New York JFK Airport

✅ Trip Verified | We have been to JFK sometime back, but the most recent experience are the worst. We returned from Barcelona to LAX with a stop at JFK. We were given a tag for express-lane to pick up our luggage, go through custom and TSA. Unfortunately, the TSA staff mixed up the regular travelers with those with the "Express-Lane" to make the connecting flight. The TSA staff and customs staff have all appeared to be uninterested in their jobs as if they wished to be elsewhere. Chaos is evident everywhere. As a result, we ran and were barely made it to our flight to LAX - 5 minutes before the take off time. As if, the misery and stress was not enough, our plane was delayed and waited to take off due to 60 planes in front of our plane. We would avoid this airport at all cost in our future travel plan.

Not Verified | Simply terrible. Flew with AA and they had two counters open to check in and 200-300 passengers queing. All self check in desks were down and service was terrible. Security was even worse. Spent almost 2 hours to check in and get through security. After inspection there is little to no choice when it comes to eating. Literally two places which offered terrible options. I had to stand up at the gate since there are few steats (all of which were taken obviously).

Not Verified | It was a really bad experience to depart from Terminal 1 JFK Airport! Specifically security check was just terrible! Staff is rude, disrespectful and extremely unfriendly. I couldn't sleep well the nights after this bad experience, I was shocked by the behaviour of the security check staff. I cannot understand, that involved airlines put up with this circumstances for their passengers.

✅ Trip Verified | Arrived at JFK, terminal 1 around 11:30pm on the 8th of May, for the flight on the 9th. I laid myself down on the floor then I heard the voice saying that I was not allowed to ‘lie down on the floor.’ It was around 2am. So I woke up, and packed myself when the voice came up to me again to make sure. I moved on, looking for a bathroom and the voice called me again. She stopped me and asked where I was going. I said bathroom. She said that’s okay and told me direction to the bathroom, which was literally in front of me. She added that the Food Court was closed if I were to go there. First, I was not, and second, I knew it was closed anyway, but I did not bother to answer. After the bathroom, I started to looking for a new spot to sit down. Then I just thought that I might have a short breeze near the exit, but the door was closed. I waved my hand under the sensor once or twice then quit, and was about to resume my search for the chair. Then she ran up again and said the terminal was closed. I said I could see that, and asked her if she was following me. She said I was not allowed to roam around the airport because the terminal was closed. But there were other people in the terminal! I said I was on my way to find a seat. She said I could sit anywhere, and I said I was on my way to the seat closer to my airline. She then said that I had to leave the terminal because my flight was to leave ‘tomorrow.’ It was 2:20am and my flight was 1pm, on the same day. She told me to leave immediately or she would call the police - she said it more than 5 times. I asked her what I was supposed to do, and she said I should leave immediately and come back after 6am. She blocking me with her body in case I go anywhere when I was not even moving. I hopped in the elevator as she said. I could see her calling someone with her wireless set to make sure I do not stay in the building. I landed on the 1st floor, with shock, horror and confusion. I tried to look up any hotels around the airport to go, but it took less than 30 seconds until the man, who got her call came up to me. He kindly advised me that the terminal 8 is open 24 hours. I asked him the direction, when she ran down to the first floor, cutting his words. She said “No, she’s not going to the third floor. Go out right here and walk across the street.” I said I would check with internet and she kept repeating that she would call the police. When I was waiting for the red light to change to green in front of the cross, I could see her watching me until I cross the street fully from inside. That was very creepy. It was 2:25am. Anyhow, I made it to the terminal 8, and guess what? There are so many people sleeping on the floor! Am I not allowed to come to the airport too early? I always thought that arriving in the airport earlier is always better than being late, but I guess this does not apply to JFK? I am just shocked and horrified that such a big international airport like JFK could kick an international guest like that manner.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport experience in the world! When we arrived it was really crowded and we had to wait for more than 2 hours to have our passport controlled standing in line for all the time. The signs were not put in the right place, which had lead lots of passengers in the wrong line and the staff was really rude, not giving explanations or right indications. Restroom was dirty and we had a really bad experience with almost everything.

