New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is undergoing a major transformation that is poised to massively improve the passenger experience, especially in terms of the airport’s lounges.
JFK’s existing Terminal 1 will be replaced by an all-new Terminal One that’s slated to open next year. While the terminal itself looks like it’ll be a massive upgrade to the existing facility (at least based on the renderings), perhaps the most exciting part is that premium passengers will have six new lounges to enjoy once the first phase of construction opens.
Two of those lounges will be common-use — i.e., not affiliated with any airline in particular — and the details of those outposts were just announced.
Plaza Premium Group will operate both spaces, one of which will be airside (past security) and another landside (before security) — a rarity for a U.S. airport.
The airside lounge, dubbed the Plaza Premium First lounge, will span 9,300 square feet and be open 24/7. The space will offer a la carte dining with locally inspired specialty menus, a bar area and an “Infinity Room,” which is Plaza Premium’s most exclusive offering that first debuted in Hong Kong.
First-class flyers on select airlines will presumably have access to this exclusive space, but lounge access policies are still being finalized, Plaza Premium told TPG.
The lounge will also admit those purchasing day passes (at a yet-to-be-determined rate) and perhaps even those with a Priority Pass, especially since other Plaza Premium lounges are members of Priority Pass.
Meanwhile, Plaza Premium’s arrivals-area lounge, dubbed the Plaza Premium Lounge, will measure 4,200 square feet and offer a place for arriving travelers to unwind. Most importantly, this lounge will feature showers, which will be perfect for travelers looking to freshen up after a long-haul flight and before heading into the city.
Plaza Premium mentions that departing travelers who arrive before check-in opens might be interested in hanging out in this lounge. As mentioned, access details are still being finalized, but it’d be great to see airlines with early morning arrivals team up with Plaza Premium to offer their business-class flyers access to the space after landing.
In fact, this will become JFK’s only arrivals lounge and one of, if not the only, across the U.S.
Arrivals lounges are popular in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, especially among business travelers who want to freshen up before heading to the boardroom. As such, some travelers landing in other JFK terminals may even want to hop on the AirTrain to the new Terminal One just to grab a shower upon arrival.
Finally, in addition to the two new lounges, Plaza Premium Group will offer a meet-and-greet service for those looking for a concierge-style airport experience. This experience will be a splurge, but at least it should offer a very comfortable way of navigating the airport.
In addition to the Plaza Premium lounges, the new Terminal One will be home to a:
- Korean Air lounge (16,000 square feet)
- Qatar Airways lounge (15,000 square feet)
- Turkish Airlines lounge (11,000 square feet)
There is one additional airline lounge that has yet to be announced. Sadly, there won’t be any credit card-branded lounges in the terminal when it opens.
So far, the confirmed list of airlines that’ll operate from the new Terminal One include: Air France, KLM, Etihad, LOT Polish Airlines, Korean Air, EVA Air, Air Serbia, SAS, Neos, Philippine Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air New Zealand, Royal Air Maroc, Air China, China Airlines, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways and Egyptair.
The new terminal is part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s $19 billion transformation project at JFK that includes two new terminals, the modernization and expansion of two existing terminals, a new ground transportation center and a simplified roadway network.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
