United Airlines could soon suspend service at New York's JFK Airport
United Airlines could soon be bidding farewell to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) — again.
At the end of October, the airline will lose the slots that currently allow it to operate from JFK — a key driver of the move. The Chicago-based carrier on Tuesday told employees that it still wants to grow at JFK but needs more slots to do it.
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"If you recall, United had an opportunity during COVID to gain access to some temporary slot times at JFK held by other airlines," the unsigned note to employees said, which was obtained by TPG. "Now that customer demand has surged back, the operators of those slots are resuming their use at the start of the winter season and beyond."
A slot is a permission granted by the Federal Aviation Administration for an airline to use the airport's runway at a given time for a takeoff or a landing. JFK, along with a small handful of other airports, is slot-controlled.
United had long served Kennedy but left the airport in 2015 — a decision made by disgraced former United CEO Jeff Smisek. The airline then leased 40 slots that it owns at Kennedy to Delta Air Lines. A source familiar with the deal said that under the terms of the lease to Delta, United is unable to access those Kennedy slots. Slots are frequently leased and sold among airlines on a secondary market, and they are immensely valuable assets.
United re-inaugurated service at JFK in March 2021 during a period of depressed demand, especially among international carriers. The airline leased eight slots from some international airlines, enough for two round-trip flights a day to both Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Now that demand is returning, the airlines that leased the slots to United need them back. In a sign that United has exhausted its existing options to obtain more slots, it said in the note that it is urging the FAA to increase the slot cap at Kennedy. United CEO Scott Kirby sent a letter to acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen last week urging a cap increase.
“JFK has four total runways (compared to just three at EWR) — two pairs of parallel runways — with the ability to consistently shift between two arrival or two departure runways to accommodate arrival or departure demand spikes,” the note to United employees said. “Yet, the airport capacity has remained the same: 81 operations per hour since 2008, just two more movements per hour than EWR’s stated limit of 79.”
More: United returns to New York JFK after more than a 5-year hiatus with inaugural flagship routes
United currently serves Kennedy using a 757-200 with 16 lie-flat business-class seats. It originally launched the service using 767s in the super-premium "high-J" configuration, with 46 business-class seats; it changed to the 757s last October.
Should United lose out on Kennedy, it will still have extensive transcontinental service at its nearby hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). From Newark, the carrier currently has seven daily round-trip flights to LAX and eight daily round-trip flights to SFO, according to Cirium schedule data.
United's move back to JFK was a symbolic way for the Star Alliance carrier to plant its flag back in New York City proper on a flagship route. It was also a chance to compete against Delta, American Airlines and JetBlue at the same airport. So, despite having a diminutive presence at the airport, losing its Kennedy slots would be a tough loss for United.
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- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
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- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees