New York JFK Airport review by Arshad Ebad

25 July 2005

Flew in and out of terminal 4 at JFK . Coming back from South africa July 21, everything went well. I do have complaints about passengers being charged $3 for luggage carts. I see no justification for passengers paying just to carry their luggage for few minutes, for passengers it is a necessity not a luxury. And to make matter worst, to my horror arriving passengers also have to pay to get the cart in to baggage claim area. Just think of elderly, passengers with disability, women, children and foreigners coming for the first time to US. with no US currency. It is a sheer shame and greed. I have taken many trips abroad , I haven't seen any airports charging for luggage carts, even in the poorest country of the world. I just want to say abolish this practice of charging for luggage cart.

New York JFK Airport review by Trevor Rushforth

5 July 2005

English person’s view - Flew ‘Song’ FtL into JFK Terminal 3 (Delta). Baggage reclaim: Waited 55 minutes before luggage started to arrive on the announced belt. Sought clarification from staff in office opposite belt as to which belt luggage would be on because told belt number, but it was displayed flight on another. Helpful (Ha Ha) staff said that often happens! Toilets were filthy and smelt vile - a total disgrace. Arriving at Manchester UK, luggage on belt within 15 minutes, and toilets spotless.

New York JFK Airport review by J Katz

29 June 2005

Terminal 7 is very nice, neatly organized and quite comfortable. The food is only mediocre for an airport, but there is a nice bookstore and a nice coffee shop. The staff are nice Terminal 9 is hell on earth. Grey, drab, rude staff, delays, garish lighting.

New York JFK Airport review by Stephen Mallinger

29 June 2005

I would never dispute other people's experiences but would like to comment on my own experience at JFK last week when I arrived via ANA from Tokyo. I never saw any "animal house" environment as witnessed by others here. Far from it - the whole immigration process (at least for the line of Americans returning) took less than 20 minutes - my luggage arrived on the carrousel in about 20 minutes. Everyone from the immigration official to baggage clerks was friendly, alert and polite - the restrooms were very clean and in good working order. There were hundreds of people arriving as I did and I never saw anyone shouting. Every procedure seemed professional and efficient The only recommendation (and this is minor) is for better signage for those transferring to domestic airlines. Again this was my own experience.

New York JFK Airport review by Cat Mohan

18 May 2005

Arrived JFK from Moscow on May 15. Passport check wasn't too bad, there were several TSA employees directing people to queues and I even got a 'welcome home' from the guy who checked my passport. Unfortunately, I have never waited so long for my suitcase; after waiting for over an hour for my bag to finally appear on the carousel, I hightailed it past the next baggage claim. Fortunately, I knew I was on a small plane for my connecting flight so I could gate-check my bag. If I'd have waited in that line to recheck my bag, I would have missed my plane. Next was security check and I was delayed there because my hardward on my overalls kept setting off the machine. The delay only lasted about a minute as they scanned me with the wand so this was no problem. Overall, my impression of JFK was that baggage handling was extraordinarily slow, the facilities were not clean, but the personnel were polite to me overall.

New York JFK Airport review by N R Lyes

16 May 2005

Flew into JFK from London and was stunned at just how awful the place is. I thought Heathrow was bad but JFK T8 is dreadful. Poorly lit, overcrowded, dirty and staff that were so rude it gave me such a negative first opinion of the city. Thankfully my experience of New York was much better than my arrival into its main airport!

New York JFK Airport review by H J Albertse

11 April 2005

I have arrived and departed from Terminal 3 (Delta) on international flights, twice now, within a 3 month period. This terminal is a disgrace. Toilet facilities are a disgrace, the international arrivals hall is primaevil and the departure gate areas ancient, to say the least. There are virtually no "healthy eating options" available in the departures area, whilst the duty-free shopping is absolutely laughable. No recreational facilities either. South African Airways is the only international carrier and flight that has to be processed by US Customs and Immigration at 7am in the morning, yet some people think it is acceptable practice to have two custom agents for US Citizens and one custom agent for all other foreign passport holders at the booths. To top it of, the customs floor staff literally yell at passengers at the top of their voices?! For goodness sake, is this the "Welcome" the USA wants to portray to international visitors? My solution: Demolish this terminal and rebuild it, in a modern open style plan. Please train US Customs Agents to be just a tad more courteous with arriving passengers. I for one want to enjoy my visit to the US and don't appreciate rude people when I put my feet on "terra firma".

