me know your thoughts.
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This review is part of my trip around the world with stops in Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong and Beijing. The other trip reports in this series include:
- American Airlines Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge at LAX
- American Airlines A321T First Class, Los Angeles to New York
- British Airways Concord Room at JFK
- British Airways Boeing 747 First Class, New York to London
- British Airways Concord Room at LHR
- British Airways A319 “Club Europe” Business Class London to Dusseldorf
- DoubleTree Amsterdam
- Hugo Junkers Lounge at Dusseldorf
- British Airways A320 “Club Europe” Business Class Dusseldorf to London
- British Airways Galleries Lounge at LHR terminal 3
- Emirates Lounge at LHR terminal 3
- Qantas A380 First Class, London to Dubai
- Cathay Pacific A330 Business Class Dubai to Hong Kong
- Marriott SkyCity Hong Kong
- Dragonair A330 First Class Hong Kong to Beijing
- Hilton Beijing
- BGS Lounge at Beijing
- Air China Business Class Lounge at Beijing
- Japan Airlines Boeing 737 Business Class, Beijing to Tokyo Narita
- Japan Airlines First Class Lounge at Tokyo Narita
- Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER First Class, Tokyo to Los Angeles
