British Airways has unveiled its latest tranche of improvements at New York’s JFK airport. As the ‘home’ of BA away from Heathrow, British Airways are investing $65m to improve the passenger experience at Terminal 7, including renovations to check in areas, gate areas and lounges.
Currently, British Airways operate up to 12 flights per day to and from Terminal 7. Their investment is part of their centenary celebrations, which will see the British carrier splashing out $8.4bn in improvements to fleet, facilities, airports and more.
This latest round of investment has seen the unveiling of a new revamped Club Lounge at Terminal 7, a fitting accompaniment to the updated First Class Lounge at JFK.
British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer experience said in a statement:
“JFK airport is like a second home to Heathrow so it’s great to mark the final step in our significant customer investment with the opening of our new Club and First lounges. Every detail has been carefully designed and we’ve created a space to meet our customers’ needs – whether they want to relax and have a meal or enjoy a craft beer and catch up on the world news.”
This is the third lounge to get the BA 100 treatment, following lounges at Rome and Aberdeen, but they’re not done yet. Geneva, San Francisco, Chicago and Johannesburg are also in line for an update over the coming months.
The new business class Club Lounge at New York’s JFK Terminal 7
The Club Lounge at JFK Terminal 7 is considered BA’s flagship lounge for the US. As such, there has been no expense spared in creating this gorgeous space.
The room itself is more than half an acre in size, spanning 22,000 square feet. Different areas offer space for everyone to do their own thing, including work stations, relaxed seating areas and even an entertainment room with state of the art tech from Sony. An onsite Elemis Spa has all the preflight treatments anyone can wish for ahead of their journey.
Excitingly, British Airways have had a craft been room added complete with their very own bespoke craft beer. Designed by BrewDog for the airline, Speedbird 100 will be available in lounges and on board from 1st May 2019. As well as this, the Quaich Bar offers a range of fine wines and cocktails, and food is available from the brasserie style dining room.
The unveiling of the new Club World lounge comes hot on the heels of their reveal of the new First lounge. The First lounge has been increased in size and has had a number of bespoke zones added, including a wine room, a quiet work zone, a boutique dining area and a luxurious bar.
What else are they improving at the airport?
The entire concourse at Terminal 7 has undergone a makeover, courtesy of BA. The refreshed concourse is brighter and more spacious, with relocated check in desks for more convenience. At check in and security, British Airways have improved the queue areas to avoid long waits at these pinch points.
At the gates, British Airways have installed additional seating, to allow more passengers to relax and unwind while they wait for their flight. The layout of the area has also been changed to assist in speedier boarding and more on time departures.
Customers flying in Club World or First can also look forward to an improved check in experience, thanks to British Airways’ new Premium Zone. They can also access fast track security and, of course, the new redesigned lounges.
Other changes include a better selection of food and drink outlets, inspired by the New York dining scene, as well as charging points dotted throughout the terminal. The washrooms have been updated, more duty free outlets have been added and they’ve installed a new customer service desk at departures too.
These improvements at JFK are the latest in BA’s £6.5bn investment program to make their centenary year. Among the changes BA has made as part of its spending spree, we’ve seen those new Club Suites business class cabins as well as a first class refresh on their Boeing 777s, 787-9s and A380s. And of course those glorious retro livery aircraft, and, er, Marmite?
However, they’ll have to make the most of their improvements while they can, as the airline has been confirmed to be moving to Terminal 8 in 2022.