New York JFK Airport review by Lesley Styles

8 April 2005

Flew into and back out of JFK Terminal 8 this Easter(2005) What a dump! Only bad part of our stay in NY. The toilets were a complete health hazard, (wading through water? or worse is not my idea of a good start to any holiday ) and that was the ladies! Our cases got took off the carousel before we got to them and dumped 100 metres away- no wonder we couldn't find them, and we sat for ages on the plane waiting to be "towed in" before we could get off. Going through immigration was its usual delight, felt really sorry for an Italian couple in front of us who were trying to make themselves understood, all the lady directing people could shout at them was do you want a telephone? Even I (who cannot speak a word of Italian worked out that all they needed was a pen to fill in their visa waiver form.) Coming home we were delayed on the ground due to operational reasons whatever they are and then for another 1.5 hrs on board waiting to be tugged back! American Airlines flight was very good- loads of legroom - what a pity about Terminal 8 at JFK!

New York JFK Airport review by J Stives

5 March 2005

I have been going in and out of JFK for about 40 years. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is the most rotten experience one can have. Much of what happens is beyond anyone's control. To a degree, JFK is NEW YORK. Good and bad and expensive. It is foolish to expect much from any airport. My own experience leads me to expect little positive experience anywhere and plan for the worst. Current world conditions have led to much of this. At even the most remote US airports, to get through without being insulted or abused is nearly impossible. Because it's politically incorrect to suggest that current "security" efforts are pointless, no one will attempt to change the quality of the experience. For anyone who likes being pushed, shoved, stashed in hot/cold, cramped areas, hours standing in lines, screaming children (and adults), while officials chat with each other, shout unintelligible instructions and shuffle paper, air travel opens new horizons. Compared with some European terminals, JFK is a dump. But by and large, no New Yorkers are rushing to fix it.

New York JFK Airport review by Walter Jekat

24 February 2005

I had avoided JFK in the past, but was recently very pleasantly surprised. Arriving on LH at Terminal 1 was a pleasure. Very clean and and easy to maneouver. Clearing immigration took a mere 5 minutes. $3 for a luggage cart however is a joke. The best part was getting into Manhattan, Took the Skytrain to Jamaica Station and then the Long Island Railroad (a bit more expensive than the subway, but much quicker) to Penn Station. The whole thing took about 45 minutes. Only thing to remember - it costs $5 to get out of the Aitrain at Jamaica. The machines will not provide change for $20 bills. So you better have a credit card or you're out of luck!

New York JFK Airport review by Tim Robinson

1 January 2005

On return leg to San Diego from New York we used the SkyTrain from the Jamaica Subway station. Terminal 8/9 (American) have one information board. We were directed to Terminal 9 to check in but our gate was in Terminal 8 - another long walk. AA had no one directing departing passengers to the right terminal. Terminal 8 really sucks. No windows - they're frosted over so you can't watch airplanes arriving and departing. In addition, boarding had to be suspended because an international arrival began deplaning passengers, and our flight shared the outside corridor with the route to the Custons/Immigration lounge. I'm not sure who to blame...the airport authority or AA!

New York JFK Airport review by Lee Middleton

4 December 2004

I try to avoid this airport whenever I can, but yesterday was forced to use it when my earlier flight was cancelled and I had to take an AA codeshare from Tokyo to JFK to connect to Miami. A total nightmare. Jetway at term 1 was broken, so stuck in plane 20 minutes after a 12 1/2 flight. Then a 30 minute line at immigration and an additional 15 minutes to get luggage. (An hour to unload baggage and get it onto the carousel). Then I had to abandon the squeaky wheeled $3 baggage cart and schlep three pieces of luggage from terminal 1 to the nasty AA terminals (transfer desk wouldn't take them since I wanted to avoid a 5 hour layover and take an earlier flight. Why doesn't AA have reps on hand to meet its codeshare flights?). Train deposits you in the parking lot (!!!) of terminal 9 again w/no carts available even for $3. It was cold, rainy and windy but managed to cross busy roadway and get into the terminal for check in (long lines even in F class). Then another line for baggage scanning. Then a schlep outside, once again, to terminal 8... and a horrendous line for the security checkpoint staffed by surly TSA employees. (Who can blame them -- such horrible working conditions). Then onto the lounge (bare flourescent lightbulbs, stuffy unventilated waiting area with passengers sitting on the floor due to lack of seating) then a raucous check in as flight was badly overbooked, then another 45 minute delay because crew wasn't available for pushback. My luggage was apparently left in the rain for some time as top layer of clothes on the softsided luggage arrived wet. All in all, I would say this is a third world airport but I've been to many developing / certainly less affluent countries that have much better airports -- e.g. on this trip I passed through HK, Shanghai/Pudong, Beijing, Narita and Singapore. Embarassing that our largest city welcomes international visitors in such a shabby fashion. Full disclosure: I lived in NYC for 25 yrs and I know city can do better than this.

