Air France has officially confirmed what had been rumoured for a while: it's building a huge new lounge at New York JFK's upcoming Terminal One, timed to the airline's move there in 2027. And when we say huge, we mean it — the space will cover more than 2,700 square metres (around 29,000 square feet), making it Air France's biggest lounge anywhere outside France.
The facility will stretch across two levels and seat more than 400 guests. Plans include a large dining area and bar, plus dedicated zones for beauty treatments, relaxation, and getting some work done before a long-haul flight.
Air France is also bringing its first class game to the new terminal. La Première passengers, who already get one of the more pampered ground experiences in commercial aviation, will have an exclusive section of the lounge with à la carte dining. Flying Blue's top-tier Ultimate members get their own dedicated area too. Everyone else will play by the usual SkyTeam rules: business class passengers on SkyTeam carriers and SkyTeam Elite Plus frequent flyers can walk in.
Some context on the terminal itself, because JFK's ongoing redevelopment is a bit of a naming headache. The new build is called "Terminal One" (spelled out) to distinguish it from the existing Terminal 1, which is the ageing facility Air France currently operates from and which is also being redeveloped. There's no existing Terminal 6 — that's another new build entirely.
When it opens, Terminal One will host roughly two dozen airlines across all three major alliances. The announced roster reads like a roll call of international carriers: Air China, Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Serbia, Azores Airlines, China Airlines, China Eastern, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, Etihad, EVA Air, Gulf Air, LOT Polish, KLM, Korean Air, Neos, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, SAS, Saudia, Turkish Airlines, Air Europa, and Viva Aerobus.
Lounge-wise, the terminal is expected to offer six in total. Four are airline-run — Air France, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines — covering the three alliances. The other two are Plaza Premium facilities, including a Plaza Premium First, which is good news for travellers whose airline doesn't have its own space there.
Why does this matter to travellers? If you're flying Air France from New York, the current Terminal 1 experience is notoriously tired, and this move represents a genuine upgrade — from check-in to the pre-flight hours. A 400-seat lounge with spa treatments and proper à la carte dining for first class puts JFK firmly on the map for Air France's premium products. It also strengthens Terminal One's claim as the new home of long-haul international travel at JFK. Expect more renderings and details as 2027 approaches, since the airline has so far released just a single image of the planned space.