New York’s JFK Airport will open a stunning and sprawling new Terminal 1 in 2026, and the T1 loungescape is now beginning to take shape.
The New Terminal One, as JFK T1 styles itself, plans six lounges in the first stage of the terminal (the second and final phase is set to open in 2030).
Four of these are expected to be run by the airlines or alliances represented at T1, a roster which now lines up as follows:
- Air China, Air New Zealand, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, and Turkish Airlines (Star Alliance)
- Air France, KLM, Korean Air, and SAS (SkyTeam)
- Air Serbia, Etihad Airways, Neos, and Philippine Airlines (unaligned)
With 19 flights per week from JFK Airport to its hub at Istanbul, Turkish Airlines will open a ‘state-of-the-art’ lounge for its own flights and those of its Star Alliance siblings, covering both business class passengers and Gold-grade frequent flyers.
At 11,000ft2 (1,020m2), this premium lounge will be twice the size of the airline’s current lounge at the existing Terminal 1 and feature expansive views of JFK Airport’s airfield.
A stand-out feature, made possible by the considered design of The New Terminal One, will be time-saving direct boarding access from the lounge onto the awaiting Turkish Airlines plane, rather than travellers having to re-enter the main part of the terminal and find their way to the departues gate.
Korean Air is also planning an even larger 16,000ft2 (1,490m2) pre-flight haven which will be available to loungeworthy passengers on other SkyTeam airlines.
The new Korean Air Prestige Lounge will be one of the largest in Korean Air’s global network, outside its hub at Seoul, with its position at the end of the New Terminal One’s east pier provide both an expansive light-filled space and panoramic views of the airfield, to be enjoyed over “a diverse array of fresh culinary delights” crafted in the on-site kitchen.
As with the Turkish Airlines lounge, Korean Air passengers can also look forward to direct boarding from within the lounge.
In addiiton, there’ll be two airline-independent lounges, the operators of which have not yet been announced.
The larger lounge will be 9,100ft2 (845m2) and conveniently located just past the security checkpoint.
There’ll also be a 4,000ft2 (370m2) lounge before security, in the public or ‘landside’ section of the terminal, to cater for both arriving and departing passengers.
This leaves two more lounge zones within The New Terminal One yet to be revealed.
Built on the sites of JFK’s T1, T2 and the former Terminal 3 – the majestic Pan American terminal demolished in 2014 – The New Terminal One will be JFK’s largest.
Part of a US$19 billion redevelopment of JFK, the terminal and 14 new aircraft gates are set to open in 2026, with nine more gates to follow by 2030.
Source: https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/jfk-terminal-1-airline-lounges