New York JFK Airport review by B Tocchi

14 November 2004

The pleasantness of one's time at JFK depends on which terminal you use. Terminals 1 and 4 are brand new, and from what I hear, they are quite nice. Terminal 7 is not that bad, kind of small but British Airways has been putting a lot of money into it. Jetblue has made Terminal 6 the nicest its ever been, though all the work can not mask how ugly the building really is. I don't think Delta has put much work into Terminals 2 and 3, so I assume they are as dumpy as the last time I used them (Terminal 3 is also an absolute nightmare to try to get in our out of-entrances are next to impossible to find from the access road). Terminals 8 and 9 are just plain nasty. Since American Airlines is replacing both buildings with a new super terminal (which looks like it will be nice), I doubt they are putting any money into the present structures. Terminal 8 is old and gross, while Terminal 9 is half torn down. One the plus side the new Airtrain is really nice and there are rumors that Jetblue plans to reopen the beautiful Terminal 5. JFK is a lot like New York, on the way up. and constantly having work done on it.

New York JFK Airport review by Chohong Choi

1 November 2004

Terminal 7 seems to have been fully patched up, as compared to two years ago. Going through immigration upon arrival in Terminal 7 was a snap - if you're a U.S. Citizen. The agents were generally courteous. For non-citizens, the queues were backed up, as usual.

New York JFK Airport review by R Bryant

6 October 2004

London to JFK terminal 8 with AA last week - no problems with security or queues on arrival but weren't impressed at all with the airport as a welcome to the US. We decided to use the noisy uncomfortable airport bus as it delivered us right to our hotel and found the $27 return fare reasonable. Security on the way back was very relaxed - staff showed little interest in asking passengers to show passports or boarding passes, but did ask most people to remove their shoes. We wondered if the staff knew what they were looking for - maybe they were just doing it out of boredom. The selection of eateries at T8 was ridiculous for an international airport of this size and shops were non existent. As mentioned in other comments, I've seen better facilities in countries far worse off than the US.

New York JFK Airport review by Marc Pawson

18 September 2004

Myself my wife and my one year old daughter travelled to JFK on the 1st September 2004 with AA. We landed on time but when we arrived at immigration the queues were horrendous. It took us 2 hours 30 minutes to pass through. There were only a couple of desks open with no information given whilst waiting. I know us British are used to waiting in queues but this was outrageous especially with a hungry toddler! We will never use JFK as entry into the US if we ever go there again anyway. Maybe the US doesn't want tourists spending money and visiting their country?

New York JFK Airport review by Ben Lee

18 September 2004

If you are thrifty and want to use public transport, avoid the ridiculous $5 charge for AirTrain. The Q30 bus connecting to the A subway at Lefferts will get you to Manhattan for just $2.

New York JFK Airport review by Gabe Boisvert

30 August 2004

My travels through JFK took me only to Terminal One, so i guess i should be thankful. The AF Line and the Security Line were both fairly short, but i found the lack of shops beyond Security unhelpful. Upon returning, Immigration was highly rude, with people just ignoring the line and walking up to an open booth- extremely unfair. The Baggage Claim Jammed up and it took them 10 minutes to clear it. Customs was also rude- at least at IAH you get a welcome home! Finally, the $30 Cab ride to LaGuardia was unacceptable. I won't be going through JFK again anytime soon if I can help it.

