New York JFK Airport review by Peter Gordon

4 April 2008   Customer Rating :

International flights to/from Terminal 7 (BA). This is a pleasant terminal, but can only really cope with one flight arriving at once. We arrived at the same time as another flight resulting in long queues, but at least they moved fast. As throughout the airport the staff were all polite, and I was out of the terminal in 50 minutes. Outbound was fine, although like Heathrow it is becoming more like a shopping mall. Domestic flights to/from Terminal 3. Outbound, whilst the flight started showing on time we ended up being 150 minutes late into Chicago, partly awaiting crew and partly waiting to take off. Whilst many airports cannot cope with poor weather, I seem to get delayed at JFK in quite good weather. It is clear that some form of slot control need to be introduced. On return arrival was a little chaotic with one belt not working and slow baggage delivery. (Delta is usually very good here). I also used the airtrain. This is basically very good, but a little infrequent off peak, requiring a ten minute wait for a two car train usually full of airport staff. Would it be possible to run shorter trains every four to five minutes? Sort out runway delays and I would happily award a fourth star.

New York JFK Airport review by H Jans

28 March 2008   Customer Rating :

We took the AirTrain (5$, free at Newark) to Terminal 8 and although the track has a double rail set the train only operates in one direction. Terminal 8 has a rather sterile look but it is clean though. Avoid buying a pizza at Abitino's at the small food plaza. Customers were treated with great disrespect. The man at the counter swears at almost every customer. Better bring your own food or go next door to MacDonald's!

New York JFK Airport review by S Srinivasan

21 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Recently connected through JFK from BOM using Delta. Delta has their own dedicated terminal, including customs/immigration clearance, which helps make for a much smoother, streamlined process (as long as you're domestic connection is also on Delta). Our flight from BOM arrived early AM, so immigration, customs, and baggage transfer took no time at all. Delta has a separate security checkpoint for international transfers immediately after baggage transfer, which makes the process much faster than other airports, where you have to exit the international terminal and then transfer to a completely separate terminal. The security/baggage transfer personnel were a bit rude, though. The overall look and feel of the terminal was decent, if not outstanding. It was clean, and there are a fair number of shops/restaurants to choose from. However, the "satellite" area that holds Gates 16-30 could still use some work. It looks old, and there were birds flying around and bothering people sitting in the waiting areas.

New York JFK Airport review by A Simons

15 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Flew from JFK (Jetblue terminal) to Orlando. There are a large number of food outlets for you to purchase food before your flight (to eat in or takeaway) however a distinct lack of any shopping facilities. Apparently Jetblue is building a new terminal which promises to overcome these shortcomings. Was impressed with the lack of queues in this terminal and checkin was also fairly quick. Overall a smooth experience.

New York JFK Airport review by L Braun

13 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Arrived from Moscow JFK Terminal 3. To get to the passport line took 50 minutes to disembark and tramp underneath and around the entire terminal. We were forced to walk down and back up escalators that weren't working (I was told they were new!). I asked a security person where we could find the elevator - there were none. Passport line required only about 20 minutes, baggage was waiting for us on the carousel, but it took another 45 minutes to recheck my luggage and get through a single security checkpoint to re-enter the terminal. Signage to connecting gates was confusing. The terminal looked much better than last time, but the journey to get through passport control was brutal. Unless you have 3 or 4 hours for a connection, do not use terminal 3 at JFK.

New York JFK Airport review by S Walker

13 January 2008   Customer Rating :

After a two centre holiday in Las Vegas and New York not much to choose between any of the USA airports. The treatment from staff not at all friendly or welcoming. Increased security does not have to mean increased rudeness. I even saw an elderly couple at JFK spoken to very sharply in tears. No wonder there is a drop in the number of people entering the USA for holidays.

