JetBlue TrueBlue - Jersey City to JFK help

I posted this one a.net but thought I would also post here since it deals with T5..

I'm flying out of JFK for the first time on B6 and was hoping for some help.

I'm going to take the path from Newport to Penn Station, then the LIRR to Jamaica and airtran to the terminal. Can anyone recoomend how long it should take or what time I should leave? My flight departs JFK at 3:45pm. I was thinking about leaving 11am which I'm thinking should get me in around 12:30 the latest. Should I leave earlier or can I leave later? I've never flown out of JFK so don't really know what to expect secuirty and lines wise at T5. Also if anyone has any suggestions where to eat before hand or any spot at T5 I should hit up would be helpful.

I'd eat inside T5, not before. Other than that, I'd also generally save the $5 and use the subway instead of the LIRR; the time savings is ~10-15 minutes in most cases.

There's a lot of info about getting to/from the airports in the NYC forum. I'd check there, too.

I'd eat inside T5, not before. Other than that, I'd also generally save the $5 and use the subway instead of the LIRR; the time savings is ~10-15 minutes in most cases.

There's a lot of info about getting to/from the airports in the NYC forum. I'd check there, too.

Personally, I would take the LIRR. While it is true that the time savings could be 10-15 minutes, it could also be as much as an hour, given the unpredictability of the subway.

Remember, if you do take the subway, not only do you have to take the A train, but you have to take the "Far Rockaway" branch to the Howard Beach station.

If you have the misfortune to arrive at the platform just after the Far Rockaway train has left the station, you will wait (at that time of the day) about 10 minutes for the Lefferts Boulevard Branch A train, then about another ten minutes for the next Far Rockaway A train. That has happened to me many times. So that's about 20 minutes before you even get on the train.

If you take the LIRR, on the other hand, trains depart to Jamaica Station constantly, so you should never have to wait more than a few minutes.

I agree with sbm12, I would eat in T5, there is quite a good choice, easily the best of any terminal in any NYC airport.

Finally, regarding security at T5. Sometimes, the line can be quite long and you could wait 25-30 minutes to clear, but that would be the longest you would have to wait.

I always find the A train to be quite slow and infrequent. The wait for the AirTrain at Far Rockaway can be quite long too. On the other hand, you can take the E from NY Penn to Jamaica, it itakes less than an hour, the transfer to the Airtrain is fairly smooth afterwards.

But yes, I would primarily cough up the $5 and take the LIRR. It is usually more comfortable too.

Remember, if you do take the subway, not only do you have to take the A train, but you have to take the "Far Rockaway" branch to the Howard Beach station. You'd take the E train from NYP, not the A train, and it runs every 5-8 minutes mid-day.

If you take the LIRR, on the other hand, trains depart to Jamaica Station constantly, so you should never have to wait more than a few minutes. During the time of day that the OP is traveling the LIRR schedule has up to 18 minute gaps in their schedule.

I travel this routing quite often. The LIRR really doesn't save much time at all and is more expensive.

You'd take the E train from NYP, not the A train, and it runs every 5-8 minutes mid-day. I have found the E train much less reliable than the LIRR (or even the A) and a ride from 34th St Penn Station to Jamaica Station on the E can easily take one hour.

I suppose it can take that long but I do it pretty often and it never has. Doesn't mean it will be perfect when the time comes, but thus far I've never been late to the airport because of it. And I've been using it a few years now. In my experience it is much more reliable than the A train.

I have found the E train much less reliable than the LIRR (or even the A) and a ride from 34th St Penn Station to Jamaica Station on the E can easily take one hour.

I live in Jersey City and find it easier to stick with the subway when going to JFK. My preferred route is:

1. PATH train to 33rd St
2. Go downstairs and pickup the uptown F train (express to Queens)
3. Change to the E train at the Union Turnpike/Kew Gardens stop
4. Take the E train 3 stops to the Archer Avenue were you can catch the Airtrain

Basically, I am willing to trade off making an extra change for not having to deal with dragging my bags through the streets of Manhattan to Penn Station or the E train

I live in Jersey City and find it easier to stick with the subway when going to JFK. My preferred route is:

1. PATH train to 33rd St
2. Go downstairs and pickup the uptown F train (express to Queens)
3. Change to the E train at the Union Turnpike/Kew Gardens stop
4. Take the E train 3 stops to the Archer Avenue were you can catch the Airtrain

Basically, I am willing to trade off making an extra change for not having to deal with dragging my bags through the streets of Manhattan to Penn Station or the E train

That's a good point.

