dailynewsnblog
Air France has announced plans to open an elegant new lounge at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. The carrier will move into the new Terminal One at JFK next year, and it is set to mark this shift by opening a 29,000-square-foot (2,694 square meters) lounge that will be the largest in its international network. First and business class flyers and elite loyalty members can access it.
The opening of the new lounge is also good news for premium passengers and frequent flyers at other 
SkyTeam member airlines, as they will also be granted entry to the opulent facility. Among Air France’s key partners at JFK on this front are Delta Air Lines and KLM. Let’s take a closer look at everything that the lounge has to offer, as well as the significance of New York in Air France’s wider network.
Air France’s New Lounge At JFK
There has been a lot of excitement about the new Terminal One at 
New York JFK Airport, and things just went up a notch with the news that Air France will open a new lounge there next year. This stylish facility will have space for more than 400 guests across two levels, and it was designed with MARKS Brandimage. Flying Blue Ultimate members will even have their own dedicated part of the lounge.
Likewise, a special section will be made available for those flying in Air France’s widely revered ‘La Première’ long-haul first class cabin, adding to what the French flag carrier calls “a seamless and personalized airport experience.” This, it says, lasts “from arrival at the New Terminal One at JFK to boarding the aircraft.” Nicolas Henin, the Senior Vice President for North America at Air France-KLM, said that:
“We are taking our premium travel experience to a new level, continuing to invest not only in the flight itself, but [also in] providing elegance in every moment of the journey.”
The Finer Details
Diving into the finer details of Air France’s new lounge at JFK, it becomes clear that it will truly offer something for everyone. While it is optimized for relaxation, with services such as beauty treatments available to those who want them, there will also be dedicated areas for those wishing to use their time in the lounge to get some work done. Of course, food and drink will also play a key role in the lounge.
Indeed, Air France is rightly proud of its home nation’s culinary heritage, and highlights the fact that “dining areas celebrating French gastronomy, as well as a bar featuring an exclusive selection of French wines and champagnes” are central to this part of the lounge. With French food and drink being considered by many to be among the best in the world, this will be a prime spot for pre-flight indulgence.
On this front, Nicolas Henin explains that “we want our travelers to experience the best of Air France, with French hospitality, gastronomy and savoir-faire at the heart of the experience.” He concludes that “this exceptional new lounge will be a true showcase of that ambition.” It will certainly be interesting to see how these expectations match up to reality when Air France’s lounge opens in Terminal One next year.
A Key Transatlantic Destination
A key reason for Air France to need such a large and lavish lounge at New York JFK Airport is the fact that it serves the US hub with incredible frequency. Indeed, the French flag carrier explained in its statement today that its summer presence at JFK peaks at six flights a day from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Four of these are operated by Boeing 777-300ER twinjets with ‘La Première’ first class.
Additionally, its fellow SkyTeam founding member Delta Air Lines also flies up to three times a day from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to New York JFK as part of the pair’s transatlantic joint venture. Elsewhere in the wider New York area, Air France also serves nearby Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey up to twice a day. Needless to say, there will be no shortage of demand for its lounge!
