New York JFK Airport Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

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I went to terminal 5 in JFK. Best terminal in the airport. Staff are nice, the place is clean, easy to move about. Great selection of food and things to do inside security. The line went fast in bag check and security. Left out of T5 15 minutes early, management went well. Free WiFi, options to order food from the gate, and clean bathrooms. I would highly recommend to fly T5 because they offer the best facilities compared to other terminals.

Have flown out of Terminals 5, 7, and 8: T5 - One of the best in the country in my opinion. Clean facilities, friendly staff, and quick waits for check-in/security. Ground crew is also very good. T7 - Nice facility, but US Airways check-in is slow and security waits are long in the evening (considering British Airways flight crew got to cut the whole line). A bit tight though. T8 - Well laid out. Security was quick but AA check-in was unorganized. Baggage return was very fast.

Flew into JFK Terminal 7 from LHR on 21 April. First time using this airport. Was expecting to queue for a long time but surprisingly it only took me about 20 mins to clear US Customs. Many booths were open and there was a courteous lady directing people where to go, she even allowed me to use the US citizens only lane for some reason! Customs officer was very friendly and wished me a pleasant stay. Luggage arrived quickly and I took the convenient air-train just outside the terminal to connect to the subway into Manhattan. Flew BA Club World on the way back to London which meant that I could use a separate designated security queue, the TSA officer was friendly and wished me a good flight. BA Club lounge was very comfortable. I would always recommend flying into Terminal 7 as it seems more civilised compared to the other terminals.

What a difference 3 years make, arrived at JFK on Cathay after 15 hr flight from Hong Kong and reading the reviews feared the worst. But no such thing: many lines open at immigration, friendly staff at immigration and quick luggage processing. Add to that, connected into LaGuardia and both AA staff were helpful and TSA were polite. Hope this was not a stroke of luck!

Arrival on April 30th, 2013 on KLM from Amsterdam at 15.30. My German friends took approx. 1 hr 15 mins to get through passport control. The agent they got stuck with visibly had fun acting out his power, appeared deliberately slow. A terrible picture of the US that foreigners get.

I cannot believe the experience I had yesterday was so bad. Our flight from the UK went like a dream and took 6.5 hours. We then took 4 hours to clear customs . If tourism revenue matters to NYC it has just alienated over 300 passengers from our flight alone. Clearly we were only one flight amongst many with the same experience. I would be ashamed to be connected with this airport. Our leisure money will be spent elsewhere in future (in countries we could easily reach within the time we spent queuing yesterday!)

JFK is my home airport and I've always had positive experiences except for the last time I traveled there, Delta's Terminal 3. The check-in hall was absolutely depressing, low-ceilings, poorly maintained and crowded. Security however was a breeze, as usual from my experiences at JFK. The departure area was dreadful, low-ceilings again, felt so cramped and food choices were second to none, I looked for apple juice (since it's my like pre-flight ritual) and found none. The seating area was cozy, however, but I can't imagine departing from this terminal during the evening rush hour. I wouldn't fly Delta again just to avoid Terminal 3, which would soon be demolished, so that's something good. Absolutely horrible.

Flight last Friday night was canceled due to apparently Air traffic Control. There was 2 people to serve the 5 canceled flight passengers, it took 2.5 hours to speak to someone to get a place on the next day same time (10.45pm). No hotels available around the airport. Bad management, bad service and bad experience!

Have just returned from a trip to New York and was appalled by the whole JFK experience. On landing we were prepared for the usual wait and slow immigration process but what we were not prepared for was the shocking way the staff treat traveller's arriving in their country. The officer was rude, treated us with no respect or common courtesy and very intimidating. While processing my passport he jumped up from his chair and proceeded to push the other waiting passengers into a line, he did not excuse himself and treated me as if I was a criminal. All the other staff at immigration has similar bad attitude. I will never use JFK again.

