JetBlue planes at JFK Terminal 5 in New York.
Leslie Josephs | CNBC
JetBlue Airways will open its first airport lounges in more than two decades of flying, a major shift for the low-cost airline as it pursues high-spending travelers.
The lounges will open at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport late next year and then in Boston, JetBlue said Thursday.
The airline also plans to launch a new ‘premium’ credit card with partner Barclays, taking a page from the likes Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlineswho have made billions through lucrative credit card transactions.
Customers with the soon-to-be-announced premium credit card, those booked in JetBlue’s Mint business class for transatlantic travel and high-level frequent flyer holders will be able to access the lounges, the company said.
JetBlue said its 8,000-square-foot lounge in Terminal 5 at New York’s JFK Airport is set to open late next year, and an 11,000-square-foot space in Terminal C at Boston’s Logan International Airport will open shortly thereafter.
JetBlue is struggling to cut costs and return to solid profitability, including by delaying dozens of new Airbus planes. The airline has cut dozens of routes this year and is looking for ways to better deploy its planes equipped with the Mint cabin, which has lie-flat seats, a higher-class dining room and other perks.
Access to the lounges will not, at least immediately, include travelers on other Mint routes, such as intercontinental flights, Jayne O’Brien, JetBlue’s chief marketing and customer support officer, told CNBC.
He said JetBlue doesn’t want to disappoint customers if they can’t get into the lounges because they’re too crowded. “We want to be very careful about how we go about it,” he said, adding that the lounges will have cocktail and espresso bars, “light bites,” as well as space to work.
The highest tier of JetBlue’s loyalty program and holders of the new premium card will receive complimentary lounge access for one guest.
O’Brien declined to comment on rumors that JetBlue plans to offer a Mint minicabin on some aircraft, a smaller version of its popular cabin.
Other airlines have revamped their airport lounges in hopes of reeling in more spenders and accommodating crowds. Delta, which has reduced access to some of its popular airport Sky Clubs after complaints of long lines, in June unveiled its first Delta One lounge at JFK airport, which is dedicated to customers in its highest-level cabin and certain invitation-only elite members of the SkyMiles program.
American and United also have dedicated lounges for travelers in premium first and business class cabins.
Credit card companies like American Express, Chase and Capital One they have also opened airport lounges in cities across the country in an effort to attract consumers.
JetBlue isn’t the only airline seeking increased perks that come with higher fares.
Southwest Airlines plans to offer seats with extra legroom to boost revenue, the biggest change in its more than five decades of flying. Southwest will provide more details on its strategy at an investor day next week. Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines they have also launched packages that include seats with more space and earlier boarding.
