**AUGUST 2024 UPDATE** I recently returned to the Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK Terminal 4 on August 28, 2024, before an evening flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This post reviews my recent experience and updates my previous post from March 2024.
I arrived outside the Chase Sapphire Lounge around 5:00 PM on a Thursday in August (yes, just before Labor Day weekend). A small kiosk stood outside of the lounge entrance with an employee adding names to a waitlist. We waited behind two people. When it was our turn, the lounge employee asked for my Chase Sapphire card (not my Priority Pass – unclear if PP without Chase Sapphire was allowed) and took down my phone number, advising I would receive a text in about 40 minutes to enter the lounge with my guest. 55 minutes later, I received the text from Chase. Dan and I bypassed the waitlist line, which was even longer at this point (!), and checked into the lounge as normal.
The wait for the Chase lounge in August 2024… It was not pretty. The Centurion Lounge (next door) had no wait.
Totally different than my last experience, however, and which I totally appreciated, is that this time a staff member escorted Dan and me to available seats, and those were our seats for the duration of our visit. It honestly felt a bit like COVID times, ha. While this took away our ability to select an area in which to sit, it ensured that every guest had ample space and could actually enjoy the lounge without feeling totally crowded (a la the waitless Centurion lounge next door that I visited while waiting on Chase…). Food and drinks, again ordered via QR code on our phone, came out VERY quickly this visit, and all in it was a relaxing time (minus the wait). One other note for those waiting to access the lounge, Chase gave out complimentary soft serve ice cream to those waiting only (not once in the lounge), but didn’t tell anyone about this perk, LOL. I guest IYKYK. We will definitely ask for it next time – it looked good!
In any case, for those reading this for the first time, the Chase Sapphire Lounge in JFK’s Terminal 4 opened its doors in January 2024. We first visited in March 2024 en route to Nairobi Kenya for a safari! You can read the original post here. As I previously mentioned, the Chase lounge at JFK is very, very nice for a credit card lounge – tied with the Virgin Clubhouse for best lounge credit card access lounge in Terminal 4 IMO. Good food, fantastic drinks, and nice service. My only complaints are that its small (and I hear often has a wait to enter, as was the case on my recent visit in August 2024) and far from some of the “B” gates in Terminal 4.
Lions on our safari after we reached Kenya after visiting the Chase Sapphire Lounge.
LOCATING THE CHASE SAPPHIRE LOUNGE AT JFK
The Chase Sapphire Lounge is located on the second floor of JFK’s Terminal 4, just after security right next to the American Express Centurion Lounge. This used to be the JFK Etihad Lounge – its now jointly operated by Chase and Etihad.
To reach the lounge, proceed through security and go left (with your back to security) for 3 minutes. You can’t miss it, and honestly you will probably see people lined up to check in to both the Chase Sapphire Lounge and the Centurion Lounge. Note that you will need to descend one level to reach Terminal 4’s gates, and some of the “B” gates are a far walk.
ACCESSING THE CHASE SAPPHIRE LOUNGE AT JFK
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive complimentary access to the lounge and may bring in two guests per visit. To enter (once off the waitlist), I was previously asked for either my Chase Sapphire Reserve card OR the associated Priority Pass (free with the card). I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve the first time and did not show my Priority Pass card. However on my visit in August 2024, I was asked for my Chase Sapphire Reserve when putting my name on the waitlist, but my Priority Pass, ID and boarding pass to actually check into the lounge. My suggestion, bring both!
The entrance to the Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK in March 2024. Despite the appearance of a line, there was no wait. The line was much longer in August 2024.
Priority Pass members who do not have Priority Pass via the Chase Sapphire Reserve can enter one Chase Sapphire Reserve lounge per year for free. However, note that there are rumors that when busy, Chase Sapphire lounges restrict Priority Pass access to Chase Sapphire cardholders only. Additional visits on Priority Pass only (without the Chase card) currently cost $75 USD per person.
THE CHASE SAPPHIRE SPACE AT JFK
The Chase Sapphire Lounge took over the former Etihad lounge at JFK. As such, unlike other Chase Sapphire lounges, the JFK outpost was not “built from scratch” and as a result, its rumored to be the least nice on in the country. That being said, while small, this is still a pretty lounge and quite nice, especially compared to some of the other Priority Pass options at JFK (i.e., the KAL lounge, the Primeclass lounge in Terminal 4 (T1 is much nicer), and the old Wingtips). And, with the recent seating process (read above a la August 2024), the lounge felt spacious and not empty at all. I hope the lounge keeps this up, but it also could have just been for a busy travel weekend.
An interesting little room in the back of the Chase lounge across from the restrooms.
Once entering the Chase Sapphire lounge, the lounge is a long rectangle shape and right in the center is a really beautiful bar. I actually got a picture this time! I would love to sit at the bar one visit, but it was full my first visit and we were not seated here in August.
The bar. Maybe we should have asked to sit at the bar.
From the center bar area, various types of tables, chairs, and couches comprise the bulk of the space. Some of these are cafeteria style for eating (where we were seated in August 2024), while others offer living-room style seating for comfort. The lounge is decorated nicely, with green plants and modern accents that reminded of West Elm.
Chairs and plane views.
The table decor was really giving West Elm vibes.
Floor to ceiling windows line one wall with views of planes. Not great views, but views. These views are similar to that in JFK’s old Wingtips lounge. Hello nostaglia.
The windows are nice.
The far end of the lounge consists of a cafe area, with a buffet of hot and cold plates, a coffee bar, a small dessert bar, and fridges with various non-alcoholic beverages. All in, a nice modern set up, but it was very crowded in March 2024. Again, it was much less crowded with the imposition of the wait list and assigned seating in August 2024. It was so not crowded, that Dan and I were both totally shocked when we left the lounge and saw a very long line waiting to enter.
