Article from BTNews 8 MAY 2017
BA JFK T7 upgrade
A spacious new check-in concourse with a separate Club World and First area designed with customer privacy in mind will be a feature of British Airways’ multi-million pound re-design of its Terminal 7 facility at New York JFK.
BA says the check-in part of the development at its flagship US airport will draw inspiration from the First Wing, which opened recently at Heathrow Terminal 5, and the new premium check-in area at Gatwick’s South Terminal.
The US$65m (about £52m) project at JFK will be complete by the end of 2018 and follows a series of recent investment announcements by the airline, including a £400m upgrade to Club World.
At JFK, Business Class, First passengers and Gold and Silver Executive Club card holders will have regenerated lounges with more space and restaurant-style pre-flight dining. The Concorde Room, for First customers, will also be refreshed.
BA head of customer Abigail Comber: “We are working with top architects and designers to create a beautiful new space for our customers to relax, dine and work in before they take off.
“The new environment at Terminal 7 is designed for our customers to enjoy a smoother, faster and more relaxed airport experience.”
OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)
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John Davidson, France/Paris
While these improvements sound great (try checking in at Amman's Queen Alia in RJ's business class and you'll experience "sit down as we check you in," comparable only to what Qatar does in Doha), the big problem with check-in at LHR is the lack of a dedicated fast-track through the immigration lines. It's just a scrum, with a vague indication that "down there somewhere" is a fast track. And then finding the lounges is another challenge. This from a pax who has transferred through LHR many times, coming from Paris, IAD, AMM or elsewhere. It's such a struggle that I've given up on BA…and on travel.