Unbelievably long lines at immigration with a chaotic feel about the whole place. It is clear that T4 is completely overwhelmed by arrivals (this was a Saturday afternoon) and has stretched well beyond breaking point. We waited over 2 hours for immigration, standing without water or bathroom access.

Arrived terminal 4 at 12.15am, and initially only 2 desks open for non-US, eventually 3 more desks opened, but took 50 minutes to get through. We were lucky as were near front of the plane. Departure the queue for security was very long but got through in30 minutes. We had access to the Oasis lounge which was excellent. We left the lounge but discovered the flight was delayed, the rest of the departure was rubbish, lack of seating and dingy.

Over 2 hours to get through immigration in a long line that looked like something from Disney World. We love going to New York but this is really putting us off. We have had our finger prints scanned before at JFK, so why isn't the technology there to just scan your prints and walk through rather than going through the very slow process of showing your passport and slowly scanning your finger prints again.

I have been in many airports all over the world, this was my worst experience yet. After a long flight from Tokyo had to queue for over 2 hours to show our passports. Extremely rude, verging on aggressive, passport control lady, checked our passports. All staff seemed very rude, lazy and unhelpful. Like it was a great imposition on them to do their job. I could not believe this was how we were welcomed to NY, the premier city of the USA. Left a very bad impression on us of America. This is the worst airport experience I have had in many years of travel, through dozens of countries.

As has been said before, what you feel about JFK will depend on what terminal you've used. Terminal 1: When it was first renovated, this was probably the best terminal in JFK. It's starting to show it's age a bit though. Security lines are generally not too bad, though at busier times the wait can be long. Of the ones I've used, Lufthansa has a very nice lounge, Alitalia and Korean are unimpressive. The shops, restaurants and bars close relatively early. For arrivals, the immigration lines can be quite long, but this is true for all international arrivals in JFK. Terminals 2 & 3: Delta terminals are easily the worst ones in JFK. Aside from the fact that the architecture of Terminal 3 is nice, it is difficult to say anything positive about these Terminals. I understand that Terminal 2 is due for demolition. Terminal 4: Has also recently been renovated, and is quite decent. If you have access, the Emirates lounge is excellent. Terminal 5: The JetBlue terminal is quite nice. Check-in is straight forward, and security lines are usually manageable. Once inside, it's spacious with a decent selection of shops, restaurants and bars. Overall, I think most of the terminals are ok, as is connecting between them. Where JFK fails big time is the connection to Manhattan. Cabs are expensive for the comfort and in any case, take about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. With the exception of Terminal 4, you have to wait outside for the cabs, which is not pleasant in the winter cold. Subway is cheap, and depending on where you're going, not all that much longer than taxis, though it involves a lot of walking until you get to the subway stop. A faster train service (comparable to NJ Transit to Newark) would be a great addition.

It all comes down to which airline you arrive or depart from JFK. Certain parts of this airport are old, dirty and service poor. Then you have parts of the airport where certain airlines have invested money to make the terminals nicer and more comfortable. Same rule applies to passport control and speed of control on arrival. Security on departure can be slow but is understandable, usually waiting time is ok. This airport needs to modernise its appearance and services. Lounges also showing their age.

No real seating until you get to the gate, very poor quality of shops and eateries both landslide and airside, the only good thing was that we managed to skip the security queues as flying premium economy with virgin.

JFK as a primary point of entry to the US is an embarrassment to the entire country. Services are very poor (food offerings no better than a typical US highway plaza, and do not expect shops of any quality), orientation to the city virtually non-existent, currency exchange and ATMs limited. The airport is extremely difficult to navigate with multiple international arrival and departure terminals with no central information point or monitors (recently I had to go to 3 separate terminals to locate an arriving international flight). Amazingly, for an airport, there are few seating areas and what do exist are cold, uncomfortable, with no electrical service. The entire airport is aesthetically dreary and ugly. Be prepared to ask strangers for help (there are few airport staff available) and beware of hucksters at every turn. Avoid this airport if arriving from Europe at all costs, choose another entry point to the USA (Boston Logan, Baltimore BWI, even Dulles are much better).

