Many airlines have been accused in the past of operating to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) purely as a matter of prestige. To some, an airline just is not a legitimate global competitor unless it serves JFK. Even if it means the airline will operate the route at a loss for years on end, it is seen by some as a necessary cost to be taken seriously. Airlines come and go from JFK every year, but none quite as large as United have exited. The carrier pulled out of JFK in October 2015 during the Jeff Smisek days in an effort to consolidate operations at its Newark hub. In doing so, United surrendered its JFK terminal space and lounge, sold its precious landing slots to Delta, and lost a handful of lucrative corporate clients in the process.