New York JFK Airport review by E Jones

27 August 2004

After having a very bad experience at JFK in the late 1970s, I swore I'd never use this airport again. But this past weekend I flew in and out of Kennedy for the first time in 25 years and took some time to look around. On the negative side, I still found it a confusing airport to use. Signage is very poor and unhelpful for native English speakers, let alone those who don't speak English. I had not seen Terminal 3 since its Pan Am days. I was appalled by its appearance. It's literally falling apart. What a terrible impression it must make to newly arrived foreign visitors. Terminals 8 and 9 were bordering on the chaotic due to totally inadequate facilities, a situation the new terminal should correct. It was sad to see Terminal 5, the former TWA building designed by Eero Saarinen, looking abandoned and forlorn. Something must be done to save it and put it back into use. On the positive side, the new AirTrain is a vast improvement over the buses that were previously used for inter-terminal transportation. The staff at the stations were very polite and helpful. Terminal 7, though a few decades old, seemed well maintained and its facilities acceptable. Terminals 1 and 4 were spacious, clean, and I hope a preview of future terminals to come. I can't say that I would definitely use JFK again , but despite much work yet to be done, I think the airport has improved.

New York JFK Airport review by Isabella Martinez

27 August 2004

How could JFK charge for luggage carts? $3.00 is ridiculous! I really don't know how any non English speaking tourists could navigate through the airport. Customs can be a real pain and some are nasty too. Also, the food prices in terminal 4 are so high it cost me $22.00 for 2 sandwiches, 2 bags of chips, and a beer and a bottle of water. Eat before you arrive at the airport. Also, the sprint calling cards that they sell for $10 claim they work in 79 countries but didn't even work in the UK or the Netherlands.

New York JFK Airport review by George Nowak

21 July 2004

We Australians only too well empathise with the occurences of 9/11 and support the fact that when moving through JFK over the last two weeks we were sectioned out for additional security scrutiny and were subjected to bag and body searches. As it turns out this is a joke when the same airport processes our luggage which had its pad locks broken and all our quality clothing stolen, video equipment stolen including 3 tapes of our children's enjoyment of their 3 week vacation in the USA - Disneyworld etc - irreplaceable and emotionally devastating. What sort of security image does this present when on one hand we are aussie tourists being subjected to harsh random search treatment - certainly not guaranteed of totally protecting passengers flying out on aircraft against a terror act and on the other hand having our luggage totally exposed to this sort of theft and personal violation - not to mention the ability for anything to be placed within our luggage as a total terror or security threat when people of this low life calibre are being employed by the supposed responsible TSA organisation. This is a joke America.

New York JFK Airport review by G Ignacio

19 July 2004

JFK terminals are not much to rave about, at least Air Train is brining some relief to the heavily congested roads leading to the airport. The Air Train station is a two minute walk from gates at the Delta terminal. For passengers who are traveling light, Air Train and its connections will get you to Midtown Manhattan in about 45 minutes (via the subway) or less( (via LIRR). I used to avoid flying out of JFK because of the heavy traffic leading to the airport. Though airport shops and facilities are nothing to rave about, Air Train at least allows me to get to and leave from JFK with minimal fuss and more control over travel time.

New York JFK Airport review by Iain Mottram

9 July 2004

Unbelievably bad. I found myself needing to get from Terminal 8 to terminal 9 - never having been there before asked for help and was directed outside and all signage to terminal 9 disappeared. I thought I'll go up to the airtrain to get to terminal 9 - it's got to be some distance. Imagine the hilarity as the two buffoons who were on the station directed me onto the train but also in the wrong direction - deliberately!! How nice of them, imagine if I'd been in a hurry. Fortunately I have a brain and figured out what had happened and managed to get back to terminal 9 on my own. Food concessions are lousy, shopping is lousy, very uncomfortable and generally stressful. I don't care about the architecture of an airport when all I want is a smooth passage from A to B, using any measure of quality this airport has to fail at every count in achieving this.

New York JFK Airport review by Jonathan Katz

4 June 2004

Only Terminals 1 and 7 are nice at all. The American Airlines Int'l Terminal looks like something from a horror movie, and Terminal 4 El Al is a complete zoo. The staff are rude, and lines are long. JFK needs some major improvement.