New York JFK Airport review by Trevor Rands

28 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at JFK after horrendous flight mess at London Heathrow because it was claimed by pilot that USA had not cleared Virgin to take in passengers. Due to this we arrived two hours late into JFK to face that long, long tramp through those corridors to Passport Check/Immigration/Baggage recovery. A "killer" for disabled folk or those in poor health. We joined the multi zig-zag lines of very tired and exhausted passengers (poor, hot, stuffy atmosphere all around, too!) waiting to be greeted(!) by the Immigration Officers - although not before we had been ominously "shouted at", three times, by three separate announcements. When the young female officer called us up we had to be fingerprinted then suddenly mugshotted. Eventually she stamped our passports, smiled a bitter and twisted smile and wished us a happy time. We had queued for this rigmarole for perhaps, thirty minutes. Our abiding recollection of JFK airport is that particular rudeness. Traveller. Be prepared!

New York JFK Airport review by Matt Battersby

14 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Flew into Terminal 8 with AA on new route from London Stansted 8 November. Queue for foreigners at immigration over 90 minutes; lots of space but lots of empty booths. Bags piled up on floor of baggage hall waiting. Return - excellent check in. Curbside to airside in record times. Terminal spacious, airy. Great experience... until flight delayed 2 hours plus due to malfunction of new baggage system in the terminal delaying all outbounds.

New York JFK Airport review by Peter Harrison

12 November 2007   Customer Rating :

I arrived at Terminal 9 on a delayed flight from San Francisco at about 23:00. I was expecting to be able to get a taxi quite easily for my transfer to Manhattan. The queue was enormous and very few cabs on the rank. If you are unsure about using public transport in a strange city then my recommendation is that you prebook transfers and arrange to be met at arrivals. On my return I booked the airport shuttle to take me from my hotel. Even so the journey took just under 2 hours as a result of stops en route and very heavy traffic. Flying out of Terminal 7 was OK. Some improvement works happening at the moment but should be complete in the near future.

New York JFK Airport review by J Ludewig

9 November 2007   Customer Rating :

First time experience in Deltas new Business Elite Terminal. Very short checkin times, attractive lounge and fairly short distance walks. The only negative point would be the lack of a duty free shop. All good. Way better than the other Delta terminal.

New York JFK Airport review by Louis Chong

23 October 2007   Customer Rating :

This is seriously a traveller's nightmare. Flights are often delayed. Terminal facilities are limited. Immigration queues are very long for foreigners, unless you are its green card holder. Try to land at Newark as much as possible because of faster queues and flights are more punctual.

New York JFK Airport review by Martin Lees

19 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at Terminal 7 with BA from Manchester to find the customs queue was rapid for US citizens and torturously long if you were a UK passport holder. Most of the customs cubicles were closed. Departed on 14th October back to Manchester and spent 1 hour 35 minutes taxiing for a 7 hour flight because idiots at JFK traffic control decided that one runway was good enough for both flights landing and taking off.

New York JFK Airport review by D Silverstone

4 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Your experience will be entirely dependent on what terminal you're flying through, and whether you have to transfer between them. Terminals 4, 9, and the soon to be opened 5 are the most modern and efficient. Terminal 3 is horribly antiquated and due to be replaced. The remainder are servicable, but none quite rise to JFK's status as the main entry point to the USA. The AirTrain system should be no problem for anyone who can read a map -- and even a map shouldn't be necessary if you speak and read English fluently. It's very simple -- the inside loop goes in a circle, and stops at all terminals, over and over again. The outside loop goes in the opposite direction, and after terminals 8/9 will go to parking lots and public transportation. Word of advice - though the connection to the "A" train sounds most intuitive, it's actually the slowest connection to the city, especially if you're going to midtown. I recommend taking the AirTrain to Jamaica and transferring to the E train. It is very fast in queens, and goes right to midtown. Taking the Long Island RailRoad from Jamaica is even faster, but limits you to going straight into Penn Station. Driving/Taxi - be prepared for the unexpected. Construction, accidents, and traffic can combine to make this either a 30 minute trip or a 3 hour trip, and anywhere in between. If you're not familiar with the area, do your best to familiarize yourself well in advance of driving. Many of the highways in the NYC area can be confusing even to locals, with multiple possible routes, and very short ramps/heads-up before exits/exchanges.

