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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.
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