Qatar Airways opens first American lounge, shuttle to New York Kennedy International Airport
Qatar Airways will open its first American airport lounge in New York.
The Doha-based airline announced on Monday that the facility will officially move to the new terminal of New York’s John Kennedy International Airport (JFK) when it opens next year.
As part of the move, Qatar will open a 15,000-square-foot lounge in the new terminal.
Although details remain limited – no renderings are provided, the airline promises direct boarding from the lounge, as well as a handful of other top-notch amenities including a quality dining experience, a relaxing room and a children’s play area.
While the lounge will be primarily designed for multiple daily flights from Qatar to Doha, other oneworld businesses and top-notch flighters will have access to the space by first-class flyers from the Kennedy terminal’s terminal.
That said, it remains to be seen how many other OneWorld airlines will move to the terminal. American Airlines’ Terminal 8 is already home to most Oneworld Airlines, including Kennedy International Airport.
(The only exceptions are Royal Airways and Alaska Airlines, which are in the process of relocation to Terminal 8. Royal Airways will move to the new terminal when it is open.)
This makes travelers transitioning through Kennedy International institutions a more seamless connection experience, especially when they fly to Kennedy International Airport on a domestic American flight and then connect to long-haul flights operated by partners. Plus, the existing premium lounge setup in the 8 terminal is actually pretty good, especially if you are a Oneworld Emerald member and have access to Soho Lounge.
In this case, you don’t need to clear the security or jump on the rack to transit between terminals. Once Qatar moves to the terminal, anyone who flies to Qatar and connects at Kennedy International Airport will need to perform these two steps. That said, Qatar is likely to think many of its New York pilots are starting or ending their journeys by the Big Apple, limiting the number of travelers who will be affected by the new and chaotic connection experience that this move will result.
Reward your inbox with TPG Daily Newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG experts
Many international airlines like Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic enjoy operating their own lounges in the suburbs. This allows them to control the end-to-end travel experience and provide more consistent ground transportation whether you are flying from the hub or outside.
Existing lounge footprints in Qatar outside Doha include Bangkok, Beirut, London, Paris and Singapore.
Meanwhile, the new terminals for Kennedy International Airport will be Air France, Dutch Dutch, Itihad Airways, Korean Air, Eva Air, Eva Air, Serbia, Scandinavian Air, Newnos Air, Philippine Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Royal Air Royal, China, China Airlines, gulf air, gulf air, and now, QATAR, now.
Related readings:
