Wingtips Lounge @ JFK: main seating area
Off to London on Virgin Atlantic
Last weekend, I popped over to London to see the first run of the new Tori Amos musical, The Light Princess. To get started for my first Virgin Atlantic flight to Heathrow from JFK, I decided to hit the Wingtips Lounge JFK, which I found on the Priority Pass iPhone app.
Virgin Atlantic also operates the famous Clubhouse at JFK, but I didn’t have a ticket in Upperclass, which would’ve permitted access, but rather just regular ol’ economy.
Why?
I took advantage of Delta’s recent partnership with VA to use Skymiles to book this itinerary. For one, I didn’t have enough Skymiles to book two tickets in Upperclass. And two, even if I did, wouldn’t have burned them that way. Skymiles are notoriously hard to use, but where they shine is on partner redemptions. So why not this one? I’ve had my eye on a biz class ticket on Virgin Australia for 150K Skymiles for.ev.er. And I WILL use them for that purpose one day (unless they devalue first, which is totally possible).
Never mind getting to LAX to adding a stopover or open jaw, although it IS possible to route through PPT and AKL on Air Tahiti Nui, but that’s for another post.
The reason I went for economy is to conserve for that future redemption and because I felt like it simply wasn’t worth it. It’s only 5-6 hours to LHR, short than flying to the west coast, and I’d rather redeem the bulk of my points and miles on long-haul business class products, although Upperclass did look really nice.
Anyway, the Wingtips Lounge.
The lounge
I wasn’t expecting much, as it’s the only other lounge in T4 at JFK. But wow.
The seating is ample, there is a self-serve bar, the snackies were plentiful and featured a hot and cold food buffet, the wifi was blazing fast, the seats were comfy, and the lounge afforded us nice views of our Virgin Atlantic plane on the tarmac.
And really, isn’t that all anyone can ever really ask for in a lounge?
I’ve read lots of reviews of other lounges at JFK/LGA/EWR, but have never even heard of the Wingtips Lounge. Because of this, I sorta assumed it was the bastard stepchild of lounges. You know what they say about assumptions… well, it’s especially true here.
Great plane watching
Entrance was free thanks to the Priority Pass Select card through AMEX Platinum Card. After checking in, I grabbed a plate of snackies, a Bailey’s, a rum and coke, and a water.
Cold buffet
You know I love a self-serve open bar
Wifi was open, so I checked my email one last time before leaving the U.S.
The place was clean and the staff was nice as can be. I felt very welcomed and comfortable. As boarding time rolled around, I found myself so relaxed and content in the Wingtips Lounge, I almost didn’t want to leave. I took a sparkling water and a couple of packaged snacks for the ride across the pond in economy, and will most certainly come back to this lounge if I ever find myself in T4 again. You never know, right?
I’d definitely show up early just to hang out here for a little while.
Plenty of open seats in the alternate seating area
Looking back toward the entrance
Bottom line
If you find yourself in T4 at JFK, head to the Wingtips Lounge. It’s just beyond security, and features ample offerings. I LOVED this lounge. It’s everything an airport lounge should be.
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This is probably my least favorite lounge in all of JFK. So we it looks we disagree! : )
The hot food is straight from the freezer; think Sysco’s lowest price non-descript “Indian mix” and you’d be close
The cold food is also bottom of the barrel. I’ve actually seen Costco stickers on it.
The wine is $5/bottle stock.
Coffee undrinkable.
The furniture is particularly horrid. …though I like the library So I do have something nice to say about it!
If you set your expectations low and just want to check the box that it has (1) a lot of food everywhere you look (2) a self-serve bar and a (3) place to sit…then you’ll be happy here.
If you want any sort of decent quality product behind those expectations then Im afraid you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Thank you for commenting!
The low expectations you described are exactly what I have going into a domestic airport lounge. I guess the thing that struck me about this one was how cozy it was and how much open seating was available. I’m flashing back to intensely crowded Delta/American flagship lounges here, with same food quality but outrageously packed with loud people talking away on cell phones. If I walk into a lounge and immediately get stressed, I might as well sit at the gate. With this one, though, I could actually feel myself slipping into a more relaxed state, which is what I took away from the whole experience.
Maybe the reason you never heard of it before is that it used to be called Oasis. The Wingtips name came maybe at the beginning of September. I don’t understand the comment above. Maybe this person has never been in a Skyclub; I don’t know. I’ve been in the Terminal 2 Skyclub. Wingtips is NOT the least nice lounge at JFK.
I was i there in February and again in August. The furniture and other things were as reflected in your pictures; people can judge for themselves whether the furniture is horrid or not. The two times I was in there, I spent some lovely, peaceful hours before late evening flights.
The layout of the place is quite good and with comfortable chairs. I was there in September 2013 while waiting for an early morning flight. The food offerings were minimal – rolls, croissants, butter, jam, apples, tea, and a good selection of coffees. No oranges, bananas, cream cheese although these have become standard offerings in airport lounges. But it is a peaceful place to relax, get some work done, while waiting for a flight.
It’s hot, loud (mostly from the employees) and the food is gross. Definitely not worth $50.
I was there in Oct. 2013 and now here again, yes at this moment. I guess it’s just like restaurants, it’s very subjective and you can have different experiences everytime you go. At least my experiences so far are all good.
It’s very quiet and relaxing, staff are friendly & nice.
Today’s hot food: 1) Green beans, bell pepper & pumpkin stew 2) rice 3) couscous meatball soup.
Cold food: Tuna salad, Hummus, Hard boiled eggs, Pasta salad, Veggie Brie Sandwich, Roast beef sandwich, Salami wrap, fruit ( Black berry, Grape, Melon, orange & Apples)
Are there any shower facilities in the lounge?
Yes, there are!