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.
Personally, I find that Terminal 1 at JFK has among the worst security lines in the US, especially during peak periods, like in the afternoons. In 2019, we saw an awesome new service introduced that allows you to skip security lines through a dedicated facility. There’s now a major update, as this company has not only opened a lounge in the terminal, but has also joined Priority Pass.
VIP ONE at JFK Terminal 1
VIP ONE is a service at JFK’s Terminal 1, offering an expedited security experience. No, we’re not talking about TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, but rather we’re talking about a private security checkpoint that you can pay to access.
While this has been open for several years now, we’ve also just seen the opening of a VIP ONE Lounge, which is located landside in Terminal 1. Specifically, it’s located behind counters E & F, next to the TSA checkpoint.
Let’s take a look at the various packages that are available, and how much they cost.
VIP ONE Silver service
VIP ONE Silver is the most basic service, and offers access to an expedited TSA security checkpoint through VIP ONE’s exclusive departure lounge. This costs $45 per person per visit. Children under 12 are free.
First class passengers on Air France, Korean Air, and Lufthansa, also get access to this service.
If you assume that you can cut the security security experience from 30+ minutes to just a couple of minutes, that could be well worth it, in my opinion (both in terms of time savings and hassle).
VIP ONE Gold service
VIP ONE’s middle level of service is Gold, which costs $100 and includes the following:
- Curbside baggage assistance
- Check-in assistance
- Direct access to security checkpoint through VIP ONE’s exclusive departure lounge
- Escort to the gate or lounge
As you can see, the incremental benefits of this are the curbside assistance and check-in assistance, plus being escorted to the gate or lounge.
VIP ONE Platinum service
VIP ONE’s highest level of service is Platinum, which costs $200 and includes the following:
- Curbside baggage assistance
- Check-in assistance
- Direct access to security checkpoint through VIP ONE’s exclusive departure lounge
- Escort to the lounge you otherwise have access to
- Escort to boarding gate
The incremental pricing doesn’t make much sense here compared to the Gold package. You’re paying twice as much for the privilege of being escorted to the gate and lounge, rather than just the gate or the lounge.
VIP ONE with Priority Pass
Here’s the most exciting update. VIP ONE has just joined Priority Pass, which coincides with VIP ONE opening its own landside lounge. Priority Pass members can now access this facility daily between 8AM and 12AM. Priority Pass members can both visit the landside lounge, and also take advantage of fast track security.
While many of us may have been on the fence about paying for this service, using it with Priority Pass seems like a no-brainer.
Bottom line
While there are some other VIP services out there at US airports, they’re typically priced in the hundreds or thousands of dollars (like PS ATL).
JFK Terminal 1 is one of my least favorite places in the US to clear security, so it’s awesome that VIP ONE is available there. You can either pay $45 to use the facility, or alternatively, you can now access it with Priority Pass. While VIP ONE has been around for several years, we’ve now seen the opening of a new departures lounge as well.
This saves you time, it saves you hassle, and most importantly, it lets you plan your arrival more closely, since security lines can otherwise be crazy long in the afternoons. This is a service I’d most definitely take advantage of if departing from T1.
Could you see yourself using VIP ONE at JFK? What other terminals/airports would you like to see something like this added at?
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