We arrived at JFK Terminal 4 via the AirTrain after picking up our luggage from the TWA Hotel. After checking in for our flight with Singapore Airlines, we headed through security, which was a breeze thanks to having CLEAR and TSA PreCheck.
Once entering the airside (post-security) area on the second level, I directed us to the lounge. Since Singapore only operates one flight a day from JFK, traveling from JFK to Frankfurt, Germany and continuing on to Singapore, there’s no reason for them to run a lounge.
Singapore passengers traveling in business or suites class get lounge access at JFK. This is usually at the lounge operated by Swiss Airlines. However, during our trip, the Swiss lounge was under renovation.
Swiss passengers with lounge access were directed to the Etihad lounge, but Singapore passengers were told to use the El Al lounge located at the end of the hall.
As my only other option at JFK would be to go back to the Wingtips lounge with my Priority Pass card, I figured this had to be better than there. At least it would be less crowded.
Entering the club, there was a model of an El Al plane on display.
Our boarding passes were scanned and we were invited into the club. There were plenty of available seats. Except for the tables by the dining area, most of the other seats had access to plugs or at least USB outlets.
I connected to the Wi-FI network and found it to be quite fast. Most likely because the lounge wasn’t very full.
I was hungry but didn’t want to fill up on lounge food as I had our meal on board booked in advance and wanted to enjoy that. I decided to check out the buffet. As expected in an El Al lounge, all of the food was Kosher. Be aware there are no meat products available, only fish. That’s most likely because they also provide dairy products and Kosher rules dictate the separation of the two.
The main dishes were several types of wraps along with salmon. There was also a selection of salads, fruits and some of the best hummus I’ve tasted in a while. The food selection was fresh and better than what’s offered in most US lounges.
For drinks, there was a refrigerator with various soft drinks, beer and milk.
There was also a wine dispenser featuring selections from Israel. I didn’t realize at the time that three of the bottles were of the same type of wine.
There were also a few bottles of liquor on the counter for self-service.
For seating, there were several areas. There were seats along the perimeter of the room and areas of chairs towards the center of the room, near the buffet.
At the far end of the room, there were TVs on the wall with chairs facing them. All of the screens were on the same channel and while we were there, they were playing a Star Wars movie, which was fine by me (Note from Sharon, who is not a Star Wars fan: #rolleyes).
The seating wasn’t particularly comfortable. I’d say it was functional. The room was stark and had an industrial vibe with all of the stainless steel chairs and appliances and the white and gray color scheme.
The lounge did make an announcement when the boarding time for the Singapore flight was approaching. The Singapore gate is on the other side of the terminal, so it takes about 10 minutes to walk over there. When we got the gate, we only had to wait a few minutes before business class boarding was called.
Final Thoughts
The El Al lounge was a fine place to spend an hour or so before a flight. I was able to charge my phone and computer and get some work done on the speedy Wi-Fi. The food, while basic, was fresh and tasty.
The Swiss lounge is due to reopen at the end of 2019, so Singapore passengers will once again be able to use that instead of the El Al King David Lounge. This was one of those places that’s perfectly fine for what we needed, but it’s not a lounge I’d leave for the airport extra early just to be able to spend time there.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
