New York JFK Airport

My son was traveling internationally with a group of kids and leaders. He arrived at JFK for his transfer flight back to Minneapolis. The experience going thru customs was horrible. The lines were extremely long, it took forever to get their bags. My underage son (15) was separated from the group with two other underage teens. All three had to get thru customs as fast as possible to make their connecting flights. Leaders were not allowed because they didn't have connecting flights. My son tried to explain the situation "underage minors, connecting flights, needed to get thru security quickly, traveling alone, etc". The security officer says "There's no way you'll make your flight" and turned and walked away! They finally got thru customs and my son was stopped and searched. Again, security didn't listen to what he had to say, just brushed him off and walked away. All of their flights were delayed by 35-40 minutes. If security would have taken the time to help these young, underage minors, they would have all made their flights. My son got to his gate and he could see the plane at the gate. Nobody would do anything to help him. The airline told me I should have purchased the unattended minor program for over $400 both ways, but they told me that the unattended minor program only starts when the child gets to the gate. He didn't need assistance to get on the plane at the gate, he needed help getting to the gate.

My sister arrived from the UK, we were expecting her to come out from the security check about a hour after her arrival but it took more than two hours. The waiting time is outrageous, she claimed that only few counters were opened for the security checks while there were 200+ people waiting to get checked.

I last flew to New-York to see my family who lives there. I was incoming from Barcelona wth Delta Airlines. After a long flight, we arrived at the ID checking. There was almost no waiting line so we got through easily, and the police was fast. Then, I got to the luggage carousel, my suitcase was there fast. When I got out of the airport, a friend was there to pick me up.

Saddened to say but extremely rude and discourteous ground staff at port of entry. Some, not all, of those who were managing lines, baggage reclaim, and line out to ground transportation were dismissive and unhelpful to passengers who struggled with the english language - abrupt and non-friendly to put it mildly, let alone to those exhausted visitors who did speak the native tongue. Lines hours long after transatlantic flights are unacceptable, especially for families with children, and the elderly. Upside is Kiosk staff always very friendly, helpful and inviting - I enter JFK up to 8 times a year and never had a problem with the Kiosk staff. As to my repeatedly poor experience of ground staff - I know this is not representative of the best city in the world! Come on JFK, lots of improvement to be made here!

My husband and I flew in from France last night into terminal 4 in JFK. It is so embarrassing to me as a US Citizen how utterly disorganized JFK is after taking flights into and out of Gatwick and CDG in France. We arrived and found our way to the kiosks and knew what to do (but many others struggled and didn't get any help) because we have travelled a few times internationally in the past two years. Then we waited on a fairly long line but it did move and the Customs officer was very welcoming to us and explained the "receipt and kiosk" was going to be the way of the future. We left to get our luggage which we found quickly and then went to exit to our ground transportation through the agriculture department. There were lanes set up for people to exit but nobody was in the lanes. When we walked into the lane to exit other passengers started screaming that "there was a line to exit." When I looked back there was a line circling in and around the three carousels - must've been a half mile long. I moved on to ask if we had gone to the wrong location to exit. Then suddenly a woman appeared and screamed "Wait! Okay go there (pointing to the lanes to exit)" the lanes filled up and people were allowed to go. The officers were relaxed and said "Welcome back" so I have no idea why so many people thought they had to wait out by the baggage claim. Clearly there was no communication or direction given. When we finally got out to be picked up there were no police officers to direct traffic and people were parked in lanes and not moving for 20-30 minutes so no one behind could get in. I have no other choice but to use this airport so I really hope this chaotic approach is addressed.

JFK immigration (first impression of the U.S.) is really unacceptable. Spent 2.5 hrs in the line with my two parents both 75+. Overall only 4 seats available in the entire hall! To say the staff are unfriendly would be too nice. They are a mix of arrogant incompetence lack of respect and education. Wonder what the selection criteria are for this job. If this were "the face of the nation" this nation would be in a bad condition.

JFK is outdated and should be scraped or totally renovated. We transferred from Jet Blue terminal to an international terminal for Air China. The transfer time was extremely long with escalators walkways . I think that we must have walked a mile. We had to leave the terminal and go through TSA again. Very long lines and very crowded.

My wife and I are fortunate to be fairly regular flyers I have never experienced such appalling service at what can only be described as DIY check in at terminal 8 JFK. Clearly this terminal is set up for domestic flights and passengers with hand luggage only you are directed to a computer terminal to do your own check in (we could not check-in online prior to going to the terminal we tried but got a report to AA desk in airport message). Like what appeared to be every other passenger we had a problem working our way through the process once that was done we had to tag on to the back of another enormous line of people to have the bags weighed (they made us transfer 3 lbs of luggage from one bag that was 3 lbs over to the other bag that was 3 lbs under we then had to trail the bags over to a carrousel and load them ourselves. This was a flight booked with BA and operated by American Airlines.

This review is about Terminals 1 2 and 4 at JFK. Terminal 1 (Lufthansa Turkish Austrian Air France etc) is a disgrace: third-world airports put it to shame. Half of the drinking fountains do not work. Electrical outlets for computers are scarce. Signage is largely absent or unhelpful. There appears to be no effective control of temperature or air circulation. TSA screening for passengers boarding international flights was excessively prolonged and confusing. Terminal 1 punishes arriving international passengers with non-operative escalators and moving walkways as they drag their luggage towards TSA and Customs. Terminal 1 at JFK is a fraud: charging exorbitant airline fees for services that if does not provide. On the other hand Terminals 2 and 4 - operated by Delta - are clearly customer-oriented. While making flight connections there on April 24 and May 2 2015 Delta personnel and clear signage made navigating those terminals pleasant and even happy. The temperature inside was comfortable and there were ample seats and electrical outlets for computer users. I will do my best to avoid any airline operating out of the pit that is Terminal 1 at JFK. I would welcome flights through Terminals 2 and 4 at JFK because Delta Airlines obviously cares about passengers' comfort in its terminals at JFK.

It is the worst airport I have been to. At the CBP I waited for over 3 hours for clearance. When departing I found as a business passenger I did not face any priority. The TSA clearance was just the same as that of economy passengers.