JetBlue's Airspace Lounge, JFK

I’ve been in plenty of airport lounges, but this is my first review. Look out, Jetblue!

If you have a Jetblue boarding pass and $25 (or an American Express Platinum card or JetBlue’s frequent flyer plan) you can get in JFK’s Jetblue Airspace Lounge. That’s quite reasonable for a day pass to a lounge, so I wondered how good it could be--you get what you pay for, right? As it turns out, by my calculations, the Airspace Lounge is worth it, if you have specific needs that they can meet. It really depends on what you’re looking for.

​If you’re looking for a quiet place to get away from the unwashed masses, this place is for you. Airport waiting areas resemble bus stations these days, and JFK’s Terminal 5 is no exception. The terminal was filled with screaming children and their frazzled parents, large groups of teenagers clutching pillows and wearing pajama pants, and enormous garbage carts pushed by very aggressive uniformed attendants. The Airspace Lounge has comfy chairs, soothing music, tasteful lighting, and a full bar. If all you need is peace and quiet, come on in. There’s not a lot of seating, and it’s all close together, but they won’t let in more people than they can accommodate.

If you’re looking for a satisfying meal, just keep moving. When you check into the lounge, they give you a card worth $10 at the bar for food and drinks. (Frankly, I don’t like this kind of deal--just charge me less to get in and let me pay for food and drinks.) The menu features small plates of appetizers that the bartender pulls out of a fridge behind the bar. There are free apples, and some chex mix. It’s not bad if you just need a snack, but it won’t fill you up.

​However, if you need a drink, Airspace has you covered. There’s a full bar and free coffee and tea.

If you have succumbed to the New York humidity and you’d kill for a shower, this place is for you! They have a shower! Granted, it was more like a hospital bathroom than a hotel room, but I’d pay more than $25 for a shower in New York in the summer. There’s only one shower room, so tell the attendant when you arrive and they’ll come get you when it’s your turn. I gave the shower room 3 out of 5 stars for cleanliness, but since I had flip flops in my bag, it didn’t hurt me. There were some long hairs on the floor, which did not affect me directly but gave me a little shiver.

They give you a sample bag of toiletries so you don’t have to unload your suitcase looking for yours.

The shower itself was a little strange. You could pick either the rainshower shower head, or the standard shower head which is permanently affixed at small-child height. I showered crouching, since I didn’t want to get my hair wet with the rainshower. A little awkward, but manageable.

The toilet had, and I’m not kidding you, a heated seat. In June. In NEW YORK. In the winter I’d welcome a heated seat, but in New York in June I don’t even want to eat hot food, much less toast my buns. Also, the toilet was fully automated, but without signage. The lid goes up and down of its own accord. The flush is automatic, but delayed. There were bidet options, but I was unwilling to try them out with the capricious potty. Also, there was a heavy-duty yellow extension cord running from the closet to the outlet behind the toilet. Classy. And what if the toilet overflows? You’ll get fried like you’re in a bug zapper! Well, that’s enough about that.

There’s a timetable on the mirror. Handy!

The oddest thing about the shower room is that the door faces the lounge’s seating area. If, for some strange reason, God forbid, there was a small earthquake which popped the door open, everybody in the lounge could see you wrestling with the toilet or kneeling in front of the chest-high shower head. I tried to embrace my inner exhibitionist and enjoy the thrill, but it didn’t work. I guess I have no inner exhibitionist.

So, if you’re looking for a refuge from noise and clamor, this is your oasis. If you’re hungry, eat something before you come in. If you’re thirsty, they can meet all your needs. If you’re dirty, you’ll leave clean. If you have the American Express Platinum card or frequent flyer status, by all means give Airspace a try. ​

​Next time, unless I get free entry or am so sticky I’d pay $25 for showering with somebody else’s hair, I’ll just find a nice quiet restaurant and hang out there. Terminal 5 is huge, with lots of dining and shopping options, and adequate seating at the gates. They also have a terrace, where you can get some fresh air and sunshine.

JetBlue, I appreciate your effort in the lounge game, but I think you’re out of your league.  If you want to compete with the big boys, you’re going to have to get better food, a snazzier shower experience, and more space. You have a great airline with good prices, passably friendly flight crews, plenty of free drinks, better-than-average legroom, and enough snacks coast-to-coast to tide me over till my husband can get me to Denny’s. Those are great things, and better than average! Maybe you should just stick to that.

What about you? Have you tried JetBlue’s Airspace lounge at JFK or any of their other locations? What’s your favorite airport lounge?

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