Most 3rd World airports will show more organization than this shambles. Two hours to clear customs and officials plain rude - a very poor advert for the USA. I will avoid this airport for this reason if no other. An absolute disgrace and does to appear to be any accountability.

Fly to JFK (Terminal 7) a few times each year, and have seen some long lines at immigration, but flew LHR- JFK on December 26 and was in uptown Manhattan in less than an hour after landing. Immigration desks were well staffed and even had a civilised conversation with the officer. Speedy baggage claim and smooth taxi ride, even on a very wet, cold and windy evening. Return journey ex JFK was easy with hardly any queuing times at security, even though Terminal 7 was very busy with people returning after New Year. Can't complain, this time.

JFK AirTrain provides transportation between the terminals and short-term parking garages as well as to Long-Term Parking at Lefferts Blvd, the (A) Train at Howard Beach, and LIRR at Jamaica Station. Drivers can navigate the airport with relative ease. Terminal check-in staff are friendly and efficient. TSA staff, not so much. Any personnel related to homeland security and border protection are generally not the friendliest people in the world. Long lines are to be expected at the security checkpoints whether you're departing, arriving, or in transit. Be sure to read up on TSA regulations and Customs/Immigration guidelines (for international travel) before your flight to save time at security. Gates are well-designed, duty free goods are decent, and the staff in the gates area are friendly.

I live in Philadelphia and use JFK when it is absolutely necessary for hard to reach international destinations. Over the many years I have used JFK, it has improved in ease of access from midtown Manhattan. The Airtran link to the LIRR is a God send. JFK is hardly an elegant airport, but it is functional. I have never had a problem with long waits for check in or security lines. On arrival, I made it though passport control for US citizens with ease and quickly collected my bags.

This airport is an embarrassment. The flight from BWI was delayed because of backups at JFK. Terminal 2 is dark and dirty with very expensive food options. The bathroom had 4 out of 5 toilets backed up and out of order. No free WiFi. I can't believe that when many people fly into New York, this is their first experience.

Terminal 2. Our first flight to the USA (NYC). After the flight we had to go in a disgusting, dirty, narrow hall for our passes to be checked. After an 8+ hours flight we had to stand there for 1.5hrs with only 4 people checking the 300 arriving passengers. Security officers seemed bored and took their time with no hurry at all. What an introduction to the United States! At Departures I didn't know it could get worse. The Main-Hall Roof was leaking water from the ceiling. Birds were inside the terminal. No Wi-Fi, not many choices of food outlets. All announcements were far too loud. It is really a shame that such a mayor city as NYC has this old airport Terminal. Coming from Frankfurt you are excepting at least the same standards for New York Airport Terminals. I can only suggest for all visitors who would like to go to NYC that they try out LaGuardia.

Arrived Terminal 7 on October 20 from LHR. Got off plane only to find queue was already backed up onto the air bridge. Took nearly 2 hours to get to the immigration desk to be greeted by a surly uninterested employee. There were 2 large fans in the cramped, claustrophobic corridors from the plane. This airport is a disgrace. How you can have a full complement of officials for US citizens and next to none for the rest of the world is staggering.

Arrived off 7 hour flight from Ireland and then had to queue for another 2 hours at immigration. Absolutely not acceptable.

I arrived at Terminal 7 from Iceland on October 20. The queue for visitors was almost to the plane door itself. I queued for 2 hours and didn't get anywhere. The woman and older man guiding people to booths were out of control with no clue as to what they were doing. Guess how many TSA staff on the visitor line, for about 1500 people waiting? 1, then none. There was a bit of confusion when the GC line seemed to have been opened up to visitors (it hadn't been) and I managed to queue jump. In the end I made it through in another hour. Everytime I go through JFK it gets worse and worse. Inhumane treatment, and no excuse for it. There is no reason whatsoever to have fully manned booths on a non-existent American line, and let others pass out from waiting.

