As we look ahead, one of the air-travel trends worth watching has to do with airport lounges — and, more specifically, who can and can’t access them. Later this year, American Express is updating its policies to make it a little harder for some travelers to access its Centurion Lounges. That’s in keeping with broader trends in the industry, which makes it all the more interesting to see an airline going in the opposite direction.
That’s what JetBlue has planned for BlueHouse, its first-ever airport lounge, which opened in December at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. (Another BlueHouse location is set to open in Boston’s Logan Airport later this year.) There’s one significant caveat here: JetBlue is expanding paid access, as opposed to the complimentary entry the airline gives to JetBlue Premier cardholders, as well as Mosaic level 4 (the top tier of the airline’s TrueBlue loyalty program) and transatlantic Mint travelers.
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They’re rarely virtuoso performances and often annoy staff, so why are they there at all?Specifically, travelers flying via business-class Mint seats on non-transatlantic flights will now have the ability to purchase a one-time pass for BlueHouse for $59 per person. Mosaic members at level 3 will also be able to purchase one-time passes for the same price, while Mosaic members at levels 1 and 2 will have the option to do so at a higher price: $79 per traveler.
There is one more way to gain access to BlueHouse free of charge: Mosaic 4 and JetBlue Premier cardholders can each bring one guest with them. One incentive to try and get in? This BlueHouse location features, among other food and drink options, cocktails designed by Please Don’t Tell — a welcome addition to one’s pre-flight routine.
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