JFK Terminal 8/9 update

Just received an email from AA with some info. on the terminal upgrade.

This $1.1
billion dollar facility will be world-class in every respect with features designed to provide
outstanding service for both domestic and international travelers.
I also want to share with you a change in the way US Helicopter’s service can be accessed for
travel connecting to and from AA flights. To maintain full operational flexibility at and around our
JFK terminal -- and taking into consideration the relatively few passengers connecting between
US Helicopter and AA -- Gate 43 (the current US Helicopter location) has been re-designated
exclusively for AA’s use. This allows AA to use this premium gate space for increasing
domestic and international network traffic in and out of JFK. US Helicopter will continue to use
Gate 43 through May 11, 2007.
Consequently, US Helicopter will soon be seeking a new gate destination at JFK. We realize
that some of our customers may still find US Helicopter a convenient service, and we apologize
for the inconvenience while US Helicopter determines its new JFK location. We understand that
US Helicopter will communicate its plans as they are finalized.
Please note that when the new AA terminal is completed in July, it will be named Terminal
8. (The old terminal 8 will be torn down.) In addition to covering nearly 1.5 million square feet,
the new AA JFK Terminal 8 will offer these customer-pleasing features:
- Thirty-six gates – 27 for jet operations, 19 of which can support international flights – and 9
for regional jets.
- A dramatic, 57,000 square-foot ticketing lobby in the Main Terminal, with a 65-foot ceiling
and 94 ticketing positions.
- Forty-four self-service ticketing kiosks and eight curbside check-in positions.
- Ten security checkpoint lanes that can process 1,900 passengers per hour.
- An Admirals Club area in Concourse C of 11,000 square feet with seating for 185 people,
and a second Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge for premium passengers with 19,000
square feet in Concourse B.
- US Customs and Immigration facility will have thirty-six immigration and twelve
Customs positions doubling the current capacity
- State of the art In-line security baggage system will eliminate the need for
passengers to stand in line after check-in to drop off their bag at the TSA
processing area.

Great stuff! I bet Delta wishes their JFK ops had this terminal vs. the relic they use now.

They mention Concourses B and C...what about A?

Which concourse is A, B, and C?

The new AA terminal looks so new. The next should be T3

Concourse A was supposed to run along the elevated roadway and was going to be mainly for Eagle flights.
http://www.rankel.net/stephenlauren/...AATerminal.jpg
The steel was fabricated along with the steel used for the portion that is now open in hopes that they would build the two phases at the same time. However, that was not the case and someone decided that the best place to put the shortest flights was as far as possible from the front doors. With the decision to move Eagle out to the end of Concourse C, came the decision to eliminate Concourse A all together.
It really is a shame what they did to the terminal. Myself and most other people who worked on this project hope that AA decides to move forward and complete the east side of the building. If you ever travel through the space, just remember that the main ticketing lobby is supposed to be TWICE as big.

What a shame :(

delta should do the same, its a shame of terminal that delta has