Airport Lounge Review: Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, Terminal 8, JFK (New York)

23/02/202420/08/2026wareontheglobe 3 Comments

Steak served at Bobby Van's Steakhouse, JFK Terminal 8, New York

On our trip to the Maldives last Thanksgiving, Dan and I flew out of JFK’s Terminal 8 (AKA JFK’s American Airlines terminal). We got to the airport early, as one does, and were looking for a decent spot to waste the time before our flight. Unfortunately for us, while JFK has numerous Priority Pass lounges, as well as a Centurion lounge and a new Chase lounge that we can access, it has zero of these lounges in Terminal 8, and we could not access the few lounges in the terminal (flying Qatar without status). However, lucky for us, the Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Terminal 8 gives Priority Pass members and 1 guest a credit of $28 (equivalent to “one lounge visit”) per person to be used on food and/or drink at Bobby Van’s (for a total of $56 for two). Dinner at Bobby Van’s it was! *SIDE NOTE – check your specific PP membership to confirm that you can bring a guest*

Bobby Van's Steakhouse storefront in Terminal 8 at JFK

Bobby Van’s Steakhouse at JFK.

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Airport Lounge Review: Al Dhabi Lounge by Lounge, Abu Dhabi International, Terminal 1

19/01/202406/10/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

Update: In November 2023, Abu Dhabi’s airport moved all flights to its new Terminal A (the airport is now called Zayed International Airport), so this review covers Terminals 1 and 3 as they were during our 2022 visits.

This post reviews our experiences at the Al Dhabi Lounge by Lounge – Abu Dhabi International’s only Priority Pass airport lounge at the time (it has recently been removed from the PP network but may return). Dan and I used Abu Dhabi International’s Al Dhabi Lounge three times in late 2022 (including when we flew in in the above cover photo, that’s the F1 track in the pic), and we had a relatively OK experience each time. I wouldn’t kill yourself to visit this lounge, but if you have a decent layover and no other options, it probably makes sense. While it can get crazy during busy periods, the Al Dhabi Lounge is a sizeable space with edible food and decent drinks, in addition to good wifi and complimentary showers. We passed through on the way to and from our week in the Seychelles.

Abu Dhabi city! This was it decked out for the World Cup.

THE AL DHABI LOUNGE

The Al Dhabi Lounge is located in Abu Dhabi airport’s Terminal 1 at the end of a very long corridor, which is accessible via Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 without re-clearing security. We walked to the lounge from Terminal 3, and it probably took us 15 minutes walking at an average pace. The Al Dhabi lounge is open 24/7, and it is open to almost all travelers as long as its not full (i.e. anyone can buy a day pass to this lounge). The Al Dhabi Lounge’s entrance is located on the ground floor, and the lounge is directly above it. A check-in desk, which is shared with the Abu Dhabi Airport Hotel (read about our stay there here), check guests in pretty quickly, although on one of our visits there was a looong line (due to the F1 race and the World Cup in Qatar). Once checked in, guests go up one floor to a second check-in desk, where they check in once again, LOL. Information, including wifi passwords, are provided at this second check-in desk. Once cleared on the second floor, the lounge is to the right and the hotel is to the left. Guests cannot enter the hotel without a reservation, so no safety worries if you are staying there!

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Hotel Review: TWA Airport at JFK Airport (New York, NY)

18/08/202330/06/2026wareontheglobe 2 Comments

Dan and I recently completed our third stay at one of my very favorite hotels – the TWA Hotel at JFK airport! Yes, this is the former TWA terminal at JFK that reopened as a hotel in 2019. You’ve almost certainly heard about the TWA Hotel, but these are my thoughts over three separate stays spanning three years. In sum, I absolutely love, love, love this hotel, but that’s due to my love of aviation and all things flying and travel, as well as the 1960s. The hotel itself, while fantastic for “av-geeks”, is, without question, overpriced and has never lived up to the standards I expect for the price. My recommendation is to go once if you love aviation, TWA or the 1960s but otherwise, I would skip an overnight reservation. The actual hotel portion of the TWA hotel only “ok” in terms of a luxury property (which its priced as). All of that being said, a day visit to the common area of the TWA Hotel is free and certainly worth the time if you have a long layover at JFK or are in the area and curious!

The TWA hotel!

Hotel Review: TWA Airport at JFK Airport (New York, NY)

The gorgeous Sunken Lounge at TWA.

A map of the public area of the TWA Hotel.

TWA Hotel Location.

The TWA Hotel is actually located inside the former TWA Terminal at JFK. The TWA Hotel is directly connected to JFK’s Terminal 5 (the home of Jet Blue!) via an elevator, which is very convenient. Those arriving or departing from other terminals can use JFK’s free AirTrain to travel between terminals. The AirTrain station is located across the street from the TWA Hotel in the parking area on the second floor. There are plenty of signs and large elevators for luggage. The AirTrain is easy to use and goes to all JFK terminals. As its free, no tickets or anything of the like are required.

The TWA Hotel! This view is from the entrance to the AirTrain across the street.

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Airport Lounge Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, JFK (New York) Terminal 4

21/07/202307/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I have found ourselves in JFK’s Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse a few times over the last year. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse quickly became our favorite stop at JFK (when we can get in), so here is a post on the lounge at JFK (in follow up to my posts on the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses at Newark (New Jersey) and Johannesburg (South Africa)). Located in JFK’s Terminal 4, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is found in the A Gate area, near Gates A4 and A5, on the second floor of the terminal. The entrance is manned with a little checkin desk, and staff really does not like to admit those seeking entry on a card (Capital One, AmEx Platinum, Priority Pass, etc. – the access cards varies frequently). We have found they are much more likely to get in if you are nice to them! We’ve also asked when it may be open to card holders and if we can come back at that time with success. Once granted access, we simply presented my Capital One X Venture card and our boarding passes and we were in!

Walking into the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK.

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Airport Lounge Review: Salon Vallee De Mai, Mahé (Seychelles) International Airport

24/01/202307/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I had a little over an hour to kill in the Mahé airport when flying back from the Seychelles to Abu Dhabi (and eventually to New York). The Salon Vallee De Mai Lounge in the Mahé airport offers complimentary entrance to Priority Pass members, so we went in for an adult beverage. This is my review of the Salon Vallee De Mai lounge (as of November 2022).

The main pool and ocean at the Mango House.

The Seychelles just before we left to fly home = (

THE SPACE

The Salon Vallee De Mai lounge is located on the second floor of the Mahé airport, up a short flight of stairs across from the Takamaka Rum bar. The entrance is quite pretty and keeps with the “tropical island” theme, which follows throughout the lounge. As you will read below, while some areas were lacking in the lounge, the decor was not one of them. From the ceiling to the tables and chairs, I was definitely getting “tropical vacay” vibes – too bad we were leaving! The check-in lady was lovely and answered all of our questions. Once inside, the lounge opens up into a large room scattered with tables and chairs spread throughout. The ones on the right side have great plane views!

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