Cafeteria seating area. This pic is from March 2024 during the free for all seating.
This is the same area in August 2024 with the imposition of the wait list.
The far end of the lounge contains a small fireplace, which is more for looks than heat LOL. Restrooms and showers are located behind the cafe area, a bit hidden away (I had to ask). Guests book a shower reservation via the QR code on all tables.
A swanky little fireplace lit in March 2024.
THE FOOD AT THE JFK CHASE SAPPHIRE LOUNGE
Food is offered in two forms at the JFK Chase Sapphire Lounge. First, a small buffet is set up in the cafe area offering both hot and cold small plates. Guests can walk up and take whatever they desire. On our visits to this lounge, which have been at lunch or dinner time, on offer were small plates of hummus with naan (naan is not the best), beef and chicken tajine, a green salad, cheese, and a few other small plates, including Indian-style potatoes. This hot and cold bar is similar to how the Centurion lounges offers all of its food. The buffet items were frequently replenished.
Arugula salad. These looked tasty.
Bites of cheese and pesto. These also looked good.
Hummus bowls with tomatoes and olives. Can’t go wrong.
Naan and focaccia. The Focaccia was good. The naan was not the best.
Tajines. These were served hot and brought out frequently. They looked tasty but I didn’t try one.
Mozzarella with pesto and fruit cups in August 2024.
Cauliflower and potatoes done in an Indian style.
There were also two plates of small rolls – one of turkey and one of falafel – near the drink area. I tried both. They were pretty good and a nice offer for something very quick.
The little wrap station.
My little carb heavy plate.
Aside from the buffet, guests can also order hot food from a QR code displayed in the seating areas (like the Virgin Clubhouse lounge at JFK!). All of this is included – a great deal at pricey JFK. On our first visit, the QR menu offered a full menu of lunch food. A picture of some of the menu can be found below. Given that we were getting ready to get on a looong flight, I opted for something I figured I would love, children’s chicken fingers with apple slices, plus a side of french fries, LOL. These were pretty tasty, but the chicken was a bit dry. The fries were very good, as were the apples. The mayonnaise that I asked for with my french fries was excellent. On our second visit in August 2024, ordering hot food was similar, but the menu was slightly different. Everything was again tasty and came out very quickly.
Kids tendies and fries.
Chicken tenders and apple slices close up.
French fries. These were cooked well.
Dan ordered a standard hamburger that came with french fries. He was happy with his meal and said that it was really tasty. He ordered this again in August and was again happy with his order.
Dan’s hamburger. They really love the arugula here.
I ordered the tomato soup with cheddar and croutons in August.
For dessert, the cafe has a few desserts in one corner for guests to take as they wish. During my visit the offerings appeaed to be limited to chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and lemon bars. I tried the chocolate chip cookies in March 2024 and they were FANTASTIC. The ones in August 2024 were not nearly as good, but I still ate one.
These chocolate chip cookies were beyond IMHO.
The dessert offerings.
There was also Baklava in August.
If you are not interested in children’s fare or burgers, here are some samples from the made-to-order menu in March 2024 if you are curious (I didn’t take pics of the menu in August 2024). Healthier offerings, at least for an airport, are available.
A sample from the menu March 2024.
Another sample from the menu March 2024.
THE DRINKS AT THE CAHSE SAPPHIRE LOUNGE AT JFK
In my opinion, the cocktails are truly where the JFK Chase Sapphire Lounge shines. Like most food, cocktails, mocktails, wine, and beer are ordered exclusively from the QR code menu. The menu offers several fancy cocktails, most with creative names tied to New York. We tried several between us and were very pleased with the result. My personal favorite was the Sapphire, which contains ACTUAL GLITTER! I would also note that unlike the Centurion Lounge, there was no limit on the number of beverages one could order, and we over ordered to try several. The only caveat is that each person can only order 1 drink form themselves at a time. I would also note that the drink menu was the exact same in March and August.
The Sapphire. There is real glitter in this drink. This was so good for a free airport lounge.
The same drink again in August! Fantastic!
This was another really beautiful and tasty cocktail. I cannot recall which one.
This is the Concrete Jungle. I loved the name but the cocktail was just booze (which may be appealing to some…).
Also on offer were the usual red wine and sparkling wine.
A sample of drinks from March 2024.
More drinks from March 2024.
And one more from March 2024.
Here are some beer offerings.
Aside from the MTO drinks, the cafe area offers an espresso bar, drip coffee, and fridges filled with soda, juices, etc. There is also a filtered water tap to fill glasses with water, in addition to cold tea, cold coffee and some fruit flavored water. These were all self-service.
The [broken] espresso bar in March 2024. It was working again in August 2024!
One of the drinks fridge.
OTHER AMENITIES AT THE JFK CHASE SAPPHIRE LOUNGE
Besides the food and drink, we did not really take advantage of the lounge’s amenities. The wifi was WFH good and easy to use. I also took a peek at the shower, and it looked clean (I only saw 1 but there may have been others).
The ladies room, which includes restrooms and the shower.
All in, this was a good lounge and a fabulous addition to the JFK Terminal 4 lounge space. I look forward to returning in another season and hope that the wait is not too long.
STEAL OUR LOUNGE
Sapphire Lounge by The Club: JFK Terminal 4. Post-security, to the left of security (with your back to security). Open daily 5:00 AM – 11:00 PM. Complimentary access to cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and its Priority Pass and two guests. Priority Pass members without the Chase Sapphire Reserve can visit one Chase Sapphire lounge per year without pay (assuming the lounge does not restrict Priority Pass access). Additional guests cost $70 USD per visit.