New York JFK Airport review by Norman Clark

9 May 2004

What a disgrace! What a horrible welcome to the United States for foreign visitors! Although it may have other positive qualities, JFK has to be America's filthiest airport. There is a distinctive "JFK stench" in many parts of the terminals. In one terminal recently, the women's bathroom had piles of feces and discarded food in the middle of the floor. My companion reported it to several people, each of whom shrugged, said it had been like that for hours, and blamed it on "refugees." JFK is also one of the few airports anywhere in the world that charge arriving international passengers for a luggage cart, which those with connections usually need for only 50 meters. Immigration and customs spaces are too small for the traffic and are understaffed. Very long lines, reaching back toward the gates, frequently build up. It is amazing customs, immigration, and TSA people are able to remain cheerful.

New York JFK Airport review by Phil Duckworth

22 April 2004

I don't usually bother commenting on airports, airlines etc. HoweveR, I will make an exception in the case of JFK. I have travelled though many modern airports such as Narita, Changi and Chep Lap Kok in recent years. Imagine my horror at arriving at JFK at 2130 in February 2004. Immigration was understaffed and very slow. On clearing immigration I needed change for the phone. The only retail outlet I could find was a poorly signposted cafe, upstairs in the terminal. The coffee was awful. The airport was dirty and appeared very 'seedy' at this time of night. Shutters were down on many of the outlets and services. I felt rather unsafe. On flying out I found the airport staff surly and quite rude. I observed this approach to many passengers. As an entrance into the so called premier capitalist country on the planet, I have to say, I have come across far superior airport facilities in numerous LEDCs. The staff are usually much more polite as well. Get a grip New York Port Authority!

New York JFK Airport review by Hans Berschneider

15 April 2004

All US airports are unfriendly, no one speaks German or French, overpiced, charge outlandish passenger surcharges, fees and taxes, extravagantly dirty, immigration lines are long, customs officials enjoy harassing travelers and asking most idiotic questions (like the ones about one's marital status or income). On the other hand, I I tend to agree with Allen Jones that JFK is a veritable museum of modern architecture and is a very interesting airport to see and explore. Saarinen's TWA terminal is a masterpiece of course.

New York JFK Airport review by M McGovern

4 April 2004

I arrived at JFK airport on the 20th March at 10.20pm from Amsterdam - one hour later than scheduled. I was four hours in immigration due to long lines of people. At midnight all the immigration officers went off duty leaving 3 immigration personnel to deal with 3 plane loads of passengers. We had to stand for 4 hours, no food, no water, and no information from anyone as to what was happening. I missed the last airport bus to Manhattan. My impression of the staff of both the airport at terminal 4 and the KLM representative is of a very very low opinion. If I can help it I will never use Kennedy Airport again to enter the USA on vacation, and hope that any other airport has a much better service. It was a nightmare experience.

New York JFK Airport review by Allen Jones

11 March 2004

Despite most of the comments I have read. I still think JFK is one of the most interesting airports I've ever visited. I guess its because I am a big fan of modern architecture and every terminal at JFK has has its own unique personality. I recently visited JFK  and was impressed with the new airtrain, terminal one and the new IAB. Not to mention the historic TWA terminal. Some things take time. I feel that when all the renovations are completed then JFK can hold a candle to other airports around the world.

New York JFK Airport review by Daniel Clarke

20 February 2004

I was pleasantly surprised when I visited New York City (from Geneva) in late January; the last time I had visited there was December 1999. Firstly, It was nice to see the “Aliens” signs had gone. Also, at JFK Terminal 4 they had a kind of ‘concierge’ directing passengers to the correct immigration queues. The staff were frank and efficient, but friendly and all this was re-enforced by continuous messages over the tannoy wishing us a pleasant stay in the US. Equally, when exiting I found the staff to be perfectly friendly.

New York JFK Airport review by Allan Godfrey

12 February 2004

Arriving into AA terminal 8 at JFK is probably not too dissimilar to arriving in a prison. It's grey, drab and the AA staff are most discourteous. Furthermore why does JFK insist on charging international arriving passengers for carts? If they are that tight I could understand it for domestic or even international departures when people would have the currency but the airport is simply tight and stingy! Terminal 1 is nice bright and airy yet they still charge for carts. My advice to people checking in at JFK, offer your used cart to passengers getting out of cars or Taxis and ask them to pass them on. When you arrive at the airport get dropped of at arrivals, grab an abandoned cart and take your luggage upstairs in an elevator. It's only two bucks but it's the principal. Some of the poorest countries in the world do not charge for carts. Dont abandon your cart and certainly don't return it to the cart vending machine, give it to someone else! I come from the UK where even Americans are welcome to help themselves to a FREE cart at every airport!

