JFKIAT has partnered with Hospitality Quotient, a hospitality advisory from the team at Union Square Hospitality Group, to launch a comprehensive hospitality training program for the thousands of employees who power the largest and busiest air terminal at JFK Airport.
This partnership is in support of JFKIAT’s T4 North Star program, the strategic vision for T4 as the terminal undergoes a $1.5B transformation. The many components of this initiative will evolve every aspect of T4 to stand as a truly world-class air terminal with an enhanced hospitality culture, achieving the Port Authority’s larger vision for JFK Airport. JFKIAT’s partnership with Hospitality Quotient will focus on refining and activating the T4 State of Mind, JFKIAT’s hospitality-centered training and engagement program for all terminal employees that reinforces the belief that every interaction shapes the terminal experience.
The program empowers staff with key hospitality traits and behaviors that elevate daily operations, helping employees take pride in their roles, understand the difference they can make, and fully realize their contribution to the central mission of the T4 North Star. The training will focus on setting a new level of service standards, strengthening emotional intelligence skills to provide authentic, personable interactions, and harnessing the power of the T4 community to deliver a seamless and welcoming experience to the nearly 80,000 passengers who travel through T4 every day. Moving forward, JFKIAT and Hospitality Quotient will also work together on creating a model for future recruitment at T4, informed by the T4 State of Mind and the skill sets necessary for this new standard of customer service at the terminal.
“The T4 State of Mind embodies the core of our identity as a terminal, blending New York City’s ambition and resilience with the T4 community’s bold spirit of ingenuity,” said Roel Huinink, Chief Executive Officer of JFKIAT. “As we continue to bring the transformation of T4 to life, our focus on exceptional service, authentic hospitality, and the strength of our T4 community will set a new standard for customer service. I’m looking forward to our partnership with Hospitality Quotient and Union Square Hospitality Group to bring this program to fruition through every interaction our community has with our passengers.”
This partnership continues JFKIAT’s long-standing collaboration with Union Square Hospitality Group, which worked with JFKIAT more than 15 years ago to open an outpost of Blue Smoke, the group’s BBQ concept, and the first of its two Shake Shack locations at T4. The company has also played an integral role in the development and culinary offerings for the award-winning Delta One Lounge experience. The company’s expertise and commitment to prioritizing a hospitality-focused, customer-first ethos made USHG’s Hospitality Quotient the right partner for this transformational customer service training program for the T4 community.
“Through our work with JFKIAT, we’ve put the Hospitality Quotient playbook into action,” says Hospitality Quotient Managing Director Patti Simpson. “So much more than just a training program, this partnership proves that – at one of the world’s busiest transit hubs – exceptional hospitality is possible. Together, we’re not just elevating the passenger experience, we’re helping JFKIAT’s teams connect, grow, and thrive every day.”
“We’ve long known that the power of hospitality extends far beyond the restaurant industry,” adds USHG Founder & Executive Chairman Danny Meyer. “Thoughtful hospitality can transform every interaction into something meaningful and memorable. At JFK’s Terminal 4, it’s helping team members create moments of connection that passengers remember long after they reach their final destination.”