Arrived from AMS, Terminal 4. The queue was reasonable vs. AMS or CDG. It took 30 mins from the plane to the luggage. No question asked by immigration. In AMS one asks where you are going when one queues up in the Paris line with a French Passport and a CDG boarding pass. All in all, 1hr tops between leaving the plane and the rented car. Nothing to complain about.

It took 3.5 hours standing in the immigration queue between getting off the plane and finally going to pick up our bags. No water, no seats, very little ventilation, no explanations, no apology. Staggering. JFK is full of posters saying how they pledge to treat everyone with dignity. Horrible experience.

Exiting the USA was no problem. Arriving from Orlando to depart for Venice we walked from one gate to the next neighbouring gate in the same terminal. Returning from Rome and transferring to flight to Orlando was another story. The only thing that saved us was prior experience with the airport and the fact that we had only carry-on luggage so no wait for baggage at customs or we would not have made our connection in the hour and a half we had. We are US citizens (a good thing that day) and carried Delta's Quick Connect pass like a battle flag to get through the crowds walking as quickly as we could and asking questions of everyone who looked like an employee when we weren't sure where to go next. The customs lines for travelers who did not qualify for Quick Connect were very long. We made it. It's too bad that these days travelers are thrilled simply to make their connection.

Arrived by Delta KL6071 at terminal 4 from Amsterdam at October 15, 13.00 HR. Leaving me, as planned, two hours to catch my connecting flight from terminal 6. It took immigration more than 1 hour and 10 minutes to check my passport. It was not busy, it was just around lunchtime and perhaps this was the reason most booths were empty. There was no consideration with the (un)welcome visitors at all, no one cared. This is a shameful experience. Security at terminal 6 took another 30 minutes and I missed my connection. Second (return) ticket down the drain. The worse airport experience in years.

Flying in on a Delta international flight, queuing at passport control is very slow and takes forever as not enough officers on duty and this is every time I use this airline. Flying in using Air France you have your passport checked in a much more modern and clean part of the airport. Flying out of JFK airport is the same experience with obvious differences between two terminals. Security checks can be invasive and long but it was done in a professional way. Duty free is small and not interesting, airport is not clean, lounges once again depending on the airline can be nice or just boring where even a glass of decent wine is not complimentary.

After arriving on time on a flight from Europe October 19, spent 2.5 hours waiting in a hall with 2000 people simply to get into the passport control room lines. By the time we got our bags, abandoned in a pile by the carousel, three hours had gone by. If you think you are saving time by flying direct via JFK, think again - you are better off getting a connection and flying into Newark, which is bad, but does not reach the lows of Terminal 3. Airport personnel are beyond caring.

Arrived from Frankfurt on Lufthansa at T1 at same time as several international flights. Took 1 hour 30 mins from leaving aircraft to collecting baggage. All staff were polite and most of the TSA desks open. Left next morning from T7 on US Air. Check in and security only took about 20 minutes again no problems.

Arrived at Terminal 3 yesterday after a long flight from Rome, Italy on Delta #245. It was a total nightmare. Can't believe how disorganized, inept and frustrating the whole experience was from the time of arrival, getting through passport control, security check and on to our final connection. I have read prior reviews on this terminal and could not believe that it could be so bad. This terminal is dirty, outdated and seemingly unchanged since its inception in the 1950's when probably 4-5 European flights were scheduled daily. I felt sorry for the elderly people who looked so worn out from the whole process. What a sorry welcome back to the USA. I will avoid this airport like the plague in the future, despite plans for a brand new Terminal 4, to open in 2013.

