On a recent trip to New York, I stopped by the Air India Maharajah Lounge in Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). I had no clue what to expect inside, this lounge is the only one operated by a Star Alliance carrier in a terminal dominated by SkyTeam, so I was excited to check it out.
In this post:
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Location
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Hours of Operation
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Entry Requirements
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Layout
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Food and Beverage
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Atmosphere
- Summary
Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Location
The Air India Maharajah Lounge at New York JFK is located inside Terminal 4. Terminal 4 is dominated by Delta Air Lines, which operates its primary transatlantic gateway from the airport but, a handful of other carriers, including Air India, operate from the Terminal. After clearing security at JFK’s Terminal 4, follow the signage to the A Gates and the Air India Lounge.
The lounge is located near Gate A5, one level up from the concourse. An elevator and stairs are located on the left side of the concourse leading up to the mezzanine level. There are three lounges here, the Emirates Lunge, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and Air India Maharajah Lounge.
Once you reach the top of the stairs, the Virgin Atlantic Lounge is to your right while the Air India and Emirates Lounges are to your left.
Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Hours of Operation
The hours of operation for the lounge depends on who you ask. The lounge is open between 7:00a and 8:00p daily. According to American Express and Priority Pass, the lounge is open between 10:30a and 8:00p daily.
This is because Air India’s daily flight to Mumbai (BOM) departs at 10:05a and the lounge is reserved for Air India passengers until that time. At 10:30, the lounge opens to Priority Pass members. However, if you ask the Air India website, you’ll find the hours unavailable.
Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Entry Requirements
Air India Business Class passengers, elite status passengers, Star Alliance Business Class passengers, and Star Alliance Gold members all have access to the lounge. The standard Star Alliance lounge access requirements apply.
If you aren’t traveling on an Air India flight, which based on the hours of operation will be the majority of the guests, the easiest way to access the lounge is using a Priority Pass membership. I entered the lounge using the Priority Pass membership that comes with my American Express Platinum card.
Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Layout
The Air India Maharajah Lounge is essentially one (not so) big room. All of the seating in the lounge consists of two top dining tables which are packed closely together in order to maximize space.
As you may be able to tell from the photos, the lounge is fairly worn out with lots of wear and tear on display.
The nice thing about the lounge is its location. The Air India Maharajah Lounge overlooks the widebody gates in Concourse A at JFK’s Terminal 4, which always provides some great plane spotting opportunities.
In addition to the view, there is a bathroom located near the entrance to the lounge, which isn’t always something you’d expect in a lounge of this size.
Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Food and Beverage
Though the lounge is on the small size, and well worn, the food is the bright spot here, if there is one. While it was far from gourmet, there were a good number of potions for a lounge of this size. Five hot dishes were on offer consisting of basmati rice, palak paneer, curry chicken, veggie samosas, and grilled mixed vegetables.
At the end of the hot buffet is a toaster and breadbasket containing two types of bread and a variety of jam and butter.
In addition to the hot dishes, a variety of vegetables, juices, sweets, and spreads were on offer.
On the beverage front, there was a coffee machine which could make a variety of drinks, a cannister of hot water, and a selection of teas and oatmeal.
Under the counter, you’ll find two coolers. One is stocked with soda and water while the other has beer and wine.
Five self-serve spirits were available, though none of them were particularly top shelf. Scotch, gin, rum, tequila, and vodka were all offered.
Air India Maharajah Lounge New York Atmosphere
After spending some time in the chaos of JFK Terminal 4, the Air India Maharajah Lounge was a welcome respite. However, that feeling quickly faded after entering the lounge and spending a few minutes inside.
The lounge has great views of the tarmac but is otherwise cramped, worn, and unappealing. While it beats not having lounge access at all, if you have other lounge access opportunities, I’d recommend using those. I ultimately left after fifteen minutes for the much more pleasant Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4 Concourse A.
Summary
The Air India Maharajah Lounge in Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) leaves plenty to be desired. If it is your only lounge option it beats being stuck in the terminal. However, if you have other lounges available to you, I’d recommend using those instead.