Lounge Review: Solid Visit at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK)

Background:

I was flying on a Delta One international ticket from New York (JFK) to Amsterdam (AMS), and I wanted to see my other lounge options as Delta does not have a business class lounge offering yet. Rather than visit the general Sky Club, I discovered that if you are flying international Delta One, you can access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse instead. I’ve never been to a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, so I was excited to give it a try for the first time.

Location and Access Details:

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK) is located after security in Terminal 4. Once you clear security, and go down the escalators, turn right and head towards the A-Concourse. The lounge is located above boarding gates A4 and A5. The clubhouse is open from 5am to 8am and 2pm to 10:30pm daily.

Just be aware, if you are flying Delta, it may be a bit of a walk to your gate in the B-Concourse. My flight was leaving from B39, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from the lounge.

There are numerous amounts of ways to access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK):

Since the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK) is operated by Plaza Premium, it seems to be part of the Plaza Premium Network as well, and so AMEX Platinum and Capital One Venture X cardholders should have access.

Update from April 2023: I had a friend who gained entry with a Capital One Venture X card at 3PM. It seems currently that from 5AM-8AM the lounge is open for Plaza Premium guests, then from 8AM-1:30PM it’s for Priority Pass, then from 2PM- 10:30PM it’s for Plaza Premium again.

My Visit:

I arrived at the lounge around 4pm on a Tuesday, and the lounge wasn’t too crowded. I was quickly checked-in by a friendly agent, and made my way into the lounge. I’ve read reviews that it sometimes gets crowded at the lounge, particularly during the evening, but I did not experience that during my visit. If anything, by the time I left around 7, the lounge was emptier than when I had arrived.

Immediately to your right, there is a place to store your luggage if you don’t want to carry it through the lounge with you. Originally I had put my carry-on there, but since the lounge wasn’t too crowded, I found a nice seat that comfortably allowed for my carry-on to stay with me.

Inside the Lounge:

Once you enter, the bar area is in the center of the lounge, with plenty of seating around the bar. There is also a nice pool table if you’re here with a group and want to play a game.

Then, on the left and right sides of the lounge, there are various seating types around the lounge.

A la Carte Dining:

I ended up lounging on a nice sofa style seat with high walls for privacy. At each table, there is a QR code where you can scan and order a la carte food.

The menu was pretty extensive, with highlights of dishes including appetizers like baked chicken wings and steamed vegetable gyoza. Main dishes included a southern fried chicken burger, chicken tikka masala and grilled salmon. Additionally, cocktails, wine and mocktails were available as well.

There was also a cute Afternoon tea set that I got at the beginning of my visit. It consisted of a picnic basket filled with smoked salmon and a cream cheese wholemeal roll, goat’s cheese and cress savoury tart, warm scone (strawberry preserve, cream) and some sweet treats. My favorite part of the set was the sweet treats! I also tried a mocktail, called High Luxury. It looked really cool, but was a bit too spicy for my liking.

For dinner, I tried the steamed vegetable gyoza to start, and the grilled salmon as my main dish. Both were quite tasty! One of the servers was recommending me her favorite dishes, and she was very nice to talk to. Kudos to the very welcoming service!

For dessert, I had the Warm Chocolate Fondant, and I thought it was quite good and a perfect way to end my meal. I also tried the other mocktail, Bright Horizon, and enjoyed that one a lot. The server realized I didn’t touch much of the other mocktail and insisted I try the this one. She was super friendly and attentive.

Amenities:

This lounge used to have a full-service spa where you could get a massage, haircut or manicure. But, that part of the lounge was closed off during the pandemic and is still closed off today.

There are shower rooms in the lounge, as well as nice single restrooms. I thought the attention to detail was fantastic, as the signs had little statue of liberty diagrams for the restrooms which were quite cute.

The shower rooms were nice, and you could just walk into any available one. Towels are provided, as well as toiletries by Ren in the Atlantic Kelp scent and Aveda shampoo and conditioner as well.

The Verdict:

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK) was a great place to stop at before my flight to Amsterdam. I think this lounge is a fantastic option to visit rather than the general Delta Sky Club when travelling on an international Delta One flight. It is among one of my favorite lounges to this day. Highlights of my visit included the tasty a la carte dining menu, and the very kind service received. I hope to be able to return to this lounge soon.

 

Have you visited the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK) before? What were your thoughts? Comment below!

 

Happy Travels,

Ty

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Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!