American and British Airways are joining forces at New York's biggest airport to streamline their partnership — see inside the new Terminal 8

Taylor RainsDec 1, 2022, 19:53 IST

Taylor Rains/Insider

American Airlines and British Airways will become "roommates" at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Starting Thursday, both carriers will operate out of a renovated Terminal 8 to allow for easier connections.

American Airlines and British Airways are moving in together.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The new "roommates," as American CEO Robert Isom put it at a press conference on Tuesday, will take over Terminal 8 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in a joint effort to better streamline their Oneworld partnership.

Departures curb for American and British Airways at JFK Terminal 8.Taylor Rains/Insider

The new "roommates," as American CEO Robert Isom put it at a press conference on Tuesday, will take over Terminal 8 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in a joint effort to better streamline their Oneworld partnership.

The new terminal is a joint $400 million privately funded investment, which was announced in early 2019, and will add new lounges, gates, and facilities.

(L-R): Iberia CEO Javier Sánchez-Prieto, British Airways CEO Sean Doyle, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Port Authority Executive Director Richard Cotton, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Queen Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. cut the ribbon to the new Terminal 8 at JFK on Tuesday, November 29.Taylor Rains/Insider

The pair will set up shop starting on Thursday, meaning American customers connecting to a British Airways flight will no longer have to change terminals between legs.

The new gate space at Terminal 8 JFK.Taylor Rains/Insider

According to Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, the co-location will allow for "superb hourly services between JFK and London," essentially creating a regular shuttle between the two international gateways.

The new gate space at Terminal 8.Taylor Rains/Insider

According to Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, the co-location will allow for "superb hourly services between JFK and London," essentially creating a regular shuttle between the two international gateways.

To allow for easy transit, the airlines have created two co-branded check-in areas for American and British Airways' premium passengers at the Terminal 8 departures lobby.

Taylor Rains/Insider

To allow for easy transit, the airlines have created two co-branded check-in areas for American and British Airways' premium passengers at the Terminal 8 departures lobby.

The first check-in area is a private room that features desks, marble ascents, and couches. The exclusive space is hidden away behind glass doors.

American Airlines

American Flagship First, Flagship Business Plus, Conciergekey, and American Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro flyers can use the exclusive space.

American Airlines

Meanwhile, British Airways first and gold members can also check in here, according to American.

British Airways planes at Heathrow airport.Jonathan Brady/Getty Images

The second premium check-in area is an open-air space next door, which includes a dozen kiosks…

The kiosks in the co-branded check-in space.Taylor Rains/Insider

…and several priority lanes for bag drop.

Taylor Rains/Insider

American Flagship Business and AAdvantage Platinum members can use this space, as well as British Airways Club World and silver members.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Travelers can enter the TSA checkpoint directly from both premium spaces.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Check-in areas for other passengers will be separate…

Check-in area for other American Airlines passengers.Taylor Rains/Insider

…and British Airways and American will have different counters.

Check-in area for other British Airways passengers.Taylor Rains/Insider

Other Oneworld alliance members like Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways also currently fly out of Terminal 8, with Iberia moving in on Thursday and Japan Airlines joining in May 2023, according to Isom.

Qatar Airways check-in area in Terminal 8.Taylor Rains/Insider

Other Oneworld alliance members like Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways also currently fly out of Terminal 8, with Iberia moving in on Thursday and Japan Airlines joining in May 2023, according to Isom.

Airside, the renovated terminal adds five new widebody gates and four new widebody parking areas…

One of the new American gates.Taylor Rains/Insider

…as well as an improved baggage handling system and 130,000 square feet of extra space.

One of the new gates.Taylor Rains/Insider

Over the next 18 months, the concessions at Terminal 8 will be revamped, hosting more than 115 women and minority-owned businesses worth over $161 million in contracts. Local businesses were also awarded about $33 million in contracts.

American Airlines logos through the years are displayed in Terminal 8.Taylor Rains/Insider

Over the next 18 months, the concessions at Terminal 8 will be revamped, hosting more than 115 women and minority-owned businesses worth over $161 million in contracts. Local businesses were also awarded about $33 million in contracts.

Also past security, premium passengers traversing the new terminal will have access to three new elegant lounges: Chelsea, Soho, and Greenwich.

Inside the Soho lounge.Taylor Rains/Insider

Greenwich will be the rebranded American Flagship Lounge, which opened in 2017. The reimagined space will "feature a premium wine table, expansive seating, and chef-inspired meals."

American Airlines' Flagship Lounge at JFK Terminal 8.American Airlines

Greenwich will be the rebranded American Flagship Lounge, which opened in 2017. The reimagined space will "feature a premium wine table, expansive seating, and chef-inspired meals."