New York JFK Airport review by S Blackburn

21 September 2007   Customer Rating :

Flew into the new AA terminal on what the purser on our flight proudly announced was its first day handling a full AA schedule (Sun 16 Sep). It appears well up to the job - bright, light and modern. Airtrain to the subway via the car hire centres is excellent and compared to the cost of public transport in the UK $5 is well worth paying; also nice to see that they've left room for future expansion. Left on BA out of T7 which needs more seating around the gates - in mitigation, areas appeared to be closed off for refurbing. Both journies were at off-peak times so no problems with taxiing; an article in the FT this week said this was getting worse at peak times because airlines could pretty much schedule flights when they wanted since a law change, so the peaks are getting worse.

New York JFK Airport review by P Lister

28 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at the new American Airlines Terminal 9 on Saturday 11th of August from LHR. Immigration and passport control took well over 1 hour, the queue for non USA nationals was very badly managed whilst the queue for USA nationals was cleared very quickly partly because they were taking people out of that queue and letting them use the officers processing non US nationals. Flights from Sierra Leone and Haiti had arrived just before us and these passengers were taken ages to process. Took well over 1 hour from landing to getting our luggage. On exiting the terminal we headed for the Yellow cabs which are across the road in front of the terminal, we were approached by a person asking if we wanted a taxi. We told him where we wanted to go to and told us to follow a driver. Unfortunately he wasn't a yellow cab driver and subsequently ended paying $90 ($75 fare plus toll plus tip) to Times Square. These drivers aren't illegal but they just charge twice as much as yellow cab drivers, he said the toll from the Queens-Midtown tunnel was $10 when it is actually $4.50. Our return journey by yellow cab was $55. Be aware make sure you approach the driver in his car. AA are now using a brand new terminal 9 at JFK for all but a handful of flights and it is a superb terminal. We were airside for about 5 hours as we were transiting from Bermuda back to LHR. The terminal is spacious, it never felt crowded, easy to find your way around. There is a good selection of places to eat and drink and shops dotted all around but it doesn't feel like a shopping centre masquerading as an airport unlike London Heathrow Terminal 3.

New York JFK Airport review by P Simpson

9 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Illogical, jumbled up design. Arrived and departed from Terminal One with Maxjet and the usual problems. Awful arrival with an almost 2 hour wait at immigration whereby we were harrassed and quizzed by the miserable immigration officers (why does wearing a gun give people a sense of superiority ?). Getting to the car hire site is a feat of endurance - there are no signs - we asked at the desk laughably referred to as "Customer Service" and the elderly lady had no idea. Eventually after asking people in the shops and taxi drivers found the car hire site situated 20 minutes away by air train. A tortuous experience after a long flight. Departure was worse. Security is a joke with endless queues being badgered by over zealous, uniformed nobodies insisting that bags are kept "to your right only" - why? The departure lounge plumbs new depths with huge queues at the two identical food stalls selling over priced, horrible junk food whilst being insulted by rude staff. The other ludicrous aspect of this terminal is the choice of shops - the average joe in JFK does not necessarily want Hermes or Mont Blanc and yet it's elitist shops like this that abound in the airport. The shops, unsurprisingly, have absolutely nobody inside. Awful airport and one to be avoided at all cost.

