Air France is planning to open a new outstation lounge in the United States, but not necessarily at the airport you’d expect.
In this post:
Air France plans another United States lounge
Zach Griff reports on how Air France is planning on opening a 6,129-square-foot lounge at Newark Airport (EWR), in Terminal B.
This is per a proposal that has been submitted by the airline, which is expected to be approved at the upcoming Port Authority meeting on Thursday, October 24, 2024. Of course nothing is final yet, but it has been recommended for approval, so I think it’s highly likely to pass.
The lease would be for a period of seven years, and would go into effect as of January 1, 2025. Air France would pay around $3 million to refurbish the lounge space, and would then spend over $13 million in rent over the term of the lease. If this all goes as expected, I wouldn’t anticipate the lounge opening before late 2025 or early 2026 at the absolute earliest.
Interestingly, Air France only resumed flights to Newark as of late 2022, after not having served the airport for around a decade. The airport also isn’t served by Air France’s sister company, KLM.
Air France currently has six lounges in the United States, with other locations including Boston (BOS), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington (IAD). All of those airports have an average of more than one daily flight from Air France-KLM. So as you can tell, this would be Air France’s smallest station with a lounge.
Why would Air France open a lounge at Newark?
It might be a bit surprising that Air France would open a lounge at Newark, given that it’s a small station for the airline group. I suspect the logic here is pretty straightforward.
Air France flies out of Terminal B at Newark, and that has three piers — B1, B2, and B3. Air France flies out of the B2 pier, gates B51-58. The problem is, these small piers complicate the lounge situation.
Up until recently, Air France sent its passengers to the British Airways Lounge Newark, also in B2. However, in recent weeks that contract has been terminated, presumably because British Airways doesn’t have the space available.
This means that Air France has simply given its premium passenger meal vouchers, as there has been no lounge they could use in that terminal. There is a Delta Sky Club in Terminal A that travelers could technically use, but that’s quite a detour.
That raises the question, where exactly is Air France getting this lounge space? The only other lounge in the B2 pier is La Compagnie’s Lounge&Co, which is in the space of the former Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (which closed suddenly in 2023).
Is there another space for lounges in the terminal that I’m not familiar with, or what am I missing? Or is the airline maybe taking over the former Art & Lounge space, which was located land side, but closed years ago.
Wherever the lounge is, Air France is pretty savvy when it comes to monetizing and controlling costs with its outstation lounges, so I have to imagine the airline sees a business case for this, and it could be open to Priority Pass members, act as a contract lounge for other airlines, etc.
At the same time, it definitely suggests to me that Air France is committed to Newark in the long run, or else the airline probably wouldn’t be opening a lounge.
Bottom line
Air France has to plans to open a lounge at Newark, an airport that the airline just started flying to in late 2022. I imagine this reflects Air France’s lack of lounge options at the airport. A lounge is a basic necessity for a transatlantic flight like this, and I imagine the airline could monetize this lounge so that it wouldn’t be that costly.
What do you make of plans for the Air France Lounge Newark?
Newark NJ airport - they just don't get it. Why not travel to other airports, and let it be said, copy them to Newark.
The worst airport we have been thru. Pass security, go to the gates, there is nothing. Even Hudson News is gone, never mind any other branded stores.
I was in Newark yesterday. The part I was in has tons of shops. Is this a specific part of Newark that is bereft of stores?
A bit off topic, believe a post on ORD's T5 lounge landscape would be interesting with so many recent and upcoming changes such as BA departing from T3 and SK joining Sky
AF now owns a stake in SAS that has a alot of flights from EWR. If AF opens a lounga at EWR, SAS lounge will prob close
Why didn’t they just take over the clubhouse space when VS abandoned the market
Ben,
What were your thoughts of the LAX lounge, or have you been yet? Thought it was in the strangest location and couldn't even come close to competing with the star alliance lounge, even the centurion felt like a step up. Albeit, it was their opening week that I went, but definitely felt a bit sad.
Why a strange location ? The MSC is more efficient in terms of its proximity to the taxi and runways. It is certainly a very nice lounge.
The port authority just announced this week they’re starting project to replace Newark Terminal B. that won’t happen over night but still kind of crazy to pour any serious money into the existing mess at this point
BA poured crazy money into revamping its JFK T7 lounge just one year before it left T7.
Currently AF offers an extremely subpar airport experience for premium passengers. Terminal B is a disaster. If they want to actually compete against UA they need to invest or not bother to serve it at all. Many people from NJ are not interested in coming to JfK
Pretty wild, considering that they pulled out for quite a while, as well as Delta (from long haul) who temporarily took over operating the Paris flight.
Virgin Atlantic has or had a lounge at Newark. Delta has a lounge at Newark. For the life of me, I don't understand Air France and KLM. Why does Air France need a lounge there? I also don't understand why Air France and KLM have separate lounges at airports like Houston. It makes no sense (or cents) at all, though I generally prefer Air France lounges to KLM or Delta lounges if only because Air France has real champagne for free.
Virgin abandoned its EWR lounge and doesn't fly out of EWR any longer. La Compagnie uses the space and little of it has been renovated. Much of it still bears the original VS theme.
Yeah, but Virgin Atlantic did continue to "have" a lounge even after it pulled out. I remember reading about the oddity.
My point still stands. Air France and KLM are a weird company.
Delta operates from an entirely different location at EWR rendering it impossible for AFKL customers to use. IAH is historical but a new consolidated lounge is better.
As for being a weird company, you mean most American ones ?
This would clearly indicate that AF intends to stick around which given DL and AF's history at EWR is notable.
AF does a good job of monetizing access to its lounges even outside of SkyTeam carriers so they could well see that potential.
having multiple SkyTeam lounges in different terminals at EWR is good for building the brand across all of NYC.
AF returned to EWR after an absence that started in 2012, but it was previously at EWR for many years.
DL operated EWR-CDG and EWR-AMS for a period of time
That whole New Jersey-Philadelphia-Baltimore area (half the Acela Corridor?) is a notable Skyteam weakspot.
Admittedly I'm biased here as I'm a big believer in the new SAS, but I suspect SK is giving them major strength or at the very least, confidence in the market.
funny where you manage to draw the lines.
DL is the largest airline in NYC based on number of flights but their strength comes on the NY side of the NYC metro - which includes far more capacity at EWR.
and DL has the 2nd most number of flights at DCA.
if we cherrypick enough, we can always find strength and weakness somewhere.
They may lease the former Art & Lounge space.
It’s because Delta pressured AF/KLM with its majority 3.1% stake to build the lounge.
you're getting just a little too opinionated in your old age.
Emirates has 1 daily flight from LAX and has its own lounge.
Consider SAS and Aeromexico will also likely use it.
@ Icarus -- Oh yeah, Emirates has several lounges at airports it serves once daily. I was specifically referring to Air France's lounge strategy.
Will SAS stay at EWR though?
@ Aaron -- Yep! But they leave from a different pier, so it's not very useful in terms of lounges. Given that Air France-KLM now has a stake in SAS, you'd think there might be some opportunities to co-locate, but I guess gate space is very limited at the airport.
My recollection is that air France used to send passengers to the Art & Lounge space before it closed, so that's probably it
I think La Compagnie is using the old Virgin space, so I doubt it is that.
@ NK3 -- Whoops, my mistake, I thought that was another space. Updating the post now.
Port Authority of NY/NJ has announced plans to build a new Terminal B. What impact will that have on a lounge?
Those plans might materialize in the next century
Those are white board plans to begin with and years away from completion assuming it all moves ahead.