Revisiting: Alaska Airlines and Its Future at JFK

Alaska Airlines currently operates 10 flights out of JFK every day: 2 per day to San Diego, 4 per day to Seattle, 3 per day to San Francisco, and 1 to Portland. They currently operate out of Terminal 7, which is set for demolition. This means that Alaska will need a new home, which will be Terminal 8.

There are a few interesting things for Alaska when considering a new home in Terminal 8, including lounges and Oneworld partner connections. Inspired by a certain conversation I had last night on Alaska’s situation (see post below), I thought I’d lay my full thoughts on here. Let’s go over it.

The Current Terminal 7 Experience

Terminal 7 is planned to be demolished once Terminal 6, which is under construction right now, opens in early 2026. This means that Alaska will need a new home, which will be Terminal 8. Mainly operated by American Airlines, the terminal has turned into a large home for many Oneworld airlines over the past few years. Alaska already operates two flights out of there today (AS25 and AS41). They’re slowly beginning to move its operations.

The TSA PreCheck in Terminal 7 is also interesting, as it seems to be open only during certain, limited hours. I usually don’t fly Alaska, but I do hear from many flyers that they line up in the regular TSA lane and are only given a laminated card from the TSO. This issue should be an improvement when Alaska moves to Terminal 8.

Terminal 8 Lounges

Alaska currently has its own lounge in Terminal 7. Domestic First on transcon routes, a lounge membership, or Oneworld Sapphire and up will get you access. However, a move to Terminal 8 will mean a change in lounges.

Currently, passengers onboard AS25 and AS41 operating out of Terminal 8 get access to the Admiral’s Club in the satellite building. This lounge is a detour for passengers flying out of the main building, as it requires going through an underground passage to the satellite building (speaking from experience!). Alaska currently uses gates 32 and 33 in the same building, so the location isn’t a problem for now.

Once all Alaska flights move over to Terminal 8, it looks like the lounge situation will stay the same, with First class getting access to the Admiral’s Club. The hope here is that Alaska can continue to operate out of the satellite terminal (gates 31-47), so passengers don’t have to detour to the Admiral’s Club from the main building.

With that said, the 10 daily flights will make the Admiral’s Club a little busier. Alaska can go the route of building a new lounge for its loyalists, but that’s unlikely considering how packed the terminal is with lounges already. All lounges in Terminal 8 are on the second level, and the main building is already very full with the AA and BA’s 3 joint premium lounges.

I do think a renovation and an extension can go a long way for the current Admiral’s Club there, as the lounge is quite outdated and small. If we can’t fix the location or build a new one, this is the best option that’ll make sense for both American and Alaska passengers.

Remember that although MVP Gold passengers get access to the Greenwich Lounge, that only applies to long-haul flights operated by one of its partners.

Related: Review, the Greenwich Lounge JFK (AA/BA Business Class)

Joining Fellow Oneworld Members

Over the past few years, Terminal 8 has turned into a Oneworld stronghold. British, Qatar, Japan, Cathay, Iberia, and others have moved their operations here, which allows for smoother connections to American Airlines. Alaska gets to join this network here at JFK.

The Oneworld partner flights are vital for passengers to connect to Europe on British Airways and to the Middle East on Qatar Airways. With that said, it’s about time Alaska figures out its known IT issues involving partner bookings.

Bottom Line

Alaska should be moving its operations to Terminal 8 either by the end of this year or at the start of 2026, right before Terminal 7’s demolition. The change will be interesting and different, with changes in lounges and the ability to have access to Oneworld partner flights in the same building. We’ll have to see how the experience unfolds for Alaska passengers.

All photos taken by the author.