New York JFK Airport review by Annette McKenzie

8 February 2004

Flying into and out of JFK 's Terminal 4, 31 January and 02 February. My experience was excellent. Immigration on arrival friendly and polite. We landed at 1610 and were getting into a taxi at 1650 (hand luggage only). Customs were also polite and friendly. When we left the security check was well managed, again polite and friendly. They offer a separate lane for First and Business Class passengers. Shoes and belts have to come off and I always end up setting off alarms and requiring a second check...however this was handled in a relaxed manner with polite care.

New York JFK Airport review by S Biswas

26 January 2004

JFK is an outstandingly awful airport. The United Airlines Terminal has one poky bookstore, drab coffee, and a foul sandwich shop that does great disservice to the city's flagship sandwich, pastrami on rye. American shopping malls are temples to consumerism.. why are American airports so abysmal? Poor shops, drab lighting, maroon carpeting from the 70s - have they ever compared with good European airports?

New York JFK Airport review by Paul Nicol

28 November 2003

I flew into JFK Nov 14th from DCA then on to LHR and I have never been happier to leave an airport, once I arrived I found my connection not noted down, I asked someone who worked for security who shouted at me and told me to look at the screen, I did but could not find my flight. I followed a gate sign, Finding myself out of the gate area, I randomly followed the sign to terminal 8 and thankfully found a member of American staff who directed me to the correct gate. When I reached the gate the plane wasn't advertised there either, so I asked a member of staff who gave me a look as if I was mad, apparently I had found the correct gate! To cut a long story short, I would never given the option fly into or out of JFK again, It was dirty badly signed, and very very confusing!

New York JFK Airport review by Noel Dass

31 October 2003

I avoid JFK at all costs and strongly advice family or friends who are not frequent fliers to avoid JFK! The airport is a maze and getting to and from it as a hassle! The Airport Shuttle takes you into Manhattan but you have to switch busses once you reach Grand Central to get to Pennsylvania Station. JFK is also almost constantly undergoing construction work!  One word - Insufferable!

New York JFK Airport review by H Stevens

24 October 2003

Arrived on Air Plus Comet from Malaga, Spain on 3 October. Guess we hit it at the right time. Went through Customs and picked up bags in no time. It took us longer to pick up the Shuttle bus to the Ramada than it took us to deplane go through Customs and retrieve bags.

New York JFK Airport review by Bryan Chao

8 October 2003

Arriving to Terminal 7 from Hong Kong on Labor Day holiday was such a long process. I was on CX flight with full load of passengers on a 747. Another BA flight arrived at the same time. There were only six immigration lanes (one was for the crew, later it was opened for passengers). 3 lanes for US citizens and 2 for non-citizens. I got better luck being one of the first 25% who got off the plane and passed through the quicker citizen lanes. Retrieving luggage was another long process. Since there were very few passengers (still waiting to clear the immigration) to pick up the luggage, luggage was on the floor everywhere. And no new luggage was pushed to the carousel until some of those luggage were picked up by passengers. I had to wait for another round of luggage carousel run. Finally it came out. Customs clearance was the quickest of all -- required to answer a couple of questions from the officer. It took an hour 20 mins from plane door to the street.

New York JFK Airport review by David Nierenberg

6 October 2003

They can build all the nice new terminals they want - and the new ones are very nice (terminal 1, terminal 4 and the renovated terminal 7), but that wont change the fact that the airport is woefully small for its number of flights per day. On my most recent trip through Terminal 7, the place looked quite nice and new, but they were still boarding a plane that fit 200 people from an area with seats for maybe 80. The fact that the terminals look nice doesn't mean that they are functional, and every single one that I have been to merely gets the job done. Its surprising that the one thing they can change (the staff) is still as it was years ago - unhelpful and sometimes plain rude. It may just be me, but I'd prefer a terminal that works well and is plain in terms of decor than one that looks nice but creates a negative image with its service and cramping.

