John F. Kennedy International Airport

JFK is less a single airport than a ring of independent terminals around a central area, each historically run by different airlines. That structure is the thing to understand: the terminals are separate buildings, they are not connected airside, and the way you move between them — and into the city — is the AirTrain.

The terminals

The active passenger terminals are numbered (Terminals 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8), with a major redevelopment underway that is building a new Terminal 1 and a new Terminal 6 and reshaping the others. Terminal 4 is a large international hub used by many carriers plus Delta; Terminal 5 is JetBlue; Terminal 8 is American and its partners. Because they are distinct buildings, connecting between two airlines in different terminals means leaving, riding the AirTrain, and re-clearing security — so give inter-terminal connections plenty of time.

The AirTrain

The AirTrain JFK is the automated train that links every terminal, the parking, and two connection points with the city:

• At Howard Beach, it meets the subway’s A train.
• At Jamaica Station, it meets the E, J, and Z subway lines and — more useful for many — the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), which runs express to Penn Station in Manhattan.

The AirTrain-plus-LIRR combination is usually the fastest, most traffic-proof way into Manhattan.

Getting into the city by road

The airport is about 26 km southeast of Manhattan, and the drive on the Van Wyck Expressway is unpredictable — it can be quick or it can be an ordeal. Taxis run on a set flat fare between JFK and Manhattan, which at least removes the meter surprise, but the train often beats the car at rush hour.

Worth knowing

With the rebuild in progress, terminal assignments and roadways shift, so check your terminal and allow extra time for construction detours and longer walks.