We flew from London to JFK. After reading all previous reviews we now realise it was our lucky day. We only waited 2 hours in a narrow corridor with no air-conditioning, a single toilet for 600 people waiting in line, no water, no medical attendants and no where to sit. Nursing mothers and elderly people in their eighties were treated without respect or dignity. Our uniformed guard made it very clear we were aliens and not Americans. There were only 5 out of 27 entry booths open. Just as we were within a few minutes of moving forward to passport control a plane of American passport holders arrived and we were very firmly told to "get back and stand aside." When we arrived at the passport guard he did not utter a single word. First his hand beckoned for our passport, then he nodded for our fingers to be put on the machine, then he stared at his computer screen, then stamped passports and nodded over his shoulder for us to move on. After passport control we arrived at the officers collecting the Customs Declaration form. Four officers laughing and joking and by the looks of it having a good time - collecting a form? This is a disgrace and nothing to be proud of. It is something all Americans should experience and be concerned about. It is the first impressions of America, which is quite frightening. Regional airports in less developed countries put it to shame. We will never use JFK again, and British Airways need to reconsider their use of JFK.

Absolutely awful upon arrival. I was towards the front of the customs queue but it still took 1 hour 30 minutes for me to get to the front. There was a huge queue behind me which went very far back and out of sight. I imagine those people were queued for hours. There are 27 customs desks and only 5 were open so this is the reason for such slow movement. No announcements or anything were made, and no one thought to open more desks. The elderly people had no choice but to stand for the whole length of time. Americans were getting put through first. The staff were also very rude; the woman in charge pointed to people and made faces at them to show them where to go, rather than speak to them. When she had to speak she made it clear she was unhappy, shouting 'yeah you', or 'no, there' etc. It was like people being treated like cattle. The man at the customs desk was equally rude, only saying 'thumb' when he needed our fingerprints. He stared at the computer the whole time and ignored us when we wished him a nice day (sarcastically!). The journey home was much more pleasant, however again it was not the best service.

Arrived 9 August in T7 from London City - pre-clearance via Shannon meant we arrived in shabby domestic arrivals but cleared in approx 35 mins. It would appear to be the only civilised way through from other reviews. Departed T7 on 18 August - BA night sleeper service. Smooth departure via security etc. Did minimal shopping in duty free, but found what we wanted easily and well priced. BA lounge a disappointment for a long haul. Menu choices v poor and limited for a hot meal service - rather a poor buffet, would have been better served to have eaten in NYC and spent less time at airport. This is a matter for BA rather than JFK. A qualified thumbs up, due to fortunate arrivals opportunity.

I went to JFK on JetBlue to STI. It's ok, but it's very far because Continental (now United) no longer fly's to STI. The Terminal is very good and clean but the lines at Security and Check-in are too long. However when I came home (through Terminal 4), the line for immigration was very short and quick but the security, is not nice. Baggage clam can take an hour which is too long. JFK is somewhat ok.

Horrendous queues to get through immigration. Flight from London, took over 2 hours to get through immigration, not enough staff and booths getting shutdown for staff breaks. I will never use this airport again.

Very happy with my overall experience. I arrived from Dublin with Aer Lingus, so I was fortunate enough to skip the immigration queue (as we had pre-cleared US customs in Dublin). We were lead through the airport to a shabby looking baggage reclaim used for the T4 domestic flights, and the bags came quickly and I was on the airtrain within 20 minutes of arriving at the gate (a feat that not even the much smaller Glasgow airport can accomplish half the time with domestic arrivals!). My return was a similarly painless procedure. Check in had short queues (although I had arrived ridiculously early), but you do have to haul your baggage from the check in area to a separate bag drop area, with visible X-Ray scanners. Appeared to be a bit of a security nightmare, and you simply had to leave your bag in a big pile and the security team put it into the scanner. There are plenty of shops before security. Sadly, the prices are insulting, even by airport standards. $5 for a bottle of water, $2.99 for a packet of crisps, and $4.39 for a packet of gummy sweets. There are a few places that are much more reasonable. Sadly, not enough seats available before security, but if you look around enough you'll probably find some (particularly towards the A gates). Security was fantastic. There were very short queues, and that was with busy flights going out to supposedly "high risk" areas. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There's not much though security in the B gates area, but plenty of seating. Overall, I didn't find cleanliness to be a particular issue. We did have a long taxi to get to our takeoff, but that's to be expected with a busy airport. I'd happily fly to and from JFK again. The terminals are all quite small, so it all felt a lot more intimate than one would expect in such a large intentional airport. However, bear in mind that I didn't experience customs and immigration from this airport, so can't really comment there.

I arrived today on AF 12 from CDG. In fifty years of flying on five continents, I have never seen such a sight. Upon deplaning we were greeted by extremely rude staff who practically shoved US citizens into a fast lane. Non-residents and aliens were shoved into an interminable mob of waiting people. The immigration hall itself worked tolerably for US citizens (I got through in about 20 min, despite the immigration officer not believing that my passport and I were the same person: I had to show him my drivers license). The poor people in the other group were jam-packed like sardines, with those in the upstairs holding pen trickling down the escalator into the immigration hall. My heart went out to these people. How can we expect tourism if we treat them like this? No toilets, no water, no care for babies and the disabled. An absolute disgrace. The customs official with whom I spoke said that they had complained many times that terminal 1 was too small for the load. My city of origin for this trip was Mumbai India. Mumbai airport at departure time was jam-packed but compared to JFK terminal one it was paradise. Disgraceful.

Absolutely the rudest staff I have encountered! Flew into JFK from London Heathrow, and after a long flight entered this hot and stifling airport. Queued for hours to get through customs, and were spoken to like naughty schoolchildren by the security staff and customs officers. It really did dampen my first impressions of New York. Decent Customer service and manners non in this airport.

Spent 4 hours in the passport queue at terminal 1! Unfriendly staff and crowded terminals 1,2/3. I was arriving at Terminal 1 and departing at terminal 2/3. All terminals were crowded due to packed shopping facilities and gates. Queues are the biggest problem of this airport, but unfriendly staff contributes to the drama.

We were prepared for the worst after reading the JFK-reviews, but it wasn't too bad at all. Arrived in terminal 8 and had to queue for 45 minutes. We expected at least one hour. Friendly TSA-officer, luggage was put besides the belt. Continued 5 days later from new terminal 4 on Delta which is quite spacious. We arrived early -by convenient subway/AirTrain- because of the expected long queues at security, but there were hardly any. The whole process took 15 mins. Security staff not as unfriendly as other airports. Just bear it!

Horrible experience Monday returning to the states from Paris. I fail to understand how an international airport can be run so poorly in this day and age. They always seem to be caught by surprise when a plane load of passengers walk in. Had to queue up in a hallway upon deplaning - U.S. citizens to the left wall, visitors to the right. If they couldn't speak or read English, it had to have been an anxiety-ridden experience. Many of us on the left side tried to help those who didn't comprehend. There was only one worker directing people, and it didn't appear that he knew any other languages. After 10 or 15 minutes of just standing there, we were allowed into Passport Control room, which was crammed full of passengers from other flights. It was so full that we had to queue up against the far wall. It was hot in the hallway, and it was even more hot in this room. They had huge fans. We had to ask that they be turned on. Finally got through and found our luggage pulled from the carousel, meaning passengers had to circle the carousel several times to find our luggage, instead of staying in one place and pulling it off. They pulled the luggage off because it was needed for a plane from Athens that had just arrived. Even more chaos ensued when that baggage was pulled and tossed into the Paris mix. Absolutely mindless operation through every stage of deplaning. Shouldn't we have this all figured out by now? We've been doing this flying thing for a while now.

Waited over two hours to get processed by one of the armoured immigration officials at T4. Baggage reclaim and the terminal as a whole looked underwhelming, not what I was expecting. On the plus side transport by airtrain from various terminals was convenient and efficient.

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