John F. Kennedy International Airport

Understand

Landing or taking off from JFK has been much improved by the addition of the multibillion-dollar Bay Runway in 2010, but due to sheer volume, it remains the worst airport in the country in terms of flight delays. If possible, do not connect using JFK, especially when switching terminals. If you must connect via JFK, make sure you have sufficient time: For connections from domestic (US or Canada) flights to other destinations in the US or Canada, allow 2–3 hours; for transfers from domestic to international destinations, allow 3–4 hours; for international to domestic, 3–5 hours; and for international to international, 3–6 hours. International travellers other than those from Canada, Bermuda or Visa-Waiver Program countries are most strongly advised to avoid connecting in JFK to other international flights, as the security and immigration procedures for non-US citizens are monumentally time-consuming and tiresome.

JFK has no direct public transport connections with other airports serving New York City, such as Newark (EWR) or LaGuardia (LGA). Connections that require you to travel from one airport to another are very difficult and expensive, particularly around rush hour, and will likely involve an expensive taxi, Uber, or Lyft ride. It is possible to connect from JFK to EWR by taking a four-legged, two-hour public transport trip; each leg requires a separate fare per person. Connecting between JFK and LGA requires at least three journeys on public transport, with fares on each.

If you arrive at this airport from overseas, be prepared to wait in line at Customs & Border Protection, often over an hour if you are not a permanent resident of the United States. As cellphones are not allowed in waiting lines, you may want to bring a book or other non-digital entertainment.

If you are departing from this airport, beware that, as a huge and congested airport with five terminals, it's recommended that you make sure before you arrive what terminal you are departing from, such as by doing a search for your airline at JFK's site, linked at the top of the page, and try to arrive 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international ones, to check in and pass through security without a huge increase in blood pressure and/or a last minute dash worthy of the Olympics, but without any of the medals.

In the 2020s, A New JFK, a $19 billion project, involves major construction on four of JFK's five terminals. Terminal 2 ended operations in January 2023 so that it could be demolished for construction of a new Terminal One (replacing Terminal 1, with a numeral) in 2026, for example. There are frequent reroutes on the roads and at terminals during construction; even experienced flyers may be disoriented when arriving at JFK for the first time in a while. Confirm with your airline about where your flights arrive and depart, and allow extra time to get around the airport.

• John F. Kennedy International Airport website

Get around

AirTrain JFK, which is free of charge within the airport, connects the terminals, but only landside. There's virtually no airside transportation between the terminals, so if you have to change between terminals to make a connection, you will have to go through security again. The only exception is a shuttle between terminals 5 and 8 for passengers connecting between American and JetBlue flights.

Due to construction projects, AirTrain service may be delayed or limited. Review signs at each terminal and its AirTrain station. Allow extra time to get around the airport.

Within terminals, if your flight leaves from or arrives at a high-numbered gate, consider using a free motorized shuttle, especially if you are carrying heavy or bulky luggage or would otherwise have trouble walking long distances. (Terminal 4 is nearly half a mile, or 800 meters, long!) Some gates are very far from the security check area and the baggage claim area. Drivers do not expect to be tipped for driving you.

Eat and drink

All terminals have extensive choices for food post-security. Only Terminal 1, however, has a dedicated food court pre-security, with many well-known chains such as Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Sbarro's.

Flights

See also: view full list of airlines at New York JFK International Airport or this Wikipedia list of destinations served from New York John F Kennedy International Airport.

There are five terminals (1, 4, 5, 7, and 8) that are not so close to each other, so it is important to note which terminal your flight leaves from. Check the JFK Airport website or with your airline for the correct terminal before you go. Terminals 2, 3, 6, and 9, and the remote Tower Air terminal, have been decommissioned; the "A New JFK" project will replace Terminal 7 with a newly built Terminal 6. Old maps or guides might send you to the wrong place, although signage aboard AirTrain JFK is kept up to date.

