New British Airways First Class Lounge JFK

British Airways' First Class lounge at New York's JFK Airport has had a total revamp, and is now larger, with a bigger bar and dining room.

The new British Airways' First Class lounge JFK is now head and shoulders above many of the others on the network. It now boasts a new bar, dining room with boutique menu, and a new wine room.

The First Class lounge however is not designed for passengers with a First Class ticket: instead, it's for BA Executive Club Gold card holders.

Some sixty per cent larger than its former self, the 510 square yard (5400 square feet) lounge has been designed with several different zones, most of them alcohol related - there is a wine room, bar, and dining with fine wines.

Much of the extra space has been created by taking away part of the existing Terraces lounge, which is due to have a revamp too.

Upon entering the refurbished BA JFK First lounge you'll see the large complimentary bar, with a waiter making cocktails, or you can pour a drink yourself.

Beside the bar in the BA first class lounge JFK is a brand new dining area featuring floor to ceiling windows with plenty of natural light.

This dining room has what BA has labelled a 'boutique menu', created by executive chefs Gavin Mackenzie and Waylon Walker, which includes seasonal dishes and a new light and healthy 'bowl food' concept.

You can eat a full meal, from a menu on the table, which is served at your seat, before stepping on board your flight. The idea is to give you as much time to sleep on board the short six hour hop to London Heathrow, and particularly with BA 'Sleeper Service' flights only having a light meal on board, if you are hungry you may need to eat here anyway.

There is also a new concept for BA lounges, with a new wine room letting passengers enjoy 'wine flights'; in this case quite literally, by sampling wines linked to a theme, such as Chardonnays of the World, or the Wines from Down Under.

There's also an automatic dispenser so that passengers can enjoy wines at what British Airways claims is "exactly the right temperature".

Other changes in the British Airways' First Class lounge New York JFK include a Work and Business zone. Here, however, there is just one large conference table, rather than the old computer booths which were more productive for working, and now appears to be more of a large meeting room.

Next up for a revamp at JFK is an upgrade of the Terraces (business class) lounge, which almost completely missed BA's previous Galleries theme. The exclusive JFK Concorde Room, designed for First Class passengers, was revamped earlier this year.

As one the busiest lounges outside London, the New York JFK lounge has always had a special place in British Airway's agenda. However, since being rebuilt as a Terraces lounge in 1998, the lounge has been looking rather tired over the past decade.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways' Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said "We fly thousands of customers between London and New York every week so we're absolutely dedicated to making the experience as relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable as possible."

Next due for a revamp at British Airways business lounges at Geneva, San Francisco and Johannesburg, following refurbishments of Rome and Aberdeen, as Lux-traveller has previously reviewed.

British Airways' First Class lounge at JFK Terminal 7 is open to all passengers travelling in first class on BA or oneworld, as well as Gold Executive Club members, and Platinum Qantas frequent flyers, plus oneworld Emerald holders.