New York JFK Airport review by John Oram

6 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Imagine a complex motorway interchange like Gravelly Hill (Spaghetti Junction) and some terminals placed coincidentally around it and, if you have never been there, you will imagine JFK. It is a mess under constant construction and this is the image it has presented to me for the twenty years I have been going there. Casting a professional eye over its operations although I am of course no expert on local details, I am always horrified by its Ground Movement Control. We spent 25 mins waiting to cross 22L some of those blocked from crossing by traffic on the other side of the runway. The only advantage of this delay was that a gate became free instead of the anticipated remote stand. Immigration was fantastic. There was not one person in line when we arrived and the staff were quite pleasant. They seemed more relaxed. Baggage delivery was fair. There was no line for the taxi. Less than 48hrs later, departing for SFO, T9 presented an attractive enough image from the outside but still is not complete inside. Surprisingly, given the American enthusiasm for undressing at security and rounding up all those dangerous diet sodas, they have now decided not to re-check photo ID at the gates. Are we seeing an outbreak of common sense? Not for the first time we were given the longest possible taxi to the departure runway, spending 40mins on the ground before getting any closer to San Francisco. JFK/LGA/EWR are aware of this type of problem - they have to get it sorted out.

New York JFK Airport review by Tony Dangerland

1 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Flew into JFK Terminal 8 from LHR. I haven't used T8 for years and I think they (either AA or Airport Authority) haven't spent a dime on the place. Urgent repairs are required throughout the terminal, gaping holes are in the ceiling allowing water to come streaming in during the rain, carpet is well worn, lighting is non existent, seating for waiting passengers is extremely limited, need I go on. Immigration queues crawl along at an unbearable speed (3 officers to process non US citizens). Upon using the same terminal for departure back to London I can't say the experience was any better. I thought LAX was bad but JFK T8 is in a class of its own! Not a pleasant experience.

New York JFK Airport review by Ken Medina

26 March 2007   Customer Rating :

Flew into JFK on 3/23/07 from Orlando for a connector to Boston. We found that the airport was filthy with dirty walls stained carpets and trash everywhere. This airport doesn't deserve the "JFK" as it's name sake.

New York JFK Airport review by S Michaelson

20 March 2007   Customer Rating :

And I thought LAX was bad. I agree with Kuhan Kandiah in that the signage is almost non-existant. We came in on terminal 3, dirty, birds (yes, birds) inside flying everywhere, had to take the Airtrain to terminal 4. No signs at all, had to ask the staff for help. I was told there is "always" staff at the Airtrain to help. Not true. On the way back, there was no one and people kept running from one side to another trying to figure out which train to take. Our flight was 30 minutes early and we had to wait 45 minutes for the baggage to show up. Someone said that they work on a schedule to unload and if your flight is early, they will just unload it when the plane was supposed to arrive. When we got to the baggage claim, it looked like they had unloaded two planes and left the baggage everywhere on the floor. There was no room to move and it was packed. Avoid this airport if at all possible.

New York JFK Airport review by Kuhan Kandiah
26 January 2007

Flew via terminal 3 (DL) but got lost from the Air Train terminal at Terminal 2/3 to the domestic terminal for DELTA. No proper signage and its very un-disable-friendly if you are coming in by the Air Train arrival at Terminal 2/3. Reasonable airport with reasonable service levels but can be better for an international airport.

New York JFK Airport review by G Lazaro
19 January 2007

Arrived and departed from Terminal 7, the British Airways Terminal, on flights from and to Tokyo/Narita on ANA. Not an inviting welcome to the city on arrival via long, narrow corridors leading up to Immigration. As a US citizen, I passed through immigration in about 15 minutes. With a quick pass through immigration, bags seemingly took longer than expected to come out. On departure, not much to do before security, so if you're waiting with people, it can get a bit boring. Would've been nice to have even one food stand in the waiting area. Security wasn't too harsh a wait on a Sunday morning. Typical mall food court setup with some cafes and a McDonalds in the gate area with more than a fair share of NYC souvenir shops. The check-in and gate areas were clean and seemed to be well-maintained. Didn't notice any internet terminals, but that's always a plus these days. Overall an unremarkable experience at JFK 7.

