Lounges
Reviewed: the airline and independent lounges across the Americas hub network — from JFK to MIA to LAX to ATL — that justify an early arrival.
United's Expanded Polaris Lounge at Newark Terminal C: 2026 Operating-Profile Analysis
United expanded the Polaris Lounge at Newark Terminal C on June 21, 2025 with a new 1,500-square-foot dining room adding nearly 60 seats and increasing capacity by approximately 10 percent. The lounge now exceeds 30,000 square feet — the second-largest single-carrier premium-only lounge in the United network after SFO. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
United Polaris Lounge IAD: The 2026 Review
The Authority's 2026 review of the United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles — a 14,000-square-foot international-departures sanctuary on Concourse C/D that delivers sit-down Polaris Dining 2.0, Pommery Champagne at the Polaris Bar, and reservable shower suites, but contends with the daily 5pm–7pm transatlantic crunch that makes IAD the most operationally stressed of the six Polaris flagships.
The United Polaris Lounge at Houston Bush: 2026 Operating Profile of the IAH Terminal E Build
Eight years on from its June 2018 opening, the United Polaris Lounge at Houston Intercontinental in Terminal E is a 12,528-square-foot facility serving United's Latin America-bound long-haul departure bank from the carrier's Southwest Star Alliance gateway. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
The Greenwich Lounge at JFK Terminal 8: American's Rebranded Flagship Lounge in 2026
American Airlines' Greenwich Lounge at JFK Terminal 8 — the rebranded and expanded Flagship Lounge — operates on the mezzanine level with eight modern shower suites and the dedicated Flagship First Dining sub-facility for the narrowest premium-cabin slice. The lounge was rebranded in December 2022. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
The Delta One Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma: The Pacific Northwest Anchor of the Programme
Delta's third Delta One Lounge — opened June 26, 2025 in a Concourse A expansion at Seattle-Tacoma — anchors the carrier's Pacific Northwest international hub with a two-story 24,000-square-foot combined facility, a wrap-around terrace overlooking Mt. Rainier, and a Seattle-inspired open-kitchen dining program. The Authority's 2026 landscape analysis.
Cathay Pacific's New JFK Lounge: What's Confirmed Ahead of the Terminal 6 Move
Cathay Pacific is opening its first New York lounge in conjunction with its relocation from JFK Terminal 8 to the redeveloped Terminal 6 — approximately 10,000 square feet, capacity for around 200 guests, and Cathay's signature residential design language by Ilse Crawford. The Authority's preview of what is confirmed, what is targeted, and what remains unsettled.
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Miami Concourse D: 2026 Operating-Profile Analysis
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge at MIA Concourse D — approximately 29,000 square feet, the largest Flagship Lounge in the network — serves American's principal Latin America long-haul departure bank from the carrier's southern hub. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
Delta One Lounge at Atlanta: What's Confirmed Ahead of the 2028 Opening
Delta has publicly committed to a Delta One Lounge at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson — the carrier's largest hub and the densest single Delta One feed in the network. Public reporting tracks an opening targeted for 2028, sited in the Concourse E international footprint. The Authority's preview of what's confirmed, what's targeted, and what remains unsettled.
The Capital One Lounge at JFK Terminal 4: 2026 Operating-Profile Analysis
Capital One opened its flagship lounge at JFK Terminal 4 on June 19, 2025 — 13,500 square feet, the largest Capital One lounge in the network, and the first Capital One lounge to operate 24 hours a day. The lounge features a New York-themed food and beverage programme with partnerships including Bean & Bean Coffee, Ess-A-Bagel, and Murray's Cheese. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
The American Express Centurion Lounge at JFK Terminal 4: 2026 Operating-Profile Analysis
American Express opened the Centurion Lounge at JFK Terminal 4 on October 9, 2020 — the largest Centurion Lounge in the network at over 15,000 square feet and the first with two guest floors. The lounge includes the '1850' speakeasy bar (named for Amex's founding year), an Equinox Body Lab wellness experience, and an Executive Chef Ignacio Mattos menu. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge at LAX Terminal 4: 2026 Operating-Profile Analysis
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge at LAX Terminal 4 — approximately 15,000 square feet between gates 41 and 43 — is the principal oneworld premium-cabin ground product for transpacific and transcontinental long-haul departures from Los Angeles. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
The State of US Premium Lounge Inventory 2026: A Hub-by-Hub Capacity Audit
An institutional audit of premium lounge supply across the eleven busiest US gateway hubs, mapping airline flagship products, card-issuer networks, and the 2026-2028 buildout pipeline against the demand curve corporate travel managers are now negotiating against.
United Polaris Lounge SFO: The 2026 Authority Review
Eight years on from its 2018 opening, the United Polaris Lounge at San Francisco International remains the gateway lounge for United's heaviest transpacific feed. The Authority's 2026 review of the 15,000-square-foot Terminal G flagship — dining room, daybeds, shower suites, and the airfield view that still defines it.
The Delta One Lounge at JFK Terminal 4: What 39,000 Square Feet of Premium Capacity Changes
Two years after its June 2024 opening, the Delta One Lounge at JFK Terminal 4 has become the operational benchmark in the Americas premium-lounge arms race — 39,000-plus square feet, a 140-seat Brasserie programmed with Danny Meyer's Union Square Events, and a wellness floor unlike any other US-carrier premium lounge. The Authority's 2026 landscape analysis.
The United Polaris Lounge at Los Angeles Terminal 7: 2026 Operating-Profile Analysis
The United Polaris Lounge at LAX Terminal 7 — 12,122 square feet, between gates 73 and 75A, with six shower suites and two quiet suites — is the carrier's calibrated answer to LAX's smaller long-haul departure bank against SFO. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.
United's Renovated Polaris Lounge at Chicago O'Hare: The April 2025 Expansion and What Changes
United's reopened Polaris Lounge at Chicago O'Hare Terminal 1 expanded by approximately 50 percent in the April 2025 reopening to 25,000 square feet, adding two full-service bars, expanded dining capacity, a dedicated wellness area, and a Crate & Barrel decor program. The Authority's 2026 operating-profile analysis.