JetBlue to open airport lounges in New York and Boston in battle for giant spenders

JetBlue Airways will open its first airport lounges in its greater than 20 years of flying, a serious shift for the low-cost airline because it chases high-spending vacationers.

The lounges will open at New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport late subsequent 12 months adopted by Boston, JetBlue mentioned Thursday.

The airline can also be planning to launch a brand new “premium” bank card with its accomplice, Barclays, taking a web page from the likes of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines, which have generated billions by way of profitable bank card offers.

Clients who’ve the soon-to-be-announced premium bank card, these booked in JetBlue’s Mint enterprise class for trans-Atlantic journey and high-level frequent flyer standing holders will be capable to entry the lounges, the corporate mentioned.

JetBlue mentioned its 8,000-square-foot lounge in Terminal 5 of New York’s JFK Airport is slated to open late subsequent 12 months, and an 11,000-sqare-foot area in Boston Logan Worldwide Airport’s Terminal C will open shortly after.

JetBlue has been racing to cut back prices and return to regular profitability, together with by deferring dozens of new Airbus jetliners. The airline has slashed dozens of routes this 12 months and has been in search of methods to higher deploy its plane which might be geared up with its Mint cabin, which options lie-flat seats, higher-end eating and different perks.

Entry to the lounges won’t embody, at the least instantly, vacationers on different Mint routes akin to transcontinental flights, Jayne O’Brien, JetBlue’s head of promoting and buyer help, advised CNBC.

She mentioned JetBlue would not need to disappoint clients if they don’t seem to be capable of get into the lounges as a result of they’re too crowded. “We need to be very considerate about how we step into this,” she mentioned, including that the lounges will function cocktail and espresso bars, “mild bites,” in addition to room to work.

The best-tier of JetBlue’s loyalty program and holders of the brand new premium card will get free entry to the lounge for one visitor.

O’Brien declined to touch upon rumors that JetBlue is planning to supply a mini Mint cabin on some plane, a smaller format of its common cabin.

Different airways have been revamping their airport lounges in hopes of reeling in additional huge spenders and accommodate crowds. Delta, which scaled back access to a few of its common airport Sky Golf equipment after complaints of lengthy traces, in June unveiled its first Delta One lounge at JFK Airport, which is devoted for purchasers in its highest-level cabin and sure invite-only elite members of its SkyMiles program.

American and United even have devoted lounges for vacationers in prime first- and business-class cabins.

Bank card firms akin to American Express, Chase and Capital One have additionally opened airport lounges in cities throughout the nation in an effort to attract customers.

JetBlue isn’t the one airline taking a look at increasing perks that include increased fares.

Southwest Airlines plans to supply seats with extra legroom to extend income, the largest change in its greater than 5 a long time of flying. Southwest will present extra particulars about its technique at an investor day subsequent week. Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have additionally launched bundles that embody seats with extra space and earlier boarding.