January 10, 2008
Checking in on JetBlue's New JFK Terminal
Jaunted took a jaunt over to the new Terminal 5 (not the music venue) at JFK. The terminal, with design by Gensler, will house JetBlue and is set to open in September of this year.
The original T5 was the Eero Saarinen-designed TWA terminal and will be incorporated into JetBlue's, which is set behind and connected to it (Jaunted notes that "airline reps say that at minimum there'll be check-in kiosks in the TWA building.") Some highlights:
The Departures Hall: You can get to the terminal via the usual ways auto and AirTran, and there will be a 900-foot covered walkway connecting to the latter. Upon arrival you'll see security, "which has been pushed to the very forefront of the terminal. Plans call for 20 lanes in one big checkpoint; the current JB terminal has about half that many, split into two checkpoints. Since you've already checked in from home, this is the only line you'll have to stand in."
The Marketplace: 55,000 square-feet of food and retail (pictured in rendering). They promise more options than the current terminal, in addition to flat screen TVs and WiFi (we just hope their WiFi works, as it rarely does in their hotspots now).
The Baggage Claim: For those arriving in the new digs, you'll be welcomed with open arms and "six massive luggage carousels." That's two more than now.
And then of course there are the gates, of which there will be 26 versus the current 21. JetBlue announced their T5 takeover in 2004, prior to kicking out the Terminal 5 art exhibit from their new space. Their website currently states that they will be able to "support 500 daily departures and arrivals, doubling our current operating capacity at JFK."
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What a crappy looking airport
Bring back TWA and hot stewardesses.
So... the funky-looking thing in the top picture is obviously the original Eero Saarinen terminal. Which part is the new part? The blocky, low, rectangular thing in front of it?
"...Since you've already checked in from home, this is the only line you'll have to stand in."
Uh...what about the baggage 'drop' which is usually just as long as any other check-in line?
JMH, they built behind the Saarinen building and rerouted the road behind it as well. They demolished the old gate area that you accessed by the two tube-like walkways as seen in Catch Me If You Can.
Anyway, how will the building look when decked out in Lufthansa's colors? I for one welcome out new German overlords.
So they are claiming that they can double their number of flights? How the hell can they do that?
JFK is already strained past maximum capacity for the number of flights taking off and landing. Is JB building another runway, too?
i like the language used in your story.. "JetBlue announced their T5 takeover in 2004, prior to kicking out the Terminal 5 art exhibit from their new space."
what you fail to mention is the massive amount of money jetblue invested in the terminal 5 art project that was squandered when a group of hipster dumbfucks broke down a door and gained access to a FUNCTIONING AIRPORT RUNWAY on the opening night of the exhibit, which is why the Port Authority kicked them out...jetblue had nothing to do with it.
spnder: The security checkpoint is right in the middle of the departures lobby for those who've checked in and don't have additional luggage, but an equally impressive stand of counters flank the checkpoint on either side to handle bag drop-offs as well as the "traditional" check-in process.
Wouldn't it be better if they built an airport in Central Park?