From what I've heard the hardstands are just for parking aircraft that will be around for extended periods of time.

There isn't an intention to use remote stands for boarding and the aircraft will be put back on gates for boarding.

I reviewed the JFK Concorde Room here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip...revisited.html

It's a delightful lounge, and the only 'original' Concorde Room in the network from where Concorde departed until 2003.

If my memory served correctly, there will be a total of 5 new wide-body jet bridges, with some probably at the satellite, and 4 remote stands will be used mostly for parking (I was never bused to the aircraft in US airports). I assume early BA arrival equipments will be sent there and will likely be towed to gate once flight is ready.
BA also didn't need all 12 gates in T7 (and a fair share of them are AS and other users), and T8 was never at full capacity anyway, so adding 9 stands should suffice.

From memory, pre Covid I’ve seen BA 747s parked on remote stands at T7 at JFK but presumed it was just for overflow parking. I’ve never had a bus and steps story with BA at JFK.

There are definitely bus gates at JFK - I've had one in the past. Not on BA mind.

Both airlines have strengths and weaknesses. I'd much rather be served by BA crew, generally, than AA crew, but if sat in Y as OWE they will give me a free drink and sandwich from the BOB menu. AA has better business class seating on short-haul than BA does. Yes, it's not First like they call it but it's better than the free-middle-seat rubbish we get in Europe from BA and others.
I like the AA seats more than the BA CW seats, even more than the CW suites, which I find myself hating due to limited foot space. And then there's the onboard temperatures that neither gets right. On a BA long-haul is like being in a sauna and on AA it's like being in a freezer.
But, you know, horses for courses and I'm glad we have a choice.

It would be good if both AA and BA remembered that, and upped their standards accordingly. BCal's tagline should be their mantra: 'We never forget you have a choice'.

I thought I remembered a bus gate at JFK for AA but actually this was at LGA when they consolidated ex-US and AA operations into the main terminal, pre-renovation. Not sure if it even still exists or is still used? Discussed here;

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l#post29175033

And details of busing here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29177648-post28.html

Really? Honey, when I’ve used Flagship checkin in Miami, someone escorted us to the top of the security line which was literally less that 20 metres away. One feels that one is entering a secluded sanctuary, I don’t think that you need to worry.

The flagship at jfk did offer the same as MIA.

I'm not pre check either, never had any need for my routes.

JFK you do , now did, I suppose, have to ask sometimes to be taken to the front . Not just the security guy at priority, , but straight to the scanner

Saved me quite a few connections.

There used to be a little, in height, AA lady (she's left now), if I'm allowed to say that, who was absolutely a delightful person, who even insisted helping with the trays for the scanner

I think this will be a sad part of the move (and realise it’s now shockingly nearly 20 years since Concorde flew) but T7 is the last original spot on the network where Concorde operated out of with BA.

I'm quite sad thinking of the staff at the JFK CCR who I always found to be just excellent and personable and friendly.

last September when I passed thru for the first time in probably two years bc of covid they were right there asking me how life had been, it had been two years since I passed thru etc etc. I was taken a back at this because I am not like a monthly or weekly customer--it was lovely to chat with them.

granted they probably saved loads of money on the pinot Grigio bill whilst I was away, but still. hopefully they will carry over but even if they do, it will just be a different experience entirely.

Is it just BA departing T7, will the other OW airlines also move to T8?

After 7 pages of thread, unless I’ve missed something (apologies if so) I’m still unclear what the CCR access/GGL experience will be. Will we just be downgraded to regular gold experience as in other us gateways with ggl now only making a lounge difference at lhr t5, or will we have access to full services including flagship pre dining reflecting our current t7 experience?

When I tweeted this question to BA, they advised that they were still in discussions with AA about access to all the lounges.

Thanks, not wholly reassuring given how protective aa has been of pre flight dining elsewhere!! please keep us posted if you receive any update!

That's why I wonder if the "most premium lounge" might be branded as "BA Concorde Room" after all.

I'm sure AA would like the badge of having the most premium lounge, but that's a double edged sword for AA on US soil. If it's branded as an AA lounge, then what precedent does it set for the rest of their US Flagship First network?

If it's branded as a BA lounge, but with (some) AA customers allowed in under "local arrangements", then AA can pick and choose the access requirements that suit them, without setting a precedent for their other US lounges.

I doubt anyone knows for sure - no doubt they're still chewing over the details

Edit: My gut feeling, is that the most premium lounge won't be branded as a BA CCR, but it would solve a lot of thorny issues.

I agree, unfortunately. I mean AA could hardly have a MD-80 Room and I'm sure their small number of First international and trans continental passengers wouldi regard a Concorde Room branding as quite acceptable. But I can't see it happening. Having said, this would mirror the T5 end since my understanding is that AA will permanently use T5 for the JFK service.

I would also be very surprised if any brainpower has been spent at access rights, that's the sort of tihng they will look at when they see the numbers and value of passengers involved. E.g. September.

Shirley, there's a team of thousands imagineering a new lounge brand to encapsulate and reflect the special relationship between the UK and USA.
I hear that the "Titanic Trump Last Chance Saloon" didn't make the cut.
They were also planning to offer (sic. ambush) you with Bojo De Pfeffel's exceedingly good cakes, in lieu of scones and clotted cream.
Strangely, no mention of wine...

Am a bit torn on this, on the one hand I had to make the trek from T8 to T7 last night on a connection which was originally 1hr 40mins - but strong headwinds coming from LAX meant we pulled onto stand at T8 at 7.55pm and I was on the last BA service which departed at 8.55pm. The airtrain wasn't running, I was on crutches and the stress levels went through the roof. I managed to get a taxi to take from T8 to T7 (and jumped the line on about 500 people) but was caught in T5 traffic jams (JetBlue seemed to go into melt down last night with no gates for tons of planes scattered around the airport). Anyway, I luckily have the JFK CCR lounge number and a quick call meant I was met at the First check-in and escorted through security to the gate which was firmly shut behind me and off we went. While intra-T8 connections between BA and AA will reduce the stress considerably, I would hate if the current CCR team don't move across!

Pilot37

I
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I took some pictures of the construction work as I made my way from T8 to T7 via the Airtrain. Better views were possible as the Airtrain left T8 but I was too slow with the camera.

Now, one thing I am pretty sure about is that our very own good old cws has never been called Shirley before (though he may very well be capable of brilliant karaoke renditions of Goldfinger for all we know...)

the 1776 room has a nice ring to it!!

When I lived in London I would take off the 4th of July and rib my mates it was to commemorate the beginning of the end of the British Empire :D.

Did they tell you that over here we call it "Good Riddance Day"? :D

I'm sure hypersonic travel will be on the cards eventually, and then Concorde will be a long lost memory......

Still prefer T8. Can't remember the last time I went through T7 (some time just after the new dining bit fully opened).
Much easier for me coming off say the transcon and then remaining in the same terminal than having to change to T7.
Never a fan of security in T7, although the ramp could be a novelty from time to time......back when BA1 out of LCY was running and I was GGL.
Messy boarding in F when the put the airbridge on 1L and everyone nudged into you as they passed through F whilst you were trying to sort yourself out.....or the CCR said "boarding" and people were queued down the airbridge.

Or the 1812 room :D

Is everyone expecting all the lounges and premium check in areas to be open on Day 1?

It seems AA and BA are promising everything will be open, which I would take to mean that not everything will be open.

Thanksgiving!

rb211.

having been thru JFK three times this week: (1) the flagship check in was still (thankfully) open as of yesterday--despite the release saying it would close feb 1; (2) the lounge agents, as best as they know, mentioned the current flagship lounge and bridge would remain as the flagship lounge space and the area on the other side of the bridge which are offices etc as mentioned above have already begun tear down and that is where the new lounge(s) will be installed. they said they had not been told they would be at all disrupted during construction which i can imagine given the flagship lounge isnt that old...but imagine once things are sorted there may be something that must happen with flagship dining area.

Reminds me of The Parent Trap. Anyone else?

This makes sense - the current Flagship lounge and Admirals Club in Concourse B will presumably be amalgamated into one Club lounge to provide enough space for all of the AA and BA departures, whilst the currently vacant adjacent space will become the First lounge and CCR (equivalent). The Admirals Club in Concourse C will remain for AA's members.

The upside of the T7 lounges being fairly new means that hopefully the furniture will be recycled and pop up in other BA lounges in the US (EWR, IAH, SEA and PHL would be good candidates, given ORD is closing, SFO has been refurbished recently and BOS and IAD are fairly new).

i was just thinking about this--i have been thru the JFK flagship dining three times this week. mid-week it was empty but saturday afternoon/evening it was near full with all the transcons and LHR flights, so it would never fit the added BA pax when applicable at peak times which makes me more curious now given one of the great things about CCR is the space to dine thru the evening as the BA flights roll thru.

Passing through JFK terminal 8 today. Looks like work on the gates is progressing well. The Flagship Check In has been relocated. Looks like the shops to the right after security might be repurposed as a new lounge entrance. We were greeted with staff handing out mimosas as we came into the flagship lounge.

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London Air Travel has just published an update from BA on their proposed move to T8 in November.
It seems BA, still with the memory of the T5 move in their head, have opted for a phased approach to flights moving across from T7 to T8 in November & December

From Thursday November 17th, BA's last flight of the day from LHR to JFK (BA182) will arrive at T8, and the subsequent morning return flight (BA178) will depart from T8 from Friday November 18th. This will allow familiarisation for staff and crew of the T8 layout and then from Thursday December 1st, all other BA flights into JFK will arrive at T8. No additional details have been provided on the lounge set-up further to what was originally announced.

Pilot37

The concreting outside T8 is going reasonably well. No idea if this is part of the move, but the luxury of leaving jets parked at gates all day, which BA currently has at T7 surely cannot continue with T8.
Interesting arrivals these past two weeks:

T7 - 50% of the Global Entry machines are not working
T8 - 50% of the Global Entry machines are not working

Both location, CBT staff chatting whilst we queues and a short interrogation even with GE at both terminals.

T7 - has no proper PreCheck in the evenings
T8 - has PreCheck all day

Just received a couple of emails from BA informing me my flights next year will be to/from T8.

I certainly remember the start of T5's operations. Whenever I see the word "shambles" in a post in this forum I allow myself a small smile. But for T8, BA actually has good experiences of this since T7 was shut down during the height of the pandemic and so I took a number of BA flghts out of T8, and it was certainly handy if connecting. As far as I could tell the BA and AA staff working together on the BA account had very few problems with using T8.

I got the same message about a specific booking... where I'm transiting through PHL. No clue why I got the email :confused: