JetBlue Opens New Terminal at New York Kennedy Airport

Discount airline JetBlue’s inflight service has won kudos for some time. Now, the carrier is betting its ground product will be held in similar esteem, by virtue of its new 26-gate, 635,000-square-foot terminal at New York Kennedy (JFK).

The discount airline’s T5 facility opened today (Wednesday, October 22). It’s one of the first airline terminals to be completely designed and built post-September 11. That makes for more efficient passenger and bag screening, a more rational and relaxing layout.

JetBlue contends its central security checkpoint is the largest single such portal in the United States. It boasts 20 lanes.

Instead of bags being fed into the maw of minivan-sized screening machines out front of the ticket counter, the Transportation Security Administration in T5 checks them out “in-line” – tucked away where the system doesn’t get in the way. In-line systems mean you don’t have to schlep your bag between ticket counter and TSA so it can be fed into the belly of the airplane.

Connectivity? There’s free Wi-Fi throughout T5. Food? Nine full-service restaurants, bars, and cafes. A gourmet food hall serves up an octet of other eateries – great for grab and go food you can take on board (JetBlue doesn’t serve meals). If you get to the gate and didn’t have a chance to pick up a sandwich you can use a touch-screen system that delivers food to your gate.

This could be a travelers’ favorite: an East Concourse enclave replete with whimsical furniture from an Italian designer, a place where you can watch the panorama that is JFK unfold before you.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler