One Of New York's Busiest Airports Has Earned The Title Of The 'Most Luxurious' In America

Between flight delays and gate changes, you might not expect to sip champagne in a rooftop pool while watching planes take off. But at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, jet lag comes with a side of lavishness. It might come as a surprise that New York City — a city known for its constant hustle and in a state named the least friendly in America — ranked highest of any American airport in a study of the "most luxurious" airports by AllClear Travel Insurance. The study's metrics focused on airport lounges, luxury brands, champagne and caviar offerings, and high-end hotels, and JFK scores high across almost all fronts.

JFK came in 11th place on the list of 20, with the next (and only other) American airport not appearing until Los Angeles International Airport in 16th. In first place is Dubai International Airport. While JFK is no Dubai, it scores particularly high for airport lounges, with 22 in total and ever expanding. In June 2024, it introduced the Delta One Lounge, which Delta News said is intended to bring in "a new era of premium travel." JFK also had 16 luxury names among its in-airport shopping at the time of the study, including the likes of Bulgari and Hermes.

On the other hand, JFK is infamously congested. In 2024, over 63 million passengers flew through JFK, nearly double those of LaGuardia, the other international airport within New York City itself, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. JFK was also named the American airport with the longest wait times in 2023 in a study by Bounce. But for those who can afford to splurge, the private lounges, high-end shopping, and spa services might compensate for the chaos.

With over 20 lounges, passengers can access JFK's sleek pre-flight experiences if they have premium class tickets, frequent flyer status, special memberships, or (in some cases) a day pass. The Air France lounge at JFK's Terminal 1 is often ranked as one of the best airport lounges in the world. The lounge is spacious — spanning two floors — with cafés, showers, and a Clarins spa. Then there's the newer Delta One Lounge, which brings airport lounge luxury to a whole new level. Starting with a private, fast-tracked TSA security lane, it has a decadent lobby, gourmet market, and a wellness area that offers massages.

At JFK there's no shortage of luxury brands to browse: Bulgari, Coach, Hugo Boss, and Michael Kors all have specialty shops within the airport. Plus, you'll find upscale dining options like Deep Blue Sushi (Terminal 5) and The Palm Bar and Grille (Terminal 4), an airport steakhouse. Even pets can travel in luxury — JFK has a terminal dedicated to animal transport called The Ark, which has veterinary services and a splash pool for dogs, so you can easily bypass common mistakes while traveling with pets.

The one metric that JFK scored a zero on in the AllClear study is hotels. Though the study gave zero points for 4- and 5-star hotels within three miles of the airport, there is, in fact, one 4-star hotel right on the airport's grounds: TWA Hotel. Travel blogger The Pilot Who Explores described it as: "My absolutely favorite JFK Airport layover hotel, and one I look forward to staying at again and again." The hotel has a rooftop infinity pool with a cocktail bar, which overlooks the airport runways, plus over 500 guest rooms designed to mute the noise of takeoffs.