New York JFK Airport review by Dave Feehan
12 October 2006

Used JFK Terminal 3 on flight to Manchester. Having had a peek at the gate lounges on arrival, to say it needs a lick of paint is an understatement. Leaking ceilings (and exposed wires in leaking areas), dirty carpets. Didn't look the nicest. Having had to stay in it when waiting for my return flight reinforces the point. The international check-in area certainly needs a bit of work on it. Very crowded areas in check in and security check area was cramped and over-crowded. Slight improvement once airside but they really need to spend some money doing the place up. Overall, could do better as its not the best advertisement for NYC (if JFK really is "where America welcomes the world," they must not like us very much!)

New York JFK Airport review by Jeff Pug
10 October 2006

JFK Terminal 9. Departures: Quick check in & bag drop using automated kiosks. Security line moved efficiently. Could use more food options post security, but a pleasant terminal and better than the old Terminal 9 or the current Terminal 8. Free WiFi would be nice. Arrivals: Baggage Claim is horrendous. Had to wait 30 minutes for luggage, that's after deplaning & making the long walk from the course to baggage claim. Also poorly signed as to which carousel would have luggage. I think that this is an American Airlines issue as I've had similar issues with AA's baggage handling at LGA, SAN, & SFO as well with long delays and poor direction as to which carousel it'd be on.

New York JFK Airport review by Martin Brown
28 August 2006

JFK terminal 3 needs some serious work doing to it with paint peeling from the roof and leaks on the outside. Inside at checkin isn't much better (I noticed a lot of things as checkin took so long). It looks like something from the 60's. Security only had 2 scanners and a long queue. Once through, however, things start to improve, but only just. They are working on it...apparently. As I had 6 hours between flights I went on the airtrain between the terminals as this was free, just to have a look. Most of the other terminals were pretty good and of a modern design Terminal 4 was very light and airy. I was wondering why Terminal 5 wasn't listed any where, so got off at Terminal 6 and had a look. This was the old TWA Internation Terminal A and a really interesting design with the roof bowing in the middle and pointing at the ends. They still had the old TWA logo on some parts of the terminal. I managed to take a few pictures before Security told me to stop. Apparently they are building a new rear to this terminal so it will be interesting to see it open again as it made a change from the "square" terminals found everywhere else. I came into the US through terminal 7 and immigration was a breeze and didn't take too long. I agree with the previous comments, if you are in a rush then JFK won't help mainly because it is so big and the airtrain can take 10 minutes to arrive, however if you have plenty of time between flights, then it is a great airport, also, for a small fee the airtrain can take you to Manhattan.

New York JFK Airport review by Joe Walsh
1 July 2006

I use JFK's Terminal 4 regularly on business and find it a very good terminal. Arrivals is fine and usually straight forward (having pre- cleared immigration). Departures is light and airy with plenty of shops and restaurants. Sometimes queues to get through security can be long and annoying but that would be my only critique. Do people remember the old terminal?? This is light years ahead.

New York JFK Airport review by Steve Maier
26 June 2006

I have used JFK a couple of times now and cannot share the negative views here. I have flown in and out terminal 4 transatlantic and also terminal 3. Terminal 4 is a nice terminal, good variety of shops and restaurants. I find it a good thing that the shops and lounges are before security. You just need to plan good time to get to you gate. Terminal 3 is an ok terminal, it is what I see throughout the US when flying domestic. The only point of critique is the bus system, Delta is using from the gate to the plane. Letting the passengers sit in an overheated bus for 25 minutes should not be. Without aircon! But overall JFK was a good experience.

New York JFK Airport review by John Oram
21 June 2006

JFK is not the place to be if you want to do anything in a hurry in either direction. What's more as part of the overall declining welcome to America which has been accompanied unsurprisingly by a decline in numbers being welcomed to America, they don't much care. T1 remains light and airy and is not too bad in some ways. After we were detained temporarily by police on the way in we ended up behind a Mexican flight; I need hardly say more. However, even the awkward flights would be handled more quickly if more than 60% of the lines were open. Remember America has a complex and elaborate entry procedure. They make this worse by implementing it slowly. I complained to a supervisor who was barely able or willing to comply with the prominently displayed Pledge To Travellers displayed by CBP. However, he confirmed that they have the staff for about 50% of the lines. Two were closed while I was waiting. Now they want to introduce ten fingerprints instead of two. Check in and boarding procedures were relatively straightforward for the return journey.

New York JFK Airport review by C Hurley
22 April 2006

I recently visited New York (LHR-JFK) via Terminal 4. Arrivals was boring, spending a long time in a large hall waiting to clear immigration. Baggage reclaim was quick enough (although to be expected, after that long wait), and carts are $3 in $1 bills, non-refundable. Cabs will take you from (but not to) JFK to anywhere in Manhattan for $45 plus toll. However, on return, the terrible and illogical layout of Terminal 4's Departures hall became apparent. For some reason, we had to deliver our baggage into a pile at a drop-off point instead of it being accepted at the Virgin Atlantic desk. You then walk straight into the (unimpressive) shopping section. If you wish to do any shopping, do it before clearing security - the checkpoints at the end of each hall lead to the gates, but there are very limited facilities past security. We hurried through security, not knowing how long it would take, and then had a long wait at the gate.

New York JFK Airport review by John Oram
30 March 2006

Maxjet and therefore Terminal 1 at JFK. Yes, the airport is appallingly laid out and air traffic on the ground is handled tediously but at least T1 is light and airy. No problems with Immigration on the way in; some odd delay with baggage. On the way out, TSA were only as irritating as normal. We joined the fast track line only to find that at the head of that line we merged with line two and were handled by one person. Only as I neared the head of the line was this rectified. However, delays were not considerable. I hope this city of tax on everything recognises how much it needs its tourists.

New York JFK Airport review by David Harrington
27 January 2006

Had the displeasure of passing through JFK en route to Heathrow. Found terminal 3 to be extremely crowded and dirty. Staff unhelpful (our luggage got sent to Madrid. Only positive is the new air train - compared to other airports in the area (ie Newark) JFK comes bottom on the list.

New York JFK Airport review by A Lieder
21 January 2006

JFK Terminal 8 is a disgrace. It is the worst airport I have ever been in. Arrival on American Airlines Flight Economy Class from London was okay until we had to deal with a 30min wait in a dingy immigration hall. Staff were unfriendly but contact was minimal. Airtrain is okay, but $5 ticket price is too much. Leaving from Terminal 8 five days later was a nightmare. Long queue at check-in, unfriendly staff and no service whatsoever. The Business Class Lounge is before Security which doesn't make any sense at all because Security control takes some time and involves showing boarding passes about five times, taking off shoes and dealing with very rude staff. After Security Control there are no facilities whatsoever, maybe three small kiosks selling magazines and overpriced drinks, and the sitting areas near the gates are simply depressing - bad strip lighting, smelly, soiled carpets etc. I have been to far better airports in less developed countries, and this terminal at JFK is truly a tip that can spoil the holiday experience if you have to spend time in there.

New York JFK Airport review by Gareth Bronkhorst
11 January 2006

I recently returned from a visit to New York, and I had the very unfortunate experience of having to use Terminal 8 (American Airlines). Upon arrival I was just amazed to see how ancient it is looking. I am sure there are poor countries in Africa that have better facilities, and have terminals that look better. The immigration staff I must say were very friendly and not as arrogant as those in PHL. I waited about 50 minutes for my luggage in a baggage hall that looked war torn. Upon entering the arrivals hall, it became worse, it was dirty, and there were many very seedy looking characters hanging around suspiciously looking at passengers and their luggage, I was asked by several people whether I wanted a cab (which was obviously not legit), but I politely declined. Returning to LHR, I got another great experience of Terminal 8, when it came to checking in. The queue I was in was going as far as the walkway to Terminal 9. It was a total and utter nightmare. The most unorganised mess I have seen in all of my years of travel. I kept having to remind myself that I was actually in a first world country, and not at a cattle market. After checking in (45 minutes later) I went to the departure lounge, to find 3 little shops that sold duty free goods, and nothing more. If you are going to use the terminal, take some reading material, or try and reduce your waiting time in the waiting lounge, if not, you might die of boredom! I arrived in London to find that my bags had not left JFK, 3 days later they arrived, and upon reading the baggage tags found that they were shipped to Paris, then back to JFK, from there they went to Chicago, and from Chicago to London. In conclusion, only use Terminal 8 if you really have to, or if you can, wait until the new one is opened.

New York JFK Airport review by Michael Nevradakis
2 January 2006

For a city like New York, an absolute travesty of an airport. Very difficult to connect from one building to another, mostly rude staff, bad signage, horribly expensive parking, terrible traffic within the airport. Terminal 1 is the nicest terminal to depart from, check-in is quick and the terminal is clean, and the shops are decent. Arrivals is another story altogether. It takes an extremely long time for the plane to reach the terminal, even longer to get off the plane, followed by a typically long walk to the immigration area, where passengers from many different flights typically are all filing in at the same time, leading to lines which often have hundreds of people on them and which moves slowly. After that nightmare, retrieving luggage has always taken at least a half hour and despite there being no foreign exchange facility up until this point in the arrivals terminal, luggage carts are not free and you can only pay with loose change! Finally, a third queue awaits passengers in the customs inspection area, before getting out into a crowded arrivals hall. It is also very far away from the city. I've never taken the AirTrain, so I can't comment on that, but the station it terminates in, the Jamaica station on the LIRR, is dark and dingy, and not the safest place to be after dark. The A subway line has about 25 or so stops in Brooklyn and Queens before making it into Manhattan, and driving through the Belt Parkway or Van Wyck Expressway is not for the faint of heart. Especially on the Van Wyck, there always seems to be traffic, no matter what time of the day you are on it. Absolutely horrible, and this was the case in Terminal 1 as well as the British Airways and America West terminals. Avoid if possible.

New York JFK Airport review by Joe Kadri
2 January 2006

Terminals 1, 4, 6, and 7 are the only good terminals in JFK. As Terminal 1 is owned by Lufthansa, Air France, Alitalia, etc. it is kept properly to meet adequate standards. Terminal 4 is new and very clean and efficient with several airlines operating from it. Terminal 6 is OK, JetBlue has grown too much for that terminal to be adequate enough for them to use alone anymore. Terminal 7 belongs to BA, Cathay Pacific, ANA, America West and United I believe, though the building is a few decades old, they have maintained it well. Now Terminal 2 and 3 is primarily owned and used by Delta, I have been in both terminals and they are a disgrace, both buildings are falling apart. Terminal 5, the old TWA terminal lies there closed down since the cessation of operations of TWA. Terminal 8 and 9, American, the worst!!! Dirty and dingy. For such big airlines like Delta and American to have terminals in that kind of shape in JFK is a real disgrace.

New York JFK Airport review by Veronica Suter
19 December 2005

I flew in and out of JFK a bunch of times and never ran into big problems. This changed on Nov. 18. We took the subway 3-4 hours before our departure time and then changed to to the AirTrain to get to our terminal. First we sat on the AirTrain for at least 15 minutes until finally starting. After picking up others at the various stations with the same delays we finally head towards the terminals - but suddenly stopped and returned to the stations we'd just left. as it turned out this must have been happening for a while but there weren't any announcements or information on what to do. The only option was to leave the Air Train leading onto the parking lot desert and try to get on a shuttle bus where 100s of people were waiting already. We ended up racing over highways and across fields trying to hail cabs or any other vehicle along the way to make our flight in time. If you can avoid it and you have to catch a flight do not take the Air Train!!

