Galleries Lounge at JFK: Plenty of everything

If you’re flying business class on Cathay Pacific or British Airways out of JFK (or have status on one of the partner airlines), the Galleries Lounge in Terminal 7 is an uber-comfortable place to wait until your plane is ready to board.

The lounge is absolutely cavernous with plenty of seating: Imagine a spacious furniture showroom with multiple sofas and club chairs, some leather and some brocade depending on your tastes. They’re arranged in conversation areas to break up the space and afford more privacy. A fountain in the middle of the room provides white noise to buffer the sound.

There’s a huge, well-stocked serve-yourself bar with a selection of wines and hard liquors as well as a buffet counter stocked with healthy foods and some snacks. At breakfast, you could enjoy hot oatmeal, cold cereals, fruits, juices and an assortment of breads, muffins and bagels.

The rest rooms are also a cut above. Well-maintained, they offer Elemis soaps and lotions, with a thoughtful box of tissues placed on the counter. Haven’t seen that in ladies rooms for a while.

Wireless Internet access is complimentary with numerous charging outlets throughout the lounge and a unique charging bank. You simply swipe your credit card, which allows you entry to a tiny vault-like drawer where you can secure your cell phone until it is fully charged. Then you swipe your card again to retrieve it. The lounge also has a separate business center.

One gripe: The Internet connection is pretty slow, perhaps because it’s a public space with so many users.

Yet, in an era when many airport lounges seem to be aging out and offering less and less, this one still offers an oasis of comfort and tranquility.