It was a beautiful day for a fake flight: The sky was blue, the sun was bright and the Airtrain was quickly depositing 1,000 people onto JetBlue's new turf behind Eero Saarinen's iconic TWA Terminal at JFK.
Saturday's event, the JetBlue T5 Trial Run, involved groups of New York-area TrueBlue members (us), JetBlue family and press who would put the terminal through the paces without actually flying anyone anywhere.
Last week when we received the email confirming our place in Group A--scheduled to start the first run-through at 9 am--our stomach sank at the thought of having to be out on the A train to JFK in the wee hours of a Saturday morning. But to the airport we went!
We're still waiting for our sneak preview of JetBlue's new Terminal 5 at JFK, but a video tour just released by the restaurant group handling all the dining has us salivating.
Top on our list of must-visits is the cavern-like Piquillo, a tapas spot with a massive bar and a great looking design. From the looks of things, we wouldn't mind popping into Aeronuova or JFK Steak nearby, either. The most outlandish design is at Deep Blue Sushi, pictured, which reminds us a bit of that overwrought fusion place from the beginning of "Garden State."
We can't embed the video, but you can find it here.
But while there were specifics on a couple places, further details on the dining options were fuzzy. That is, until we were handed a JetBlue-authored list of every restaurant, bar and to-go place that would populate the terminal when it opens later this fall.
Actors have previews, football players have scrimmages and JFK's Terminal 5 is having a "trial run" on August 23rd. But unlike on Broadway or at Alvin Ailey, you can be a part of this trial run if you got JetBlue's latest love letter, which went out to some of its TrueBlue frequent flier members, one of which was good enough to post the invite and his thoughts.
The airline seeks 1,000 warm bodies to play passengers, proceeding through check-in and security and hanging out at the gates. Participation also includes free lunch, which is more than you can get as a paying passenger on a flight!
You have to fill out a special form to participate--anyone want to forward us the fun? The rest of the invitation, after the jump.
JetBlue announced today that you'll now be able to buy a pillow-and-blanket kit for $7 on flights longer than two hours. The goodies are ostensibly eco-friendly and anti-allergenic, and the kit includes--for some strange reason--a coupon for $5 off a purchase at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Just about everyone in the travel blogosphere jumped on the announcement, since selling stuff in-flight is a bit of a first for JetBlue. The general reaction? Meh.
Southwest Airlines announced in April it would start selling Monster energy drinks on flights, starting in early May. Now JetBlue is gunning for the X Games crowd with its own over-caffinated offering. The carrier will start shilling Rockstar on August 3.
Are we seriously the only people who don't want our seatmates slamming faux-Red Bull-and-vodkas and high-fiving their bros while we're trying to sleep on our way to Vegas? And it's not like passengers are having a hard time getting drunk asitis.
At least JetBlue will also start selling Vitamin Water on August 3, too. Should help us deal with the headache of watching our hopped-up fellow passengers bounce of the cabin walls.
Last we heard from JetBlue, there wasn't much new happening at the still-under-contruction T5 at JFK. But The New York Times dug up some juicy new details on the innovative new dining and shopping options coming to the airport's newest addition this fall.
The 26-gate terminal will have dining bars, pictured, scattered throughout, with plug ins for your electronics and touch-screen ordering a la Virgin America's RED. Tap in an order, and it's delivered to you a few minutes later. In the heart of T5, a 10,000-square-foot food court will have a Whole Foods-style buffet of hot and cold items, perfect for grabbing on the run.
Fancier options include a "rustic Italian trattoria," a sushi spot, a brasserie, a tapas joint and a Mexican place, all of which count chefs from popular NYC restaurants as consultants.
On the retail side, be on the lookout for a Muji outpost to compliment two other locations in New York. There will also be a an outlet for WFAN, a local sports radio station, and 17 other shops.
Speaking of JFK, with our heavy focus last week on architect Eero Saarinen, what better time is there to check in on progress at the airport's new Terminal 5? We went straight to the source, asking JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin what was up.
Here's what he said:
T5 is progressing very nicely. We're scheduled for a late September operational start date. The exact date is still being finalized. The project is still on budget, and a September opening will put us almost six months ahead of schedule.
Don't worry: We'll be trying our best to get another sneak preview before T5 finally opens to fliers this fall.
0 Comments - Add Yours
by JetSetCD