American customers flying Flagship Business or with AAdvantage Platinum status on "qualifying Flagship itineraries" can access Greenwich. For British Airways, those with Club lounge access can enter.

American Airlines' Flagship Lounge at JFK Terminal 8.American Airlines

American customers flying Flagship Business or with AAdvantage Platinum status on "qualifying Flagship itineraries" can access Greenwich. For British Airways, those with Club lounge access can enter.

Chelsea and Soho are the crown jewels of the terminal, acting as brand-new co-branded lounges that can be accessed by both American and British Airways passengers.

Inside the dining area of the Chelsea lounge.Taylor Rains/Insider

Chelsea features a circular champagne bar, plenty of seating, a dining area with on-demand meals, and large bathrooms with showers.

The circular champagne bar inside Chelsea.Taylor Rains/Insider

British Airways first class passengers, American customers who purchased Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus, and American Conciergekey travelers on Flagship itineraries can access Chelsea.

British Airways passengers with access to the Concord Room can also enter.Taylor Rains/Insider

British Airways first class passengers, American customers who purchased Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus, and American Conciergekey travelers on Flagship itineraries can access Chelsea.

Next door is Soho, which is a larger lounge with a wine bar made of petrified wood, floor-to-ceiling windows, showers, food, and a view of the ramp.

Inside the Soho lounge.Taylor Rains/Insider

A British Airways Boeing 777 aircraft that just landed from London Heathrow was in full view from the lounge during our visit.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Those with British Airways Executive Club Gold, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, or Conciergekey status can enter Soho.

British Airways passengers with access to the First lounge can also enter.Taylor Rains/Insider

Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY 5th District) called the new JFK terminal a "gamechanger" at Tuesday's press conference, saying the new facility can "compete will any terminal around the world."

Taylor Rains/Insider

Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY 5th District) called the new JFK terminal a "gamechanger" at Tuesday's press conference, saying the new facility can "compete will any terminal around the world."

Before the move, British Airways lived next door at Terminal 7 for 51 years. Company CEO Sean Doyle told media on Tuesday that the airline flew its first-ever Boeing 747 into the facility…

A British Airways Boeing 747-400.Nicolas Economou/Getty Images

Before the move, British Airways lived next door at Terminal 7 for 51 years. Company CEO Sean Doyle told media on Tuesday that the airline flew its first-ever Boeing 747 into the facility…

…as well as operated the supersonic Concorde jet there for 26 years.

aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

With the move, Terminal 7 will be demolished to make space for the new Terminal 6, which is expected to be complete by 2027 and expand JetBlue Airways' stronghold at JFK.

Rendering of JetBlue's new T6 at JFK.Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

With the move, Terminal 7 will be demolished to make space for the new Terminal 6, which is expected to be complete by 2027 and expand JetBlue Airways' stronghold at JFK.

The carrier currently flies out of Terminal 5, but the $4 billion redevelopment plan for Terminal 6 will add 1.2 million square feet of space and connect the two facilities. The Lufthansa Group will also move into the new terminal.

JetBlue terminal 5 at JFK.Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock

The carrier currently flies out of Terminal 5, but the $4 billion redevelopment plan for Terminal 6 will add 1.2 million square feet of space and connect the two facilities. The Lufthansa Group will also move into the new terminal.

However, despite the addition, JetBlue's powerful Northeast Alliance with American still won't have truly seamless connectivity at JFK.

American Airlines and JetBlue AirwaysChris O'Meara/AP

JetBlue passengers connecting to an overseas American flight in Terminal 8 will need to take the shuttle bus that connects the two terminals airside.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Isom told Insider that the airline wants to make sure those passengers have an easy connection, noting the airport's "great bus service" that he believes is "superior to some of the walking distances encountered at other terminal-to-terminal transports."

Robert Isom speaking at Tuesday's press conference at JFK's Terminal 8.Taylor Rains/Insider

Isom told Insider that the airline wants to make sure those passengers have an easy connection, noting the airport's "great bus service" that he believes is "superior to some of the walking distances encountered at other terminal-to-terminal transports."

Terminal 8 marks the first phase of JFK's overhaul, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In addition to the Terminal 8 and Terminal 6 projects, the airport has also broken ground on the New Terminal One.

Governor Kathy Hochul, joined by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton, breaks ground on the New Terminal One (NTO) at John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday morning September 8, 2022.Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

Terminal 8 marks the first phase of JFK's overhaul, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In addition to the Terminal 8 and Terminal 6 projects, the airport has also broken ground on the New Terminal One.

The $9.5 billion renovation will include a new departures hall, arrivals hall, customs hall, restaurants, shops, and lounges.

Rendering of New Terminal One's arrivals hall.Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

I've been to all 50 states. Here are the 10 best ones to visit during the winter.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

American and British Airways are joining forces at New York's biggest airport to streamline their partnership &mdash; see inside the new Terminal 8

American Airlines and British Airways are moving in together.

The new "roommates," as American CEO Robert Isom put it at a press conference on Tuesday, will take over Terminal 8 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in a joint effort to better streamline their Oneworld partnership.

The new terminal is a joint $400 million privately funded investment, which was announced in early 2019, and will add new lounges, gates, and facilities.

The pair will set up shop starting on Thursday, meaning American customers connecting to a British Airways flight will no longer have to change terminals between legs.

According to Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, the co-location will allow for "superb hourly services between JFK and London," essentially creating a regular shuttle between the two international gateways.

To allow for easy transit, the airlines have created two co-branded check-in areas for American and British Airways' premium passengers at the Terminal 8 departures lobby.

The first check-in area is a private room that features desks, marble ascents, and couches. The exclusive space is hidden away behind glass doors.

American Flagship First, Flagship Business Plus, Conciergekey, and American Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro flyers can use the exclusive space.

Meanwhile, British Airways first and gold members can also check in here, according to American.

The second premium check-in area is an open-air space next door, which includes a dozen kiosks…

…and several priority lanes for bag drop.

American Flagship Business and AAdvantage Platinum members can use this space, as well as British Airways Club World and silver members.

Travelers can enter the TSA checkpoint directly from both premium spaces.

Check-in areas for other passengers will be separate…

…and British Airways and American will have different counters.

Other Oneworld alliance members like Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways also currently fly out of Terminal 8, with Iberia moving in on Thursday and Japan Airlines joining in May 2023, according to Isom.

Airside, the renovated terminal adds five new widebody gates and four new widebody parking areas…

…as well as an improved baggage handling system and 130,000 square feet of extra space.

Over the next 18 months, the concessions at Terminal 8 will be revamped, hosting more than 115 women and minority-owned businesses worth over $161 million in contracts. Local businesses were also awarded about $33 million in contracts.

Also past security, premium passengers traversing the new terminal will have access to three new elegant lounges: Chelsea, Soho, and Greenwich.

Greenwich will be the rebranded American Flagship Lounge, which opened in 2017. The reimagined space will "feature a premium wine table, expansive seating, and chef-inspired meals."

American customers flying Flagship Business or with AAdvantage Platinum status on "qualifying Flagship itineraries" can access Greenwich. For British Airways, those with Club lounge access can enter.

Chelsea and Soho are the crown jewels of the terminal, acting as brand-new co-branded lounges that can be accessed by both American and British Airways passengers.

Chelsea features a circular champagne bar, plenty of seating, a dining area with on-demand meals, and large bathrooms with showers.

British Airways first class passengers, American customers who purchased Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus, and American Conciergekey travelers on Flagship itineraries can access Chelsea.

Next door is Soho, which is a larger lounge with a wine bar made of petrified wood, floor-to-ceiling windows, showers, food, and a view of the ramp.

A British Airways Boeing 777 aircraft that just landed from London Heathrow was in full view from the lounge during our visit.

Those with British Airways Executive Club Gold, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, or Conciergekey status can enter Soho.

Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY 5th District) called the new JFK terminal a "gamechanger" at Tuesday's press conference, saying the new facility can "compete will any terminal around the world."

Before the move, British Airways lived next door at Terminal 7 for 51 years. Company CEO Sean Doyle told media on Tuesday that the airline flew its first-ever Boeing 747 into the facility…

…as well as operated the supersonic Concorde jet there for 26 years.

With the move, Terminal 7 will be demolished to make space for the new Terminal 6, which is expected to be complete by 2027 and expand JetBlue Airways' stronghold at JFK.

The carrier currently flies out of Terminal 5, but the $4 billion redevelopment plan for Terminal 6 will add 1.2 million square feet of space and connect the two facilities. The Lufthansa Group will also move into the new terminal.

However, despite the addition, JetBlue's powerful Northeast Alliance with American still won't have truly seamless connectivity at JFK.

JetBlue passengers connecting to an overseas American flight in Terminal 8 will need to take the shuttle bus that connects the two terminals airside.

Isom told Insider that the airline wants to make sure those passengers have an easy connection, noting the airport's "great bus service" that he believes is "superior to some of the walking distances encountered at other terminal-to-terminal transports."

Terminal 8 marks the first phase of JFK's overhaul, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In addition to the Terminal 8 and Terminal 6 projects, the airport has also broken ground on the New Terminal One.

The $9.5 billion renovation will include a new departures hall, arrivals hall, customs hall, restaurants, shops, and lounges.

American and British Airways are joining forces at New York's biggest airport to streamline their partnership — see inside the new Terminal 8