Metropolitan Airport News recently spoke with Belinda Jain, Vice President, Customer Experience & Commercial at JFKIAT – the operator of Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport – and asked her to share her insights about lounges currently at JFKIAT, trends at T4 lounges that enhance customer experience, what makes the lounges at JFKIAT unique in showcasing the New York City vibe, and more.
What options do passengers have at T4 lounges at JFK Airport?
JAIN: JFK T4 has a variety of airline and common-use lounges available for passengers. Our premium collection includes nine lounges: the Capital One Lounge, Delta One Lounge, two Delta Sky Clubs, Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club with Etihad Airways, American Express Centurion Lounge, Emirates Lounge, Air India Maharaja Lounge, and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. We have also been offering HelloSky lounge, a pay-for-use lounge for passengers to enjoy before their departing flights from T4.
In 2021, JFKIAT broke ground on the $1.5B transformation of T4, as part of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey’s $19B transformation of JFK Airport. Guided by our T4 North Star – a shared vision that impacts every aspect of the T4 experience – we are redefining T4’s commercial offerings, strengthening T4’s New York-centric identity, enhancing and aligning customer service culture across the entire terminal, elevating the ambiance with elements of design, and expanding and upgrading our lounge portfolio. Each lounge at JFK T4 has a unique ambiance, design, food & beverage offerings, and amenities.
We know that different passenger personas have their own sets of needs and preferences when they travel, and JFK T4’s lounge options cater to a wide range of passengers, resulting in T4 having the highest concentration and diversity in types of lounges at JFK Airport.
Our passenger combination includes a high volume of both domestic and international traffic. While New York City is a major global hub for several airlines, financial institutions, and cultural centers, T4 attracts a higher concentration of premium passengers, driven by our unique mix of airlines.
In light of that passenger mix, our team at JFKIAT saw an opportunity to further elevate and personalize our passengers’ journey by offering a wider variety of premium lounge experiences. We are currently exploring additional common lounge spaces for the future where we can create an elevated experience with some shared features, including elevated commercial and food & beverage options.
What are some of the trends that you’re seeing at T4 airport lounges that enhance the customer experience?
JAIN: One trend we’re seeing in the U.S. is the emergence of credit card companies offering premium lounge experiences that are changing the game, creating exclusive spaces for their cardholders that elevate their journeys. They are leading the trends for lounge experiences worldwide. Another trend we’re noticing is a bigger focus on gearing the design and amenities toward a more local experience: offering food & beverage options from the airport’s surrounding area or city, partnering with brands from the community, and commissioning pieces from local artists to strengthen a lounge’s sense of place.
We’re also seeing more segmentation in the design and layout of the lounges themselves. They’re no longer simply waiting rooms: they offer tailored, curated experiences that cater to different passengers’ dwell times and needs. Modern lounges provide a wider range of offerings, such as sit-down dining concepts, grab & go options, spa amenities, and more to accommodate a wider range of preferences across different passenger profiles.
As a result of these shifts, the traditional lounge offering of years past has become the minimum expectation, while the standard for lounge experiences has been raised across the board, resulting in the premiumization of the airport lounge experience. Airport lounges have transformed into destinations of their own, offering elevated dining, wellness amenities, and conveniences akin to boutique hotels and private clubs.
You can see these trends reflected in the lounges at T4. From a speakeasy at the American Express Centurion Lounge to a games space at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and a cheese monger at Capital One, our lounges provide those high-end, locally driven experiences passengers look for.
What makes the lounges at T4 unique in showcasing the New York City vibe?
JAIN: While each of our lounge operators at JFK T4 brings unique offerings to the table, we share a common mission to provide distinctive, premium, and locally driven experiences that cater to different passenger personas. From there, each of our lounge operator partners developed their own identity in line with their brand and passenger profiles.
At JFKIAT, we have considered all of the components that make up the passenger journey from curb to gate, reimagining our entire commercial program, elevating the terminal’s ambiance with thoughtful design, and redefining our culture of hospitality to ensure our employees are contributing to the overall passenger experience. Our lounges are a critical part of our unique and premium passenger experiences, offering expansive and curated food & beverage options, niche tasting menus, and locally inspired design elements.
As a local Queens-based business, JFKIAT has continued to strengthen T4’s New York-centric identity during the transformation, and the partnership with our lounge partners extends that vision. We want passengers to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of our city throughout our terminal, including at our lounges. Our lounges offer passengers a curated selection of authentic culinary experiences from all over New York City.
For instance, the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club with Etihad Airways features artwork curated by the JPMorgan Chase art collection. The Capital One Lounge features an interactive counter where guests can sample cheese and charcuterie boards with wine and beer pairings, sourced from New York-based Murray’s Cheese, and a bodega outpost with fresh bagels and sandwiches from Ess-a-Bagel. Meanwhile, the Delta One Lounge was designed with nods to New York City landmarks, including design references to the gold leaf ceiling and chandeliers of Radio City Music Hall, marble mosaic tiles in the Market dining area that pay tribute to classic New York brasseries, and light fixtures that draw inspiration from the Brooklyn Bridge.
As passenger expectations continue to evolve, at JFKIAT we know that unique experiences are crucial to stay competitive – and each of these lounge concepts offers something immersive, distinctive, memorable, and unmistakably New York.
BELINDA JAIN, Vice President, Customer Experience & Commercial, JFKIAT
Belinda Jain joined JFKIAT’s executive team as the Vice President, Customer Experience & Commercial in October of 2023. In her role, Jain will be responsible for generating and managing the company’s non-aviation revenues, working with the team and business partners to develop world-class retail, food & beverage, and passenger service concepts, featuring a distinctive ‘New York sense of place’ across T4’s extensive commercial program, which consists of nearly 100 retail, food & beverage, and other services concepts. She will also lead JFKIAT’s customer experience strategy, partnering with stakeholders to enhance T4’s passenger satisfaction, the company’s marketing and public relations, and foster continuous improvement and innovation.
As a seasoned industry expert, Jain brings more than 20 years’ experience leading the development and operations of premium and luxury brands and airports globally, and has a proven track record of delivering customer-centric programs. Prior to joining the JFKIAT team, Jain served as the Managing Director Americas of CXG in New York, where she led CX transformation projects in the U.S. market for leading luxury brands. She has also held roles at CHANEL, Mumbai International Airport, Amman International Airport and Groupe ADP (Paris Airports). www.jfkt4.nyc