New York JFK Airport review by Chohong Choi

28 September 2003

Just experienced Terminal 1 for the first time at JFK. On arrival, the trip past customs was pretty smooth, and even when my food items were examined, the customs officers were courteous enough to let them pass without incident. The departure section was well laid out, with the gates just beyond the security checkpoint. Not a lot of shops in Terminal 1, although for most people there is little worth buying in airport shops anyway.

New York JFK Airport review by Kevin Johnson

18 September 2003

Europe has some of the most beautiful airports around. JFK airport is an eyesore. The only way I am able to navigate the airport is because I use it frequently. I always wonder how the occasional traveller ever makes their flight. It is a confusing airport with little help from signs. The immigration officers are extremely rude and inefficient. I often have visitors from Europe come through JFK and always find myself apologizing for the rudeness of my fellow Americans. I can only imagine when someone from a different country comes to America to visit for the first time and they are met by our rude and inefficient immigration officers. And god help the tourist with limited English skills. Americans believe everyone should speak English or they shouldn't be here. I have heard some real horror stories about how our immigration officers treat some tourists simply because they want to take a vacation here. Ridiculous. Unfortunately, JFK is a major gateway to Europe. So we are stuck with it.

New York JFK Airport review by Kurt Mueller

22 August 2003

Arrived from NRT at JFK T7. Immigration was a nightmare in terms of incompetence, despite most booths for non-US citizens being double-staffed. I was third in my line. It took 7 minutes to process the first person in the line, 5 minutes for the second, and 7 minutes for me (could not find my name on the manifest, called the supervisor - no help, then all three realized they had been repeatedly entering my first and middle name instead of my last name). Then stamped my passport, pages fell shut and another minute lost looking for the newly placed stamp among some hundred thirty red entry and exit stamps from China. God knows how long it takes to process a full passenger load from a 747 - I won't start commenting on the rude and self-contradicting customs officer who undertook the search of my luggage.

New York JFK Airport review by Christopher Leigh

25 May 2003

JFK most certainly tops the list of the worst airports in North America. Its one saving grace is Terminal 1. After a recent flight from JFK-Seattle I decided to not return there ever again if at all possible, although Newark and LaGuardia are not much better. Its a shame that airports like JFK and Logan can't simply be replaced by entirely new ones (ie. Denver).

New York JFK Airport review by Y Kohen

23 May 2003

As a flight attendant I travel all around the world and have seen most of the major airports. JFK is the worst in terms of staff friendliness and service. It is absolutely a nightmare to fly to JFK and go through this airport. Try to avoid it at all times.

New York JFK Airport review by S Fenton

23 May 2003

I transited JFK on my way to SFO. The staff here are very rude. I saw three of them stand watching an old lady trying to help her husband off the floor when he slipped picking up his luggage. To transit in this airport is awful if you don't know your way around it. The place is very dirty and facilities are very poor. The lounges are not much better and in future I will avoid this airport at all costs.

New York JFK Airport review by N Lana

2 May 2003

Major improvements made-especially in terminal upgrades and for departing passengers. Attitude is much better from staff, but still not great, by any means. Arrivals are horrible. Place is still one to avoid, if you can.

New York JFK Airport review by A Callahan

1 May 2003

I caught a flight from JFK terminal 7 - check-in facilities are adequate and airside shopping area is limited. There are not enough restrooms for the amount of people passing through the terminal - there are only a couple of cubicles in each. Also it would be nice to have some indication there are no smoking areas once you have cleared security - save smokers the hassle of having to clear security every time they need a cigarette.

New York JFK Airport review by Patrick Walsh

27 April 2003

JFK airport is still the worst airport compared to European airports. The restrooms in JFK are filthy. The seats in waiting areas are noticably worn and dirty. The security personnel has had some positive refinement - staff look tidy and presentable. However, the confusion still remains with a maze-like travel path that takes forever to arrrive at immigration when returning on a transatlantic flight. 80 to 90 per cent of airport staff are rude and appear angry. Shop / food outlets / bars are price gouging everything. Almost $3 for a small bottle of water. $4.75 for a slice of pizza with a topping. I try to get to JFK as late as possible at departure and leave as soon as possible at arrival.

