Crowded and warm, the Turkish Airlines lounge at New York JFK would not be my first lounge choice among hte many options in Terminal 1, but it certianly beats the depressing public areas.
Turkish Airlines Lounge New York Review (JFK)
Ahead of my Royal Air Maroc flight, I checked out several lounges in JFK Terminal 1
Hours + Access + Location
This lounge is located between gates 2 and 3 (turn right after security) and open from 9:00 am to 12:10 am daily. It is both part of the Priority Pass network and a Star Alliance Gold lounge.
Priority Pass members can access this lounge (with guests depending upon the type of Priority Pass membership you have) as can Star Alliance business and first class travelers departing from JFK and Star Alliance Gold passengers traveling in any class of service.
If you enter via Priority Pass, permitted a maximum stay of three hours. Children under 2 years are admitted free.
Seating
This lounge appeared packed at 2:30 pm…it was quite difficult to find a seat. The lounge is not all that large to begin with and I think it attracted many Proirty Pass members because the nearby Air France Lounge stops taking Priority Pass at 2:00 pm.
However, there was seating in the business center and also on a long couch adjacent to the reception desk at the entrance that was not crowded.
By the time I left, however, those areas were filled too…and there was even a wait to get into the lounge.
Food + Drink
Everyone seemed to be hungry in the lounge, with vultures hovering over the buffet waiting for it to be replenished (I was glad I had eaten in the Soho Lounge).
Food selection included soups, chicken gyro, rice, vegetables, pasta with tomato sauce, and salads including green and eggplant. There was hummus and yogurt with cucumbers as well. It did not look bad…it’s just there was really a lot of demand for it!
This is a dry lounge. No alcohol is available. Soft drinks, water, coffee, tea, and juice are available.
Restrooms + Showers
Restrooms are available inside the lounge, but no showers.
CONCLUSION
Of all the Turkish Airlines lounges I have been to around the world, this one was the worst, though perhaps had I visited it shortly after opening when it was mostly empty, my assessment would have been different.
The food looked decent, but with so many people and so few plugs, it was not a comfortable experience. Those who like alcoholic beverages should be aware this is a dry lounge.
Matt do you know if TK will get a greatly improved lounge at JFK when the new T1 opens next year? I would hope they would correct all of the deficiencies at the current TK lounge. And yes, T1 is about as bad an international terminal as EWR terminal B. Cramped, overcrowded and crappy food options for the public. I fly SAS out of that terminal (they previously flew out of T7 which is as old as New Amsterdam)…
Visit the one at IAD. It’s worse. I was in there this morning, business class on ET. Jam packed. It might as well be dry too. It’s damn near impossible to find someone to go back there and pour a few drinks.
Turkish doesn’t serve alcohol on its domestic flights or domestic lounges. I find the fandom of TK a little perplexing. The service is always perfunctory, and the hard product inconsistent.
I do about 150k miles a year almost all on Star Alliance. I go out of my way to avoid TK. I don’t get the love affair either.
Vultures , that is an insult to people who have lounge access.
The lounge staff should refill the food before it runs out.
Many people only have a short time in a lounge and expect food.. They maybe having to wait by the food as they only have a short period in the lounge.
Did you ever think some bloggers are Vultures for clicks ?
Yeah, I can be a vulture too.
“Crowded and warm” – yes, warm just like the cabins on their planes, which are usually uncomfortable warm – why do they insist on that?