✅ Trip Verified | Probably the most horrific experience in my entire life. I boarded my flight from terminal 8 of JFK where I arrived 3 and half hours before flight. The airport was terribly overcrowded. Where in the world domestic and international passengers are checking in at same kiosks? A handful of highly uncooperative staff was available to help herd! of passengers at self-check-in kiosks so, I could not get any help in spite of literally begging from 3 staff when I was not able to scan my wife passport. Finally, one staff told me to go another counter. After standing in Queue for half an hour I was told that I was at wrong counter and should go to other counter. After standing in queue at that counter for 15 minutes, I was told that I should fill the immigration form of Peru by scanning QR code from the machine installed at a point in airport. I and at least 10 of other passengers were struggling to connect to Wi-Fi of airport to scan the code. When I went to some staff to report this issue their straight answer was “this issue is not their problem” and when I said that I will miss my flight, unfortunately instead of having a word of sympathy the answer was “it’s not their problem”. Anyways, I kept on trying for next half an hour to finally connect Wi-Fi of airport to find that it was not the “immigration form” it was “health declaration form” which I had already filled. Airport staff should at least know the exact terminology and difference between immigration form and health declaration form. Anyways, finally I stand in a long queue to find that I was not the only one, majority of the people in that line who like me were about to miss their flight or had already missed their flight in spite of reaching 3 hours prior due to utter chaos, incoordination and red tapism. I requested at least 3 staff to consider me early but in vain. Finally, I reached at check in counter to find that there was 1 pound extra in one bag (while other 3 bags were short of 30 pounds) but still the lady asked us to open our lock and shift our load to another bag. While we were doing so, she went for short break. The misery didn’t end here, security staff opened the bag of my wife to remove creams, lotions etc. (which we were open and were sure less than 100 ml; moreover, we had crossed 3 airports before in other countries with the same stuff). When I requested them to please do it little fast otherwise I will miss my flight, their answer was again “that’s not their problem” Finally, we sprinted to reach our flight departure gate which was about to close in next 5-10 minutes. At gate I was told that my cabin baggage is oversized (the same bag approved by check in staff became oversize after reaching at departure gate!). Anyways, finally we boarded our flight after depleting all adrenaline and other stress hormones. My request from authorities is: At least separate domestic and international departures. Increase staff to help passengers at web check in kiosks. Ask staff to be compassionate towards passengers. Just bluntly saying that it not their problem does not solve the problem rather disheartens you. Start feedback system of international passengers to understand their agonies. Do a survey to find that how many international passengers are missing their flights and then compare with other countries.

Not Verified | JFK is a joke - from the redundant and thoughtless procedures, to the lack of useful signage when flying internally, to a staff that barely speak English, to the bar waitresses that add their own tip amounts to your food bill. Worst internal flying experience. I will fly out of my way and pay more to avoid this idiotic hell hole.

✅ Trip Verified | Without a doubt, this has to be the worst airport I have ever visited. The Airport itself was okay, but the staff is something else! From check-in to security to the stores, the staff were rude, unwelcoming, and disrespectful. On checking our luggage, they were systematically thrown onto the conveyor belt in front of our eyes. The security line was an absolute joke – here we had a couple of men who were shouting and barking orders at everyone and treated everyone as if they were incompetent. Security staff stood idly by and just watched as the security trays were becoming backlogged, thus creating more delays. I had to remove 6-8 of the trays myself in order to get the line moving. As to the staff within the stores and restaurants, well, a certain fast-food franchise should be ashamed of themselves. Have never been spoken so rudely in all my life. The staff of a certain fragrance store and Hudson News had no people skills whatsoever. They obviously didn’t want to be there.

✅ Trip Verified | Terrible experience. Zero seating in check in area so if your early no where to sit. Hand sanitizers are empty. Extremely confusing through security. People coming from all different lines into one very small area. No room, TSA seemed stressed trying to get people to stand in the right places because everyone was so confused. Good experience was awful too.

✅ Trip Verified | This was my absolute worst airport experience. Arrived from Heathrow and needed to transit to Nashville - we had a three hour window. Long story short we missed our connection due to the chaos at immigration. Out of 60 booths at times two were manned and they said there was a computer glitch which meant no non-US passengers were being processed. We queued for over two hours. Nobody cared. Delta staff were very helpful and we were transferred to a later flight. We had dinner in T4 and it was cold and the power went out What a disgrace and a terrible introduction to the US.