New York JFK Airport review by Mike McCabe
13 December 2005

It's true that JFK is getting better after years of being one of the most confusing/ugly airports in the US. The AirTrian works very well, but good luck with the mysterious (english only) signage - no color coding, no clear announcements, no explanations of what airlines serve the terminals (maps are scattered around here and there, but you need to decode what they actually mean by looking at several). The transfer to the LIRR to Penn Station is the cleanest/safest/cheapest way to get to Manhattan, but it's still a hassle. For a real workout, try getting from one end of American Airlines gingantic new Terminal 9 to the AirTrain - probably a half mile walk up and down 5 escalators and 5 moving walkways - amazingly bad layout. You had better be under 40 in excellent shape with LOTS of time to kill to navigate the maze. The distances are immense, and the signage is weak at best. Leave extra time. Forewarned, the American terminal is the last one on the AirTrain - you have to stop at C through 7 first - takes some time if you're in a rush.

New York JFK Airport review by Andrew Turek
10 November 2005

LHR-JFK-LAX Business class. Five minutes at immigration but I really had to belt through the corridors to achieve that; within two minutes the line was long and slow and dispiriting. Bags through reasonably quickly; delayed in interlining but that is the airlines' fault. What made the trip for me was the Air Train between terminals which is a masterpiece. Quick, clean, and free!

New York JFK Airport review by Mike Neau
9 October 2005

Flew for the first time thru JFK Terminal 1 and all I can say about it can be resumed as follows : clean, modern and efficient. Landing at JFK on an Air France 777 from CDG, waiting line at Immigration (as a non- citizen) was only 15 minutes, the terminal is spacious and well-lit. The signing is of a very high standard, and getting to the rent-a-car zone by Airtrain was an easy job ! Same business on the return leg : check-in is a speedy process, attended by competent and friendly staff, and shops on the airside are a-plenty !! The only drawbacks I can think of are the rent-a-car zone being somehow out of the central transit area where all the terminals are located, and the outrageous extra charge the airport ATMs apply on foreign credit cards. On the whole JFK Terminal 1 was at the time (Aug 2004) a very pleasant experience. Oddly enough, it took me longer to clear Immigration once back at CDG (in my own country) than it did at JFK on my way out !

New York JFK Airport review by Isabella Smith
15 August 2005

I have travelled numerous times out of JFK and all I can say is that it's slowly improving (note the slowly). Anyway the AirTrain is great if you know how it works, there are little/no signs explaining the different routes. One route is that the AirTrain makes a complete circle around the terminals, another train goes to Jamaica, Queens and another Howard Beach, Queens. As a native New Yorker I got on the wrong AirTrain thinking it would take me to long term parking, instead I rode around the terminals in a complete circle. And note the AirTrain does not go directly to Manhattan, one must transfer to the LIRR or A,C or E subway lines, and this can be quite a hassle with large, cumbersome luggage. And ignore the people (these are usually people looking to rip tourists off by charging astronomical prices for a ride to Manhattan) who hassle you outside the international terminal for unmarked taxis (not the usual yellow cab). Best bet to get into Manhattan yellow cab $45 +toll+tip. Or you could take a designated bus for like $13 a person but they only drop off at limited hotels in Manhattan. I agree charging $3.00 for a trolley is despicable, and all the customs agents I've ever encountered are all pleasant, and cordial. Overall JFK is improving and in the years to come it should be a top international airport.

New York JFK Airport review by Ben Hartman

8 August 2005

JFK Terminal 8 is worse than any 3rd world airport I've seen. Low stained ceiling tiles, long walks up hill and down dale, faded '70's vintage "welcome to america" posters, duct tape everywhere hold things on walls or covering holes, Old dingy fluorescent fixtures that buzz and flicker. I am embarassed that this is the welcome foreigners get to the USA. Then the snarly customs/border patrol people who have no idea how to expedite a crowd. Lately, the line for US is much slower than the tourist line. It wouldn't be so bad if CPB would at least man all the passport lanes. usually less than half are operating. Budget cuts? Where's all that homeland security money going, anyway. New terminal 8/9 isn't scheduled to be ready until 2007

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