I toured JetBlue's first-ever airport lounge in New York. It finally gives the airline the premium edge it needs.

• JetBlue will open its first-ever airport lounge called BlueHouse on December 18.
• The two-level space is unmistakably New York with local art, food, and alcohol.
• To minimize crowds, it's open only to JetBlue's most loyal and highest-paying customers.

JetBlue Airways has finally added the one premium perk it's been missing for years.

Come December 18, the low-cost carrier will open its first-ever airport lounge — a two-story, art-deco-inspired retreat called BlueHouse — at its New York-JFK Terminal 5 home base.

A lack of lounges has long been JetBlue's glaring weak spot, but BlueHouse represents JetBlue's greater push to elevate its premium offerings.

It complements Mint, the airline's flagship business class, and the new domestic first-class seat set to arrive in 2026.

I toured the 9,000-square-foot BlueHouse ahead of its opening, and it is quintessentially "New York."

There's colorful artwork — including three pieces created by JetBlue employees — a ceiling mural painted as an ode to Grand Central Terminal, and a help desk adorned with a wall of vintage post office boxes (and they have little surprises inside if you ask).

BlueHouse is a vibe closer to a boutique hotel lobby in Midtown than a traditional airline club. JetBlue envisions this as an exclusive spot to relax with a free drink or to work away from the busy terminal crowds.

Compared to competitors' flashier lounges, the BlueHouse service has no showers or full buffets, which could disappoint some customers.

Still, guests can enjoy complimentary hot and cold quick food like breakfast burritos, sandwiches, parfaits, and salads.

I liked the food, but it's simple, and there are few options to start. It's more of a grab-and-go experience rather than a sit-down. But meal options may expand; JetBlue said a kitchen would open in 2026.

The lounge also sports social areas, private workspaces, power ports, a full lineup of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks across its two bars and coffee stations, and a dedicated game room for kids or families.

Bigger airlines have worked to satisfy their customers with lounges, and JetBlue's entry is erring on the side of small and exclusive.

During the media walkthrough, JetBlue's head of loyalty, Ed Pouthier, said access will be intentionally limited at first to avoid overcrowding in the 140-person space. Think roughly the size of an average Trader Joe's.

The lounge is a perk for JetBlue's executive travelers and a way to entice more travelers to its new credit card. Only transatlantic Mint business class passengers, Mosaic 4 loyalty members (the highest tier of JetBlue's status ladder), and JetBlue Premium credit cardholders can enter. The latter two get one free guest; extra guests cost $39.

No Blue Basic passengers, which is JetBlue's budget, bare-bones fare, and no domestic Mint business class customers will be allowed in. And there is no reciprocal entry for United MileagePlus elites, despite the airlines' loyalty partnership.

"We promised ourselves when we came up with the idea that we would never have lines," Pouthier said.

He added that limited-access passes will be available for purchase starting in February for Mosaic 1, 2, and 3 loyalty members, JetBlue Plus and Business cardholders, and non-transatlantic Mint customers.

These early restrictions appear to be JetBlue's answer to the long queues that have plagued its competitors. It remains to be seen how the queue will look once JetBlue introduces paid access, especially with its smaller capacity.

Delta's SkyClubs, for example, have become known for snaking queues, which prompted the airline to rewrite its own access rules in 2023. United Airlines similarly tightened its Club Lounge access in March by upping the price of membership.

BlueHouse New York is just the beginning

BlueHouse is the first of at least two JetBlue lounges, with Boston expected to follow in 2026. CEO Joanna Geraghty teased a potential Fort Lauderdale location at an industry conference last week.

JetBlue President Marty St. George acknowledged that customers like consistency, but said future lounges depend on whether JetBlue can grow its base of Mosaic elites and premium credit card holders enough to justify the investment.

The $499-a-year JetBlue Premium credit card — launched in January — is already proving lucrative, with St. George saying JetBlue exceeded its 2025 sign-up goal by roughly 67%.

"We saw the lounge as being sort of the flagship benefit," he said.

JetBlue Premium card benefits also include up to $300 in travel statements, free checked luggage, and access to the global airport lounge network, Priority Pass — a clever way for JetBlue to provide lounge access to more customers without building its own.

BlueHouse is a significant step for JetBlue, finally giving it a stronger foothold in the premium space — and the news comes a day after Southwest Airlines' CEO, Bob Jordan, told CNBC that lounges would be a "huge, next benefit" for its customers.

Both low-cost airlines are trying to catch up to their legacy rivals.

American, Delta, and United operate extensive networks of lounges — sometimes running more than one in the same airport — that are increasingly designed like luxury hotels with full-service restaurants, wellness rooms, and chef-made menus.