United Airlines has figured out a way to offer its premium passengers lounge access at New York’s JFK Airport.
Alaska Lounge JFK now open to United business passengers
As of September 1, 2021, United Airlines business class passengers departing from New York JFK can use the Alaska Lounge located in Terminal 7. This is a noteworthy development, since previously a United business class ticket didn’t offer lounge access at JFK, due to lack of an agreement.
For context, in the spring of 2021, United Airlines returned to JFK after cutting service back in 2015. United pulled out of JFK at the time so that it could instead focus on its hub at Newark Airport (EWR), and the airline believed it could get most passengers to travel out of EWR instead of JFK.
Since returning to JFK, the airline has been flying premium configured 767-300s on transcon routes to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Unfortunately all flights will be downgraded to 757-200s as of this fall, given the lack of premium demand at the moment.
![United Airlines Adds Lounge Access At New York JFK | One Mile at a Time 2 - United Airlines United Polaris 767 19 - Travel News, Insights & Resources.](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/United-Polaris-767-19.jpg)
While United Airlines ordinarily offers United Club access to premium transcon passengers (though not United Polaris Lounge access), the problem was that United didn’t have a lounge at JFK. The only lounges in Terminal 7 are the Alaska Lounge and the British Airways Lounge, and seemingly until recently the airline couldn’t come to an access agreement.
While the Alaska Lounge isn’t anything to get too excited about, it is a significant improvement over no lounge access. Then again, the lounge was even accessible with Priority Pass.
The interesting dynamics at play here
While not particularly consequential, there are a couple of things that I think are noteworthy.
For one, there used to be a United Club at JFK up until 2015. When United Airlines left the airport, Alaska Airlines took over the space, and it became the Alaska Lounge. So it’s funny that United passengers will again have…