JetBlue's JFK Terminal Gets Its Lounge on

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

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JetBlue is proudly New York-based, and JFK’s Terminal Five is the airline’s operational showcase.

T5 is looking even better after last week’s opening of the Airspace Lounge near Gate 24.

The lounge is what you’d expect from JetBlue: coolly modern in design; geared toward the plugged-in set; oriented more toward the masses than the few; and (unlike most airport lounges) fairly priced.

The entry fee is $25, rising to $35 at peak times, and includes a $10 credit toward food and alcoholic beverages. The fee compares very favorably with the typical $50 price of a day pass to most airport lounges.

For that, lounge users get printing and scanning in a small business center, use of house computers, Wi-Fi, and access to private restrooms and a shower. Peet’s coffee and tea are free, as are snacks.

The facilities are more hip-functional than they are luxe, with seating and smallish tables closely spaced. Maximum occupancy is 60, and the room would probably feel uncomfortably overcrowded well before that many loungers were accommodated. Still, it’s a decided step up from the boarding-area bustle.

If this is the future of airport lounges, bring it on.

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This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.

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