JetBlue eyes airport lounge in third US city, gives first class update
JetBlue is fresh off the opening of its first-ever airport lounge in New York, and has long said its second location would debut in Boston. The carrier is leaving little secret about where its third outpost will be.
The airline this week doubled down on teasing Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) as a likely future home for its fledgling network of BlueHouse clubs ... that is, if it can secure precious airport real estate.
"We are looking at trying to find space for a BlueHouse facility in Fort Lauderdale," JetBlue president Marty St. George reiterated Tuesday on the airline's first-quarter earnings call, noting any outpost would be inside the airport's Terminal 3, where JetBlue operates.
"We haven't found the right solution yet that's right for everybody," St. George added. "But I just think that's the natural, next, third step."
Related: JetBlue to offer lounge day passes at New York's JFK: Here's what it will cost
Doubling down on Fort Lauderdale
That news didn't come out of left field.
When JetBlue cut the ribbon on its inaugural BlueHouse location at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in December, leaders suggested a future FLL club could be on the horizon.
It will come after the airline opens its planned second outpost at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which the airline on Tuesday said will be during the latter part of summer this year.
A lounge in Fort Lauderdale would put a bow on what has been a run of fast growth for JetBlue at its biggest Sunshine State base. Over the past year, the carrier has added nonstop service to 21 cities and extra flights on 20 additional routes — seizing gate space vacated by bankruptcy-emboiled Spirit Airlines, which calls FLL its home base.
After a multi-year shake-up of its network, JetBlue executives have described FLL as the "third tentpole" of an operation that's otherwise heavily anchored at JFK and BOS.
For now, JetBlue flyers can access the airline's BlueHouse lounge at JFK by flying Mint to Europe, earning top-tier Mosaic 4 elite status or carrying the JetBlue Premier Card, which carries a $499 annual fee.
Cardholders and Mosaics who book a Blue Basic (basic economy) fare cannot access the lounge.
Those same access rules are expected to apply to the new location in New England once that opens to passengers later this year.
The information for the JetBlue Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What about first class?
Meanwhile, JetBlue flyers may have to wait a little longer for the debut of its other big premium product in the works: a domestic first-class cabin.
Speaking on Tuesday's earnings call, CEO Joanna Geraghty said the recliners are expected to appear on the first aircraft "at the end of the year."
The seats are currently undergoing certification with the Federal Aviation Administration, Geraghty said.
JetBlue plans to put domestic first-class cabins on its jets that don't have the airline's international business-style Mint cabin.
A big financial loss
While first-class seats and a new lounge in Boston are exciting developments for customers still to come in 2026, the airline does continue to face major financial challenges.
The company posted a net loss of more than $300 million during the first quarter of 2026, and it isn't getting any help from the rapid run-up in jet fuel costs that is pressuring every global airline's bottom line.
Related: Are cheap fares worth your tax dollars? Budget airlines want help paying for fuel
Similar to other carriers, JetBlue said it cut a "small percentage" of flights from its May schedule in an effort to cut costs; it plans to trim more departures later in the year, with a focus on off-peak times like Tuesdays, Wednesdays and late nights.
JetBlue hasn't turned a profit since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
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