Review: Horizons T7 Lounge New York JFK
Intro
Prior to my flight from New York to Warsaw, I had the opportunity to check out the Horizons Lounge inside Terminal 7. After British Airways pulled out of Terminal 7 they left their lounge unoccupied, and thus their old lounge was taken over and converted more or less into a Star Alliance Lounge.
While the hard product of the lounge remains quite good, the food options and lack of showers are where the lounge was really lacking. Well they have showers, it’s just you can’t use them unless you are flying ANA. Lol.
Location+Access
There happens to be three lounges in Terminal 7. One is the Aer Lingus lounge, located at the end of the terminal, as well as the Alaska Airlines Lounge (reviewed previously), which is right next to Horizons T7 Lounge.
It’s pretty hard to miss; once you clear the security, take a left up the stairs, and it will be right in front of you.
In terms of access, this is what I could gather:
Passengers flying in Business Class on ANA, LOT, Condor, Ethiopian Airlines, Icelandair, Kuwait (don’t quote me on this), and LOT Polish Airlines.
I believe Star Alliance Gold passengers get access, at least they do when flying ANA
Day passes are available for purchase at 65$ for a 3-hour block.
This lounge seemingly operates daily from 9/10 am until midnight (last NH flight). There were no signs regarding opening hours or access, so I’m not entirely sure.
Additionally, located to the left is a First Class section of the lounge, presumably for NH First passengers.
Seating
Stepping inside the lounge, I was happy to see that the Ex British Airways features were kept in nice condition. Practically nothing about this lounge has changed, apart from the staff (I would presume). There is ample space to spread out, and considering I was there during the peak departure hours, it never got too crowded.
Food+Drink
The drinks selection at the lounge is fantastic. There is pretty much everything you could want from wine and sparkling wine laid out as well as a dedicated bartender happy to make all sorts of drinks for you. The liquor selection wasn’t bad either, as the lounge offers spirits, liqueurs, and a couple of other bits and bobs.
However, the food. This was the largest letdown of the lounge situation as most of the items on display were cold options such as little sandwiches, salads, and cheeses. Quite the opposite of the Alaska Airlines Lounge…
Other Amenities
There was one aspect of this lounge that just made me laugh: the shower situation. Located in the back of the lounge lies a couple of shower suites with an attendant working outside. However, these can only be accessed by passengers flying on the ANA flights… Huh?
Of course, restrooms and free wifi were available in the lounge as well. However, if you remember, way back when British Airways used to operate lockers in the lounge; while they were still there, they weren’t available to be used at the time.
Final Thoughts
If you happen to be flying Business Class on most airlines out of Terminal 7, you will most likely be directed to the Horizons T7 Lounge. On the one hand, the lounge is beautifully laid out with the Ex British Airways color schemes and provides great alcohol, but on the other hand, the lack of showers (unless you are flying ANA) and the miserable food choices make for a lounge I wouldn’t want to spend more than an hour in. The Alaska Airlines Lounge is by far nicer, but then again, it's a different alliance!
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