The airlines that serve JFK are spread across the airport. Delta Air Lines operates a major international hub out of Terminal 4, while American Airlines has a hub in Terminal 8. Terminal 5 serves as the base of operations for low-cost carrier JetBlue. Most of the international airlines which serve JFK are split between Terminals 1 and 4, though there are also some operating out of Terminals 5, 7, and 8.

The terminal colors are related to the parking garage that serves them. For example, Terminal 1 is colored green, and it is served by the green garage.

The airport only has one airside shuttle, for passengers on connecting American/JetBlue itineraries between terminals 5 and 8. Other than that, there is no sterile transit between terminals, and moving between them requires exiting and re-clearing security. Extra time should be allocated for transferring between terminals.

All the terminals at JFK have customs and immigration facilities to process the arrival of international flights. JetBlue international arrivals between 10:30PM and 5AM, with the exception of those from airports with U.S. Customs & Border Protection preclearance facilities, are processed at Terminal 4, as Terminal 5's customs and immigration facilities do not operate 24 hours a day.

Ground transportation

To get to the city, you can choose between the bus (slow and cheap), AirTrain plus subway or train (less painful, but more expensive than the bus), many shuttle services (more expensive than public transport), or a cab (likely most expensive). With the waiting time for taxis and traffic, the train is often the fastest option.

JFK is in Queens, 12 miles southeast of Lower Manhattan. From the Financial District, it is accessible via the Williamsburg Bridge, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Long Island Expressway, and the Van Wyck Expressway. From Midtown Manhattan, take the Queens Midtown Tunnel onto the Queens Midtown Expressway, which eventually continues onto the Long Island Expressway, from which you can turn off onto the Van Wyck Expressway towards JFK.

To travel between the city and JFK:

• MTA NYC Bus - costing $3, buses are the cheapest methods of transport, although the slowest to/from Manhattan. The buses depart from Lefferts Blvd AirTrain station (which can be reached for free from the terminals, see the AirTrain section below). These buses have little room for luggage and go to non-touristy neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. However, they offer connections to the subway and Long Island Railroad. Free transfers between bus and subway are available with OMNY; the single ride ticket does not allow free transfers. Bus to subway/LIRR transfers include:
• Q10 to:
• Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd (20 minutes): A train
• Jamaica Avenue and Lefferts Blvd: J and Z trains (walk 3 blocks east to 121st Street Station)
• Kew Gardens (30 minutes): Transfer here to the Long Island Railroad (Kew Gardens Station) with service to Penn Station ($9.00 peak, $6.50 off-peak, $5.00 weekends with CityTicket), Brooklyn, and Long Island. While this option is cheaper than taking the AirTrain to Jamaica and connecting there to the LIRR, LIRR service from here is much less frequent than LIRR service from Jamaica.
• Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike (35 minutes): E and F trains. During rush hours, from this stop, you can take express buses X63, X64, X68, QM18, and QM21 to Manhattan. While these routes are slower and more expensive than taking the subway, they do offer a ride on cloth seats without the crowding. Ask where the bus stops are. One ride on an express bus costs $7, but it is $3.50 as step-up fare if you transfer from the Q10 bus and pay for both with OMNY.
• Q3 to:
• Jamaica-179th Street (45 minutes): F train
• Note that on the way to (but not from) the airport, the Q3 stops at Terminal 8, where you can take the AirTrain to the other terminals without going via Lefferts Blvd station. However, the Q3 does not stop at any terminals when going away from the airport.
• B15 to:
• Ashford Street & New Lots Avenue (30 minutes): 3 train.
• Van Sinderen Ave & New Lots Avenue (35 minutes): L train.
• Fulton Street & Kingston-Throop Avenues (60 minutes): C train.
• Flushing Avenue and Broadway: J train all times except weekdays 7AM-1PM towards Manhattan & 1PM-8PM away from Manhattan, M train weekdays

Note that transfers from the B15 to the subway are in some of Brooklyn's roughest neighborhoods, so this route is not recommended at night or for people unfamiliar with the city.

