Sounds like One World lounge then as they introduced the concept a few days ago?

That should say "The airline remains contractually bound to spend $65M on improvements to Terminal 7 during its lease until 2022."

They may want to spend that money, but they have no choice in doing so under the terms of their lease from the PANYNJ. They're PR-polishing an obligation.

well the opening of the AA Flagship Lounge at JFK more or less coincided with the move of CX to T8.

agree the oneworld lounge concept would be a key option for T8 as there aren't many spaces to plonk in three new BA lounges (assuming the expanded T8 would really just include building out the rest of the terminal in its current state) which still wouldn't leave many options--and LAX is a great example of the OneWorld lounge operated by QF working quite well!

Are there existing plans for what an expansion of T8 might look like...? A third "toast rack" in the vein of LHR T5? Widening the existing racks [which are a bit lopsided]?

True - and of course most of the $65m will be sunk by now anyway as it includes the already open F lounge and the already started Club Lounge among some other things that were completed in 2018.

Great news ^

I hope this makes for better transfers from between AA and BA in both directions through the upgraded T8.

This gives the AA/BA partnership the opportunity to set their stall out very clearly for their CCR/CK passengers - I really hope they make a good job of it.

Originally the FL lounge in T8 was for EXPs (intl.), FC (also transcom). They expanded FL lounge and added PLAT, PLAT PRO (intl.) to those permitted access. So as it seems to be the direction AA is heading, EXPs are getting "shafted" again.

The current T8 building main part is only half built. The plan was to complete the other half (close to the highway between T7 and T8) when capacity is near the estimate.

the ultimate T8 plan so far is to finish the other half of the main building and to extend the satellite towards east a little bit more.

I assume the BA and AA investment on T8 would be to finish the T8 main building by building the eastern half of the main terminal. The rest of the T8 in the master plan relies on NYNJ port authority to invest in the alternation of the highway between T7 and T8 as well as redesign of the taxiway around T8 before the extension of the T8 satellite to be completed. I guess that would be after 2030 at today's pace. But I am glad that at least the main building of T8 is now to be completed.

agreed, but with the new FL in JFK/LAX/MIA where the normal admirals clubs are heavily trafficked i wonder if AA made the call to add PLAT and PLAT PRO to flagship access (intl) to ease the strain on the regular lounges as in these three airports the new FL take up a significantly larger bit of real estate than existed prior to renovations--which of course came at the cost of the admirals clubs square footage.

plus remember for the admirals club there are those who buy memberships or get access via credit cards compounding the capacity concerns.

Quite, I used to like the Flagship Lounges, almost always peaceful and quiet - no more, they are often overcrowded and noisy, I try to avoid them now unless I'm on a Transcon.

i guess i have happened to hit the sweet spot on timing because in the dozen or so times i've used the FL at JFK/LAX/MIA this past year they have been relative ghost towns. i can only recall once at both MIA (in the evening returning to LHR) and JFK (in the morning when CX departures loomed) was it rather rammed, yes--do agree with you there! when its busy--its BUSY!

Whilst Jet Blue will build and manage the new mega terminal that will subsume the site of T6 and current T7 it will not be the sole airline operating from it.

Similar arrangements are in place for the new T1/2 terminal which will be managed by the current consortium - LH/AK.JL and KE but isn't for their exclusive use.