BA to move into T8 at JFK
 

There is a press conference going on in New York as I speak on plans to rebuild New York JFK.

There is a Twitter thread here you can follow -
The key thing for us is that T7 is to be demolished.

$344m will be spent on expanding T8 to allow BA and AA to colocate. This is being done to allow JetBlue to expand T5 onto the footprint of T6 and T7.

Good (for connections) but with the recent OW lounge consolidation announcement, you have to wonder what any T8 CCR would look like, if the concept even survives...

CCR to get bigger and better FFD?

That's one of my predictions for the year that's come true then.

Any tips for the 4.15 at Redcar?

Er...., there will be a winner?!

I thought they just opened new F lounge at T7...

I suspect we might eventually see a combined BA CCR/AA Concierge First Lounge - exclusive to international (and transcon) first class pax.

That would be a winner. I'll take it.

Yep $65m invested into T7 new F Lounge and Club Lounge CCR refresh. Still ongoing.

Should be around for a while yet though

BA Press release:
British Airways has today announced it is moving to a new location in Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy airport. The airline is investing in a new, improved terminal alongside American Airlines as part of a significant reinvestment by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Over the next four years, more than £250 million ($344m) will be invested to recreate and customise the terminal, making it ready to offer British Airways’ customers an exciting, world-class experience every time they fly to New York. Changes to the terminal will include additional stands, enhanced state-of the-art baggage systems, new lounges, premium check-in areas and upgraded concessions.

British Airways, which celebrates its centenary this year, will remain in Terminal 7 until 2022. With thousands of customers flying between London and New York every week, the airline remains committed to improving its customer experience at JFK with an investment of £52 million ($65m) which includes brand new lounges for First and Club World customers and an upgraded customer experience for all customers in the main areas of the building.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “We’re excited to announce our move to Terminal 8, alongside American Airlines, our Atlantic joint-business partner. Offering the best customer experience at JFK now and in the future is a top priority. We look forward to working with the Port Authority and American Airlines to continue building a world-class transatlantic travel experience in our new home from 2022.”

The airline is investing £6.5 billion for customers over five years, including new aircraft, new cabins, new catering, new lounges, WiFi, and new routes.

This investment forms part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement in October 2018 to reinvest in JFK terminals, among other city improvements.

British Airways and American Airlines have a joint business partnership across the Atlantic, providing up to 70 flights a day from London to the USA. By bringing their network of flights together they give customers convenient flight schedules at competitive fares from eight hubs throughout North America and three hubs in Europe.

Further details about the new Terminal 8 redevelopment will be available in due course.

Indeed, but the first new service from the rebuilt terminal area is projected to be 2022, and the project won't be completed until 2025, when BA's original lease would have ended, so there's probably another refit in the middle.

New premium lounges for both airlines has been mentioned in the press briefing, plus 5 new longhaul gates, to allow a total of 14 flights each way daily, which is a couple of flights more than now.

Previously on Flyertalk (though the headline was based on an unknown conjecture now resolved):
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...-jet-blue.html

BA lease on T7 ends 2022... Option for 3 more years possible.

Given both CX and QF will already be in T8 by the time BA moves in, hopefully one of them will pick up the baton of putting together any new lounges, much like QF did with the Business and First lounges in LAX.

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.

I wouldn't say it's that likely - don't forget Aer Lingus flights to the US are pre-cleared in Ireland, so are treated differently for US immigration and customs.

Wouldn't be too bad to have a BA First lounge alongside the AA Flagship, plus a Galleries/Terraces/whatever they call them now. Access will be a funny thing, as BA Silver you can already access AA's Flagship First lounges, but not BA First. AA doesn't give access to its Admiral Clubs as easily as BA does to both Admiral Clubs and CW lounges. It really will be interesting to manage all these tiers and lounges.

I agree in theory but it would be a bummer to elevate Flagship to the level of CCR for example since the new Flagships are far ahead than their predecessor. That said, they do offer private dining which I could see being for only those who would normally be provided CCR access perhaps.

In all honestly, can they just do one world lounges managed only by QF (LAX) or CX (JFK) like in LAX? Can imagine how fab JFK could turn out to be if someone like CX managed it a la HKG!

That would be spectacular, but I can't imagine anyone other than AA and BA managing those lounges. Having a third option for First might just be too much, but maybe QR or CX step in and create a business class lounge.

AC membership alone does not permit access to FL lounges. But as alluded to upthread, only FC (intl./transcom) and CK(?) will be allowed to enter FL, EXPs will be "shafted".

correct--my post alluded to the increase in people who can manage access to the admirals club which resulted in the expansion of access to flagship lounges.

as an AA EXP and CK (off and on) for 10 years prior to my move to LON--the access was not like this until recently was my point. the confluence of new flagship lounges and increased footprint of same lounges along with the added tier between plat and explat likely resulted in shifting of access was my point.