John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York opened the renovated Terminal 8 on Thursday, December 1, 2022, which will house the operations of American Airlines and British Airways.

 

New Terminal Features Single Check-In Area, New Lounges and More Widebody Gates

The re-imagined terminal starts at check-in, where premium flyers are greeted at a co-branded check-in space. Once they are through security into the airport, they will be welcomed into a terminal with an additional 130,000 feet of space.

 

Premium and elite flyers from both American AAdvantage and British Airways Executive Club will be welcomed into three new lounges, based on their class of travel and status. The Chelsea Lounge is open to first class British Airways and Flagship First American flyers, American Flagship Business Plus travelers, British Airways Gold Guest List members and American AAdvantage Concierge Key members on any Flagship route. The new lounge offers premium food, drinks, showers and rest areas for flyers prior to departure.

 

The Soho Lounge will welcome flyers eligible to visit the Chelsea lounge, along with British Airways Executive Club Gold elites, American AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro elites on Flagship routes, other Oneworld Emerald elites and first class ticketholders on other Oneworld airlines. In addition to a food buffet, bar, and showers, the Soho Lounge also features runway views at the New York airport. Sodexo Magic will provide the food and drink service in both lounges.

 

Flyers can also expect to see more widebody aircraft to transit through Terminal 8, thanks to the renovations. The new space has five new widebody gates, four widebody parking positions and an upgraded luggage handling system for loading and unloading trans-Atlantic flights.

 

JFK Terminal 8 to Become Oneworld New York Hub

The services provided by American Airlines and British Airways are the first step of what will ultimately become the main terminal at JFK for all Oneworld operations. British Airways’ sister carrier Iberia will move to the terminal shortly after opening, with Japan Air Lines planning to make the move into Terminal 8 by May 2023.

 

Traveling through JFK Terminal 8? Share your lounge photos and experiences on the FlyerTalk forums!

 

Feature image courtesy: Dave Kernan/Flickr/CC-BY-2.0

Source: frugal travel guy