Etihad Airways hosted the grand opening of its new lounge at New York’s JFK Airport on Wednesday. The lounge spans more than 7,000 square feet and features stylish furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, bathroom showers and a private “residence” sitting area that gives you the feeling of a luxurious living room.
There’s also a bar with views of the airfield and aircraft like Etihad’s latest Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. Visitors can order signature cocktails, such as “The New York” a bourbon-based cocktail with dried apples, “The Abu Dhabi”, a non-alcoholic drink, based on cold brew coffee and a cardamon, and others which evoke the flavors of the various cities the airline flies to.
As this Mashable article describes it, the lounge’s design is striking, just as you’d expect from Etihad Airways. Geometric shapes, a nod to traditional Arabic architecture and design — are everywhere. The color scheme, with many browns and purples, is meant to evoke the landscape of the United Arab Emirates, from the sands of Liwa oasis to Saadiyat island.
Outlets are installed in the furniture. Plates are trimmed with gold. Multilingual newspapers lay crisp and ready. Books from Bulgari and Walker Evans line the shelves.
The showcase bar is the highlight of the entire lounge: Two perfectly groomed barmen craft bespoke cocktails with an impressive array of colorful liquors. Cocktail options are vast and artisanal; cotton candy and dried rhubarb feature prominently. There’s a dehydrator machine in the kitchen that dries fruit, on site, because why not.
“We’re bringing style back into transportation,” said James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways. “The opening of Etihad Airways’ new First and Business Class Lounge at New York’s JFK International Airport reinforces our commitment to investing in the travel experience and providing our guests with the highest levels of comfort, luxury and world-class hospitality at every point in their travel journey — on the ground and in the air.”
JFK in NYC becomes just the second U.S. airport where Etihad has added its Premium lounge. The carrier’s first U.S. airport with the high-end lounge was Washington Dulles. Hopefully I’ll get to visit it soon because it does look lovely from the pictures.
