As JetBlue marks ten years of service to Bermuda, the airline has opened a new-look lobby at JFK International Airport’s terminal five.

The company, which has services to the island from New York and Boston, said the design and facilities at New York aim to eliminate lines, with travellers able to check themselves in, self-service style, at electronic kiosks.

Many of the kiosks also have a table, complete with a weigh scale so that checked bags and cases can be quickly repackaged where necessary to meet flight regulations.

There is a self-drop bag facility to further speed up the process. JetBlue staff are on hand to guide and assist travellers where necessary, but the lobby system and its layout aims to make the passage through the terminal as seamless as possible.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the lobby yesterday. However, it has been in use for a month to ensure that it runs smoothly.

For Bermuda-bound travellers it should make passing through the terminal a faster and more pleasurable experience.

“We have seen customers give it a try, and once they have been through it they see the benefits. It moves people faster allowing them to flow through the lobby,” said Giselle Cortes, director of international, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands Airports.

And for Joanna Geraghty, executive vice-president, customer experience, it is all about eliminating “lines, lines and lines”.

She explained: “We tried to address that feeling customer have when they walk into a terminal and are overwhelmed by the sea of people, and by not knowing how to navigate it.”

Since the soft launch of the new lobby there have been no lines, said Ms Geraghty. “You always hope for that and plan for that, and put it into action and it works.”

She added that staff could now offer an additional level of service and help to travellers who needed it, as they were no longer tied down by repetitive tasks.

“As word about this great terminal gets out, and as we roll it out in Boston, Fort Lauderdale — we’ve already got it in San Juan — and we look at other airports, travellers are going to want to try it,” she said.

The new lobby has been described as “a substantial investment”, but no cost figure has been revealed.

Ms Geraghty said: “An investment like this we are confident will pay back in spades. It’s about creating a great working environment for our crew members and creating an experience that customers will want to come back to time and time again.”

JetBlue will be looking to eventually put its new self-service kiosks and other enhancements in other locations where it operates, although yesterday there was no word on when Bermuda might see some of the new technologies.

However, Bermuda travellers will benefit from the streamlining efforts as they pass through JFK’s terminal five. Other enhancements have been put in place inside the terminal for passengers who are airside, either catching a flight or a connection. Those enhancements include “nap stations” where a travellers can lie down with a dome above their head to block out noise and light so they can enjoy a power nap or rest.