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.
In this post:
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?
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...
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.
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.
I use Priority Pass a lot for international travel and in New Orleans..
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
Two months ago , I was escorted to both ( lounge and gate) , LH F escort, same terminal.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Landside, so no need to clear T1 security.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Perfect timing, have a flight coming up out of T1 next week.
As Japan Airlines have moved to T8, the first class passengers of JAL probably have limited use of this service in T1..... :)
Only in the U-S-A
Does this allow you to skip the actual security check as well (like the TSA KCM program) or just a shorter line?
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'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.
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...)