When travelers arrive at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, they are out at the far edge of Queens, a solid 45 minutes from mid-town Manhattan (more if the traffic is bad). Arriving at Kennedy Airport can be confusing to say the least. To cut to the chase, the cheapest way to get from JFK to Manhattan is AirTrain JFK, which links the airport with New York’s subway system (the MTA) and the Long Island Railway (LIRR).
It's not the world's easiest system. New York waited way too long to build any sort of public transportation infrastructure from JFK Airport, so, unlike modern many European, Japanese, and Chinese systems, there is no train to whisk travelers into the center of town. Instead, AirTrain had to be built around the already overcrowded infrastructure in Queens, and there was no way to run it through to Manhattan. To get to Manhattan requires transferring to either the Long island Railroad (LIRR) or the MTA subway system. Riders get on AirTrain right at the airport (each terminal has its own AirTrain station). They then take AirTrain to one of two transfer stations:
- Jamaica Station in Queens, which has connections to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). It is connected to the Sutphin Boulevard subway stop and the MTA’s E train (to Queens and mid-town Manhattan), and the J and Z trains to Brooklyn and lower Manhattan.
- Howard Beach, which has connections to the MTA Subway’s A train to Brooklyn and lower Manhattan.
For complete route information, including which trains to take to which New York destinations, check out the New York subway map.
Advantages of AirTrain
Here are a few reasons to take AirTrain:
Lack of traffic and weather delays: You will not get stuck in traffic, sleet or snow. How important is this? It depends on the time of day and the season, but the traffic patterns to JFK can be nasty. By contrast, the trains are reliable.
Cost: AirTrain is $5.00, plus $2.25 for the subway. (LIRR is more, depending on your destination).
No Waiting. AirTrain and the connecting subways every few minutes. If your plane was late, you’re not paying the meter on a waiting taxi driver, and you don’t have to wait an hour for the next bus.
Disadvantages of AirTrain
Most of disadvantages of taking AirTrain have nothing to do with AirTrain; they have to do with using it in conjunction with public transportation, especially the subways.
Crowded subways. Crowds are busiest during rush hour: Mornings inbound to Manhattan, and evenings outbound can be standing room only.
Confusing stations. The New York subway system is noisy, busy, crowded, and old, with a morass of signs that appear confusing at first glance. But the system IS logical. You just might have to take a deep breath and think. There are maps in every subway car, and it seems that every time I look at one, someone offers to tell me where I should go. For information on New York subway basics, see How to Use the New York MTA Subway System.
Lugging Luggage: A warning to those who travel with a lot of luggage: While Airtrain is completely modern and the turnstiles are built with large suitcases in mind, the same cannot be said of the New York subway. Travelers traveling alone with heavy luggage may have a problem getting through the stiles (although emergency and handicapped facilities are available, they aren't always easy to find). Escalators are often out of order, and elevators can be as well. Or they can be hard to find. So using the subway for families laden with luggage and strollers is not a good idea.
All told, Airtrain works well for people who are comfortable navigating subway systems, and who don’t mind lugging a little luggage up and down some stairs. The advantages include reliability and cost.
Karen Berger - Karen Berger is the author of 15 books. Please click on her name to read her full bio.
