Air France to Open Largest International Lounge at JFK’s New Terminal One
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Air France will move all of its New York-JFK flights to the airport’s New Terminal One next year and open a more than 29,000-square-foot lounge, the largest in its international network. The two-level lounge will accommodate more than 400 guests and include dedicated spaces for La Première customers and Flying Blue Ultimate members, along with dining, relaxation, beauty and work areas. The investment comes in one of Air France’s most important international markets; the airline operates up to six daily flights from JFK during the summer season.
Air France Plans Its Largest International Lounge
Air France designed the new lounge with MARKS Brandimage as part of its move to New Terminal One. The space will welcome eligible La Première and Business Class passengers, except those with Business Light fares, along with Flying Blue Elite Plus members and eligible KLM and SkyTeam passengers.
At more than 29,000 square feet, the lounge will span two levels and offer seating for more than 400 guests. Its size will give Air France more room to offer different experiences within the lounge while creating separate spaces for premium passengers.
Dining will play a major role in the new space. Air France plans dining areas focused on French cuisine, along with a bar serving French wines and champagnes. Passengers will also have access to dedicated areas for beauty treatments, relaxation and work.
The different spaces give passengers more options to dine, work or relax before their flight, while allowing Air France to offer a more personalized experience for its highest-tier customers.
Flying Blue Ultimate members will receive their own exclusive space, while La Première customers will have access to a dedicated area with a dining experience created specifically for them by a renowned French chef.
Air France plans to extend the La Première experience beyond the lounge, offering personalized service from arrival at New Terminal One through boarding. This will allow the airline to connect its La Première experience on the ground with its product onboard.
That connection carries particular importance at JFK. During the summer season, four of Air France’s daily JFK flights use Boeing 777-300ER aircraft equipped with the new La Première cabin, giving passengers access to the airline’s latest La Première experience both on the ground and onboard.
“With our move to New Terminal One and the opening of this new lounge, we are taking our premium travel experience to a new level, continuing to invest not only in the flight itself, but providing elegance in every moment of the journey,” said Air France-KLM Senior Vice President, North America Nicolas Henin.
The investment comes as Air France celebrates 80 years of serving New York, which Henin described as one of the airline’s most important and iconic markets.
New Terminal One Expands Air France’s JFK Experience
The lounge forms part of Air France’s broader move to New Terminal One, where the airline will transfer all of its JFK flights next year. The move will give Air France passengers access to the airline’s new lounge along with New Terminal One’s new technology, dining, retail and other amenities, improving more of the airport experience.
“We are honored that Air France has selected the New Terminal One at JFK as the new home for this exceptional lounge, further enhancing the travel experience for Air France, KLM and SkyTeam customers departing New York,” said New Terminal One CEO Jennifer Aument.
Aument called Air France-KLM the terminal’s largest airline and a key anchor carrier. She said Air France’s investment in the terminal’s largest lounge shows its commitment to the new facility and the transatlantic market.
Air France will join several other airlines opening lounges at New Terminal One. Korean Air, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines also plan lounges in the terminal, while Plaza Premium will operate two spaces, including a standard Plaza Premium Lounge and a Plaza Premium First Lounge. The growing lounge lineup will give premium passengers more options as New Terminal One becomes home to several major international airlines.
New Terminal One forms part of the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation of JFK, one of the largest airport redevelopment projects in the United States.