New York JFK Airport review by R Davidson

25 March 2003

Although JFK has its fair share of problems, change is coming. Most terminals at JFK have undergone major renovations, the ones that have not are being replaced. The International Arrivals building is now state of the art, managed by the same company that runs Amsterdam Schipol. American and Delta are both building new terminals. British Airways recently completed a major overhaul. JetBlue also is about to begin a major renovation. The AirTrain monorail will be up and running soon, allowing easy connections to other terminals as well as to the city subway.

New York JFK Airport review by A Ross

3 March 2003

JFK airport was a wonderful airport 30 years ago. This year it is an ultra modern tax generating rip off. I had the occassion to drop off a passenger at terminal 4 on Saturday March 1, 2003. I parked in the short term parking, escorted the passenger into the terminal and then returned to my car. I spent approximately 22 minutes from the time I parked until the time I returned to my car. I drove to the exit and waited on line another 9 or ten minutes to pay for the parking. Since over 30 minutes elapsed I now had to pay for an hour of parking, instead of paying $3.00 for the half hour I now owed $5.00 for an hour. Waiting in line to pay for the 1/2 hour of parking now cost me enough minutes to bring the time in the parking lot to an hour. I realize it is only $2.00 additional but there are thousands of cars a day that go through those parking lots. If each car is over charged in a similar fashion to the way I was, that is thousands of dollars a day in over charges. I wonder what would happen if a corporation or a drug company perhaps a fast food chain got caught overcharging. Just to let the Port Authority know as well as the traveling public this is another indignity we must face living in this area.

New York JFK Airport review by Michael Wright

24 February 2003

JFK is simply too big and too confusing and very inconvenient for connecting flights. I had to connect at JFK for a flight to Tokyo, and since my since my original flight was late, I barely made it to my connecting flight. The problem is, the only way to get to another terminal, is to take a bus, which goes in only one direction, and stops at every single terminal! I had to get from Terminal 7 to Terminal 3 and it took 25 minutes! It doesn't even take me that long to get to work! There should be a monorail or at least another bus that goes in the opposite direction so it doesn't take so long to reach a connecting flight.

New York JFK Airport review by Nathan Rothfield

18 September 2002

My last visit to JFK terminal 7 (Oneworld and UAL Int'l) was a very pleasant one indeed! The terminal has gone through major renovations and is looking fabulous! As I arrived for my flight I checked in at the First Class area, offering first / Business Class passengers a separate area to avoid queues). I noticed how great the building looked - nice tiles, carpet, lighting etc - it is very modern and fresh looking.

New York JFK Airport review by Stephan Heim

16 September 2002

JFK airport really needs lots of improvement as opposed to Atlanta or Frankfurt. Here some aspects - Signs should clearly indicate when shuttle buses leave (eg to the rental car service), courtesy phones don't work ( at least some of them). The toilets are horrible, doors shut but leave more than an inch gap, so there is no privacy, this is ridiculous and too few restrooms for too many passengers - hygiene is mediocre. There is no train connection from the airport out the island; where are we - In the middle ages ? To have your passport checked you have to wait half an hour if not longer ? Maybe more personnel is appropriate, they should also have people advising tourists where to find what. Some language skills besides English would be accommodating to some tourists.

New York JFK Airport review by Chohong Choi

13 August 2002

I have seen JFK renovated over the last several years. The Northwest terminal has improved. So has the American departure terminal. But the American arrivals terminal still left much to be desired. When I returned to JFK in June 2002, I saw holes in the ceiling and a makeshift exit. The American arrivals terminal belied the fact that New York had been under terrorist attack in the not-too-distant past. In contrast, when I flew out of the American terminal two weeks later, the difference was like night and day. The departure terminal (only upstairs) was fully renovated, and the security checkpoints were actually manned by white men speaking fluent English. Never before had I seen this at any U.S. airport.

New York JFK Airport review by J Crain

13 August 2002

JFK is the worst airport that I have ever visited. I made connections there from Delta to Cathay Pacific to travel to Hong Kong. It took us over an hour to get to the Cathay Pacific check in because airport personnel, security and even airport police did not know the proper terminal for Cathay Pacific. We were sent to 3 different terminals in search of our airline. Incredible! It was the worst experience of my life. I will connect through Atlanta any day. At least their people know how to give good directions.