New York JFK Airport

If JFK is "where America welcomes the world" (as you see on every road sign on the way to and from the airport and hear via the regular tannoy announcement in the taxi queue outside Terminal 1) you could be forgiven for thinking they don't like visitors very much. We arrived at JFK Terminal 1 and straight into a huge queue for the Immigration Desks (only 6 desks open for the mammoth assembled throng). At our time of arrival Air France Lufthansa and Aeroflot all had busy flights arriving at roughly the same time so it is hard to see why more desks were not made available for us given the large number of visitors coming to NYC for New Year. Common sense eventually prevailed and passengers were directed to the desks for US citizens. The few Immigration officials that were on duty were courteous and professional and following a nightmare baggage reclaim (over 400 passengers ganging up on 1 baggage carousel) we were out of the Terminal but not before having to navigate a path through the huge number of cases just left lying around by the flight connections desk. Surely that is a safety and security risk?. Having previously used Terminals 2 and 3 at JFK (don't need to add to the horror stories already posted on here) Terminal 1 is a definite improvement - but not much.

Not a great experience with this airport. Arrived early and in good time to check in however the kiosks used to obtain boarding passes only worked for half of the passengers. We were then told to join the queue for bag drop only to be told by another member of staff we were in the wrong queue and had to join the back of another line. When we finally managed to check in we walked to the area where suitcases for being scanned (I don't know why there was no conveyor belt from the check-in desk like other airports?). There was no indication where the line started and when we walked forward we were shouted at very rudely by a woman which was in all quite embarassing in front of other staff and customers. Going through security a young male worker pushing a lady in a wheelchair was also very rude when we were not moving up the queue fast enough and duty-free was awful. We were told to pick up the items at the gate we asked the woman at the gate who then said they would be brought to us in our seats. As they prepared for take-off we then asked a steward where our things were who said they were at the gate still. When we went back to the gate they said they would be brought to us again. I really was not impressed with this airport but the staff were the people who disappointed me the most.

I travelled to Orlando via New York from Manchester with Delta Airlines When going through passport and visa control at JFK I have never life met such ignorant and arrogant staff not just to me but to others as well. The attitude of some of these immigration officers was unnecessary - you got the impression that they just didn't want to be there and were taking it out on the public. I personally hope it is a long time before I have to pass though this airport again.

SLC-JFK-LHR return. Both times through terminals 2 and 3. These have to be the worst terminals in the world. Terminal 2 filthy very few places to eat. There is no way leaving terminal 4 (International Arrivals) to go to any of the other terminals without going outside of security and having to endure hours of standing in line at terminal 2 or 3 that has one person checking IDs and only two scanners in operation.

The Delta terminal at JFK is bar none the worst airport I've ever has the misfortune of flying through. I passed through transferring between an international flight and a domestic flight. Every aspect of the experience was horrible. Lines for customs baggage check-in and security all were terrible. Concessions were ridiculously expensive ($7 for a small bottle of juice at the deli) and of marginal quality. The terminal also had by far the most confusing layout and most useless signage that I've ever experienced. The re-ticketing line was so bad that I was actually grateful that my connecting flight was two hours late so that I didn't have to endure that after waiting in all of the other lines until well after my flight was supposed to have left.

Terminals 2 and 3 need to be razed to the ground and never spoken of again. While I might miss the "flying saucer" roof of Terminal 3's entrance hall that is the only thing that any sane person would possibly regret losing when this atrocity is finally replaced. As if it weren't outdated and uncomfortable and just terribly laid out for its current capacity and security procedures Delta has clearly given up on any pretence of trying to maintain the facility. To call it filthy and falling apart would be a bit like saying the sun is bright or basketball players are tall. Check-in security bathrooms waiting areas - all of it just atrocious. Whenever I'm choosing flights out of NYC I prefer to fly out of JFK because of the transportation but if the flight is Delta I always have to hesitate just knowing the ordeal I'm in for on the ground. Terminal 7 is the only other part of JFK that even comes close in decrepitude and that terminal is relatively servicable! Terminals 5 and 8 are superb (other than a really long walk from the airtrain to T5) and 1 and 4 aren't too shabby either. AirTrain is fast comfortable and efficient. Long Island Railroad from Jamaica is fastest and most comfortable connection though I'd advise tourists to familiarize themselves with transportation routes and options before arriving.

Terminal 7 it's extremely complex getting to the airport using public transportation. Switching 3 subway lines getting to Jamaica station then the airtrain station changing platforms and wait there's more getting to the Terminal with dozens of other passengers going the same way and once you get through security check forget about going back to another terminal in case your lounge is located there since everything is so crowded. Staff was good but internal facilities were nowhere close to the ones expected from the cultural and financial capital of the USA.

As the self-proclaimed "Gateway to America" this airport is an embarassment. I can't even begin to imagine what our foreign visitors think when they get off the plane and encounter the filthy restrooms in every terminal save Terminal 7. The Port Authority has still not learned how to operate the Air Train efficiently. The "Taxi" hustlers in Terminals 4 and 8 are also atrocious.

I have just returned from a short break to New York with my disabled mother we had extremely bad experiences at Terminal 4 on arrivals and departures there were four disabled passengers on our flight and assistance had been arranged by out tour operator however the necessary equipment needed to transport wheelchairs from and to the planes were not there and so were kept on the plane (on arrival) and even asked why my mother couldn't walk up the steps to plane and so was taken back to terminal to wait for equipment to be found and put in place. This took 2 hours+ and so resulted in our flight being delayed by 2.5 hrs. the result of which some very unhappy passengers. The disabled passengers were made to feel humiliated and very third rate. I experienced some very miserable extremely rude ignorant unhelpful officials at this airport. and as others have said the immigration process and the security checks are awful no thought is given to those who actually find it difficult and painful to remove shoes coats etc and especially when being hurried and spoken to rudely. Disabled passengers beware - this airport is not disabled friendly.

Flew to JFK from DCA for a meeting at Terminal 8 Admirals Club. Good experience all around. Terminal 8 was magnificent in scale and services provided were excellent. Interestingly even the journey from the remote concourse was not that far and was aided by a moving sidewalk. Good steakhouse in terminal and very nice club. Arrival and departure were efficient.