In November 2022 I wrote about how Turkish Airlines opened another lounge in the United States, in New York. I wanted to provide an update, as this lounge has finally officially joined Priority Pass as of January 2023.
Turkish Airlines Lounge JFK now open
Turkish Airlines has opened a lounge in Terminal 1 of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). It’s located between gates two and three, and is open daily from 9:45AM until 11:45PM.
The Turkish Airlines Lounge is taking the space of the former Alitalia Lounge JFK, which frankly must have been one of the worst lounges at JFK, and that’s saying something. Of course in the meantime Alitalia no longer exists in its previous form, but rather it has been replaced by ITA Airways. I suspect ITA Airways realizes the economics of having a lounge at JFK simply don’t make sense.
The Alitalia Lounge had been closed for a long time, and ITA Airways has been sending its premium passengers to the Air France Lounge JFK.
Turkish Airlines Lounge JFK joins Priority Pass
Much like other Turkish Airlines Lounge locations in the United States, the Turkish Airlines Lounge JFK has now joined Priority Pass. Members can access the lounge for a period of up to three hours.
There are lots of premium credit cards that offer a Priority Pass™ membership. While JFK Terminal 1 is hardly my favorite terminal in the United States, it has no shortage of Priority Pass locations. This lounge now joins the Korean Air Lounge, Lufthansa Lounge, and Primeclass Lounge.
Why the Turkish Airlines Lounge JFK is exciting
There are a few reasons we should be happy about the opening of the Turkish Airlines Lounge JFK:
- This means that the former space of the Alitalia Lounge has been renovated, and just about anything is an improvement over the old lounge (and based on the pics of the new lounge, I’m pretty impressed)
- The economics of Turkish Airlines having a lounge at JFK make a lot more sense, as the airline operates three daily flights from JFK, which means there are a lot of Turkish Airlines passengers eligible for lounge access, and on top of that the lounge can be monetized with Priority Pass
- This is another good option for Priority Pass members in the terminal, and more options are always a good thing
- This should help with alleviating crowding in other lounges at JFK Terminal 1, as the overall lounge footprint in the terminal is increasing
My only concern is that this isn’t a very big lounge. Turkish Airlines has a few lounges in the United States (including in Miami and Washington), and I’d say they’re above average for Priority Pass lounges.
Bottom line
Turkish Airlines has opened a lounge at New York JFK Terminal 1, taking the place of the former Alitalia Lounge. Not only that, but the lounge has now joined the Priority Pass network. I’d say this is a great development, as it adds some much needed lounge capacity to the terminal.
What do you make of the new Turkish Airlines Lounge JFK?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.