While airport security in the US has come a long way with TSA PreCheck and CLEAR, there are still some airports that are worse than others. For example, some terminals at JFK pretty consistently have awful security wait times.
Continue reading: VIP ONE JFK: Skip Security Lines For A Fee, Or With Priority Pass
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Does this allow you to skip the actual security check as well (like the TSA KCM program) or just a shorter line?
As Japan Airlines have moved to T8, the first class passengers of JAL probably have limited use of this service in T1..... 🙂
When I flew F on Lufthansa out of JFK pre-COVID (post-COVID I’ve done it just once, out of ORD), I was escorted to the front of the TSA Pre line. That was just as good. I imagine Air France used to do something similar too.
This is great - last time I went to T1 there wasn't even a dedicated Precheck line so anything would help...
To clarify, there was a Precheck entrance that skipped part of the line, but then it just fed back into the main line so you still got body scanned, etc, unless you asked an agent to open up the metal detector for you
Honestly, this is neat, but JFK needs to be rebuilt completely. It always feels like an 80s airport that travelled through time and got punched in the face by the 2020s requirements. Its so OLD. It feels old, it looks old, how it works is old. Reminded me of recently closed down Berlin Schoenefeld a lot.
I guess I would feel the opposite here. If this is now open to the hoards of people that have PP, the wait times are going to increase to a point where it's the same as clear or TSA Precheck. This is the same thing that happened to clear, once the price got low enough with all of the discounts, free promos etc etc the wait times blew up...I would of gladly kept paying had it been kept at a cost that would of kept ma and pa kettle out.
PP's website says "international flights only."
Since it's landside can I use it if I'm departing from T5 on Jetblue which famously has no lounges in T5?
Great addition but I hope they streamline the acutal skipping of TSA better... Now it's just an awkward encounter between employees, passenger that is escorted and passengers in line that try to cut it and no one moves or wants to move. They need a dedicated line if the amount of passengers using this expedited security will increase drastically.
I honestly thought they had shut down that service. I used it once several years ago, but now it always looks empty / unstaffed and I go through T1 regularly. Quite surprised it's still a thing.
You're still getting screened at a normal TSA checkpoint. Basically it's a lounge looking room that is to the side of TSA security checks, you enter through a door in the terminal and you exit through a different door right by one of the security belts and scanner. You get ready in that lounge and an attendant helps you sort your stuff in bins etc. Then they walk you out, they carry your stuff and you get in front of the line for the body scan. But the layout is incredibly awkward (T1 is very cramped) and you get a LOT of angry looks.
I'd say LH's First Class escort is like Gold, rather than Silver, since you are escorted to the lounge, but not the gate.
This is only T1, there's no connection to T5, so you'd have to reclear security at T5. You'd also probably not even be able to clear T1 security with a JB ticket.
You're in luck. $19 billion is being spent to improve JFK, which includes a few new terminals - including Terminal 1.
https://simpleflying.com/inside-jfks-19-billion-improvement-projects/
They did a great job with LGA, which is beautiful - but even that is starting to feel cramped.
They don’t care about you.
They’re fundamentally changing their business to tap into the flow of PP visit $.
Seems like a great business idea to me. Whether they can execute it is the question.
Two months ago , I was escorted to both ( lounge and gate) , LH F escort, same terminal.
Brilliant play with priority pass. I may even get one for this reason. I tried using JFK as a staging point for an international trip last year and found the whole experience overwhelming (try catching an uber... or finding an OK hotel near the airport). But now that I've found a decent hotel near the airport (Hint: Resorts World), this might make it easier to try to lug through my trunk suitcases.
I'd really rather just use Dulles for this but it's just not as well connected
Resorts World would be a lot better if they offered a shuttle to Federal Circle and not Jamaica bus terminal. I guess this is because Hyatt doesn’t want to compete directly with the Regency at JFK?
Woops, they're one in the same. Brain slip-up. Still, shuttle to FC would be ideal.
JFK is a mess.
PANYNJ should stop letting private investors operate each terminal separately.
The road network is certainly a hassle, but the terminals are vastly improving. I don't get your whinge?
I agree, there should be a full/standard/regular precheck line. I understand some small airports don't have enough passengers overall to offer it. However, there is no legitimate reason in my kind that it can't be offered. I've flown thru JFK T1, twice this year. The semi precheck doesn't cut it. I generally prefer fewer rules and I don't know how these agreements(between PANYNJ and JFK T1) work, but DHS/TSA should mandate a lane or so of precheck at larger airports that can sustain it. At a minimum at peak times.
Firstly, im concerned about gate space. The new expansion is taking up the space of current T1, old T2, and old T3. Now, T1 is currently 7 gates, old T2 was 10 smaller narrowbody/RJ gates, and i dont know what old T3 was. The new T1 will be 17 full wide body gates. Forget expansion theyre barely(if at all) replacing the sum of what was previously there. Also disagree about LGA, they didn't lengthen the runways.
No different than clear taking you to the front of the line... it's just that you're in NY where dirty looks are required. (And I lived there for 12 years, so I can say that...)
Agree with Danny, the problem now is that it may be better to do TSA pre-check or Clear because of the increased long line due to Priority Pass. Also it sounds like members will not have lounge access but just the expedited security.
Awful service here. Told there are no paper menus, just scan the QR code. My phone is not connected to the internet and therefore could not scan the menu. There is no real milk, i.e., whole milk, only 2% and almond milk. I had to walk all around the terminal to find a vendor that sold Starbucks Coffee The manager also said that it is possible that the small piece of rubber strip that I pulled out of my cereal with the Starbucks Coffee Drink in the cereal could have come from the Starbucks drink. Of course, as we know, Starbucks products come so many times with rubber in it that we don't even think twice about it. That was what the young woman who is the manager said to me. Could have been in the cereal or the milk. This is not an experience I would like to have again. Customers, if you have a choice to make, consider my experience. And there appears to be no restroom here either. My business class flight on Lufthansa is at 3:45 PM. This is one of the reasons NOT to fly -- try eating corn flakes with Starbucks Coffee Drink. I doubt that the Norwegian Government dinner with His Majesty the King of Norway on 7 September will not serve us corn flakes with either 2% milk or almond milk, or coffee delight creamers.