• AirTrain JFK — A people mover system that runs 24 hours daily, connecting all airline terminals, Lefferts Blvd Station (airport parking), and the Federal Circle Station (Car rental and hotel shuttles). The service is free within JFK, and costs $8.75 if entering or leaving through the Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, with connections to other MTA services.
• Connecting to the LIRR from Jamaica — This takes about 35 minutes in total, but is more expensive. To ride the LIRR within the city, you can buy a CityTicket at a ticket office, a ticket machine, or on the MTA TrainTime app. A CityTicket costs $7.25 during peak hours and $5.25 during off-peak hours; this is in addition to the AirTrain JFK fare. If you buy a ticket on your phone, remember to activate it just before boarding, and show it to a conductor when asked. Eastbound trains to Long Island are priced based on zones and time of day; the MTA TrainTime app will provide specific information for each train. Elevators are available at Jamaica and Penn Stations.
• Connecting to the subway — This takes about 60 minutes in total, but is less expensive. Fares can be paid with a credit, debit, prepaid or OMNY card. From Howard Beach, take the 'A' train to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. From Jamaica, take the 'E' Train to Queens and Lower Manhattan, or the 'J' and 'Z' trains to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. If returning to the airport on the A train, make sure the destination signs read Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park. Trains to Lefferts Blvd. do not connect directly to the airport! Between midnight and 6 AM, the A train makes local stops, making the trip much slower.
• Go Airlink Shuttle - Shared van service to or from most of Manhattan for $17–20 one way. 10% discount for online booking.
• Taxi — The most flexible route into the city from JFK is a taxi, although the wait for one can be long when many flights arrive simultaneously. Taxi fare to Manhattan runs a flat $70 (or $75 during peak hours), plus other taxes and surcharges, tolls and tips, which can make the bill total $90 or more. Up to 4 passengers can take a single cab, and up to 5 can take a single van. Taxis to points other than Manhattan and taxis to the airport from anywhere use the meter (see taxis in "Get around"). During peak periods, you may have to wait up to 30 minutes for a taxi. See the warning about taxi scammers below for an important notice about drivers who prey on visitors who don't want to wait in a long taxi line.
• Uber and Lyft — Both apps serve JFK airport, with prices noted in the app. Verify that your car and driver match the ones listed in the app.
• Unlicensed taxis — The arrivals terminals are filled with drivers hawking illegal livery rides. See the warning about taxi scammers below. If you want to take one of these, be sure to negotiate the fare in advance and make sure that it is cheaper than the taxi fare noted above. This also saves the wait in the taxi line. In general, though, it is not recommended if you are unfamiliar with the city, as these drivers tend to increase the price at the end of the trip through different excuses.
• Car service/limousines - An alternative to taxis, car services are useful for getting to the airport from the outer boroughs where taxis are harder to find, or if you prefer to have transportation reserved in advance. You can compare prices on Mozio.com

Wait

JFK has a large number of airline lounges scattered throughout all of its terminals

Terminal 1

• Lufthansa Business and Senator Lounge
• Korean Air First and Business Lounges (also accessible through Priority Pass)
• Air France/KLM Lounge. First class passengers have access to the Korean Air Lounge, business class passengers should go to the Lufthansa lounge.

Terminal 4

• Delta Sky Club
• Wingtips Lounge (Priority Pass)
• Swiss Business and First Class HON Lounge
• Emirates
• Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse
• El Al King David Lounge
• Air India Maharajah Lounge
• Etihad Airways First and Business Lounge

Terminal 5

• Aer Lingus
• JetBlue Rooftop Terrace

Terminal 7

• Alaska Lounge. (Also accessible through Priority Pass)
• British Airways Galleries Lounge, First Class Lounge, and Concorde Room

Terminal 8

• American Admirals Club, Flagship Lounge, and Flagship First Dining

Nearby

The only neighborhood that's really nearby is Jamaica.