The Lede | JetBlue Twitters its New Terminal
JetBlue Twitters its New Terminal
By Micheline Maynard
October 22, 2008 10:29 am October 22, 2008 10:29 am
How else would an airline inaugurate a new terminal these days, except by Twittering it?
JetBlue Airways, which began flying to and from its new home at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York this morning, has been sending out updates about its first day via Twitter.com, and on its own blog.
Yesterday, JetBlue used Twitter to count down its departure from Terminal 6, a facility built in the first years of the jet age. "In less than nine hours our last flight out of Terminal 6 at J.F.K. will push back from the gate. T5 is open tomorrow!" the airline wrote yesterday afternoon to its followers on Twitter.
The new $800 million Terminal 5 opened for business with Flight 709 to San Juan at 6 a.m. A flat-screen display, one of many in the new terminal, showed that the flight was on time (it actually left a minute early) and would take 3 hours and 43 minutes to reach San Juan, where it was cloudy and 77 degrees. (We'd take that. . . . )
The first flight into Terminal 5 actually arrived at 5:05 a.m., and were greeted by balloons and cheering JetBlue staff members. The flight "might have had a bit more applause and high-fives on arrival than your typical red-eye," JetBlue's Twitter update read.
Its blog is full of pictures of happy JetBlue staff members and bleary-eyed travelers, as well as impressive-looking photos of the terminal. For those travelers who are overwhelmed by the new 635,000-square-foot digs, look for JetBlue employees wearing light blue t-shirts with the words "Just Ask" — which customers undoubtedly will.
The Airport Check-in column in USA Today notes that the new terminal has 26 gates and can handle 500 daily departures and arrivals, almost double the 270 flights the airline currently operates at J.F.K. Among its new features are a 20-lane security checkpoint, free wireless internet access, a children's play area and a 1,500-space parking garage.
The opening has to be a relief for JetBlue. The company dedicated the new terminal back in September, and planned to begin service from there on Oct. 1. But construction delays held things up, and the airline, which had vowed not to begin service from Terminal 5 until everything was ready, held off for three weeks.
Late last night, when the final inbound flight arrived at Terminal 6, JetBlue sent an update to its Twitter followers that read, "Flt 194 LAS-JFK taxis to its gate: Our last flight into JFK's T6. " (Translated, that was Flight 194, from Las Vegas to J.F.K., arriving at Terminal 6.)
The last outbound flight using Terminal 6 was also, as it happened, one to Puerto Rico: Flight 727 (nice touch for aviation buffs) departed shortly before midnight Tuesday for Aguadilla, on the west coast of the island. After the flight departed, a display on a sign at Gate 14 read, "Don't forget to turn the lights out."
Have you flown into or out of the new terminal today? Tell us about it in the comment field below.
JDana October 22, 2008 · 11:44 am
Well, fancy new terminals are nice, but
I'd rather Jet Blue reliably fly the routes they sell tickets for. I guess being stranded overnight in a new terminal is marginally less uncomfortable than being stranded overnight in the old terminal (which Jet Blue routinely did to scores of customers). As a Jet Blue employee told me at 1:30AM, they simply have too many flights at JFK for the slots allocated.
Nostalgic October 22, 2008 · 11:46 am
But not a single mention of the late, great, highly lamented TWA, whose terminal this was for so many years …
Seth October 22, 2008 · 11:46 am
Hooray for JetBlue!
Can I have a free ticket? Just figured it doesn't hurt to ask.
Jenn October 22, 2008 · 11:50 am
Twitter, verbed and in past tense = tweet. So: JetBlue Tweets its New Terminal
Maury F. October 22, 2008 · 12:00 pm
I'm thrilled that JetBlue has invested in revivifying a New York City landmark! I hope it will be a huge success for them and will be a hallmark and beacon reminding us that we needn't destroy the fabulous, antique NYC architecture that makes New York New York; we can reoutfit, reconfigure, repurpose. Honstly, what would you rather gaze at — yet another glass cube, or something with character and history?
John Branch October 22, 2008 · 12:30 pm
Like Maury F., I'm glad that JetBlue has managed to recycle (or at least help preserve) a landmark, namely the former TWA Flight Center designed by Eero Saarinen. Possibly The Lede could've said a little more about this.
By the way, I notice in the blogroll that PhysOrg is ID'ed as "Quick and dirty health news." Maybe that should read "…science news": the actual site is concerned (as part of its page heading says) with "Science, Physics, Tech, Nano, News."
Brian October 22, 2008 · 12:41 pm
Nostalgic – They did mention TWA a lot during their opening ceremonies. They flew in an old TWA plane and had former flight attendants there as well.
Jan R Smith October 22, 2008 · 12:44 pm
TWA used to have the only Atlanta-JFK service. When we used to fly to Europe, we used this flight. TWA was an architecal winner, but not very practical.
Jeff October 22, 2008 · 12:55 pm
I worked for a number of years at the old TWA terminal. I saw its transition from a spacious terminal to a cramped fishbowl. When first opened, people could routinely go through the tubes which radiated form the main concourse out toward the gates. When new security was instituted and only ticketed passengers could leave the concourse, the building became overcrowded. It was a marvelous building designed by Saarinen after he judged the Sydney Opera House and embraced the flowing concrete forms of billowing sails for his bird in flight form.
Larry Eisenberg October 22, 2008 · 3:40 pm
Is anyone bitter 'bout Twitter?
What communication is fitter,
In lifting the fog,
This fine Jet Blue blog,
Is a fine information transmitter!
Wandering Aramean October 22, 2008 · 7:08 pm
I was there for about six hours today, and the facility is pretty amazing. I spent some time hanging out with the crew-members working there as well as some in-flight crew. I even got to meet the CEO and talk to him for a minute or so about the airline, the terminal and the TrueBlue program, among other things.
Only a couple small snags, like the sprinklers going off in the pizza place, but overall the opening was incredibly smooth.
And the new terminal is miles ahead of the old one. Bright, open, airy, spacious. It really does make flying JetBlue via JFK an enjoyable option now.
Isabelle October 29, 2008 · 4:06 pm
I am in Terminal 5 now and IT IS AMAZING! It is efficient, clean, sleek, and modern. There is a large selection of good stores and food options, and I love the bars, particularly the one right in the open between gates. But my favorite feature is the bar-style space for laptop wi-fi use, with abundant electrical outlets. Above each stool is a touch-screen on which you order food, and it shows very tantalizing close-up pictures of food. Attached is a credit card swiper.
JetBlue will certainly be my top choice for flights into and out of NYC!
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