After all it's really one-and-a-half avenue blocks from the PATH station to the LIRR platforms at Penn Station (a major schlep with a bag), and two full avenue blocks from the PATH station to the A or E trains...

That's a good point.

After all it's really one-and-a-half avenue blocks from the PATH station to the LIRR platforms at Penn Station (a major schlep with a bag), and two full avenue blocks from the PATH station to the A or E trains...

If you want to take the A train to Howard Beach from Jersey, my suggested route is to:

1. Get off the PATH train at 9th Street

2. Walk south on 6th Avenue to the West 4th St subway station

3. Go downstairs and take the downtown A train (to Rockaway, not Lafferts Blvd)

4. Get off at Howard Beach and pick up Airtrain

This also depends on what day of the week the OP is traveling on. Sundays are much different than Saturdays which are much different than weekdays for both the subway and the LIRR.

If you want to take the A train to Howard Beach from Jersey, my suggested route is to:

1. Get off the PATH train at 9th Street

2. Walk south on 6th Avenue to the West 4th St subway station

3. Go downstairs and take the downtown A train (to Rockaway, not Lafferts Blvd)

4. Get off at Howard Beach and pick up Airtrain

FWIW, the scheduled travel time from that station to the airport is still shorter on the E than the A and generally speaking the E frequencies are higher than the Rockaway A. Plus the trains are nicer/cleaner/brighter.

The A does have the advantage of being above ground for a while so if you like to look out the window that's nice.

FWIW, the scheduled travel time from that station to the airport is still shorter on the E than the A and generally speaking the E frequencies are higher than the Rockaway A. Plus the trains are nicer/cleaner/brighter.

The A does have the advantage of being above ground for a while so if you like to look out the window that's nice.

Well, the big advantage to 201flyer's route, is that it is a shorter trip on the PATH.

While I agree that the Rockaway A can take a long time to arrive, the overall trip time should be less than going up to 34th Street and taking the E to Jamaica.

Plus, remember that if you take the E to Jamaica, you have take the AirTrain from Jamaica to JFK, versus taking it from Howard Beach to JFK off the A. That extra portion on the AirTrain adds about an additional 5 minutes to the ride.

Plus, remember that if you take the E to Jamaica, you have take the AirTrain from Jamaica to JFK, versus taking it from Howard Beach to JFK off the A. That extra portion on the AirTrain adds about an additional 5 minutes to the ride.
The distance is slightly longer but there's not the extra stop in the parking lot. Maybe I'll time it next time I'm out there but I doubt the difference is a full 5 minutes.

And the scheduled travel time from W4 is nearly identical, but the frequencies are nowhere close. The A is every 15-20 minutes most of the time per the MTA schedule while the E is every 5-6. You might get lucky, but odds are the E will come faster.

The distance is slightly longer but there's not the extra stop in the parking lot. Maybe I'll time it next time I'm out there but I doubt the difference is a full 5 minutes.

And the scheduled travel time from W4 is nearly identical, but the frequencies are nowhere close. The A is every 15-20 minutes most of the time per the MTA schedule while the E is every 5-6. You might get lucky, but odds are the E will come faster.

The last issue with the "E strategy" you're not taking into account is the much longer walk from the Jamaica subway station to the AirTrain station, which can add at least another 5 minutes to the journey...

I missed a flight at JFK once on the subway from penn station because it had problems. My friend who came in a little later than me made it just fine on the LIRR and he made the flight easily. I think its worth the splurge plus the subway is AWFUL with luggage the LIRR is much easier with luggage both on the train and in the station.

AS long as you know where to go its not too bad but i would certianly leave some time as a cushion and just eat lunch at JFK since that trip you have multiple spots for a delay since youll be on so many different lines. The monorail takes a decent amount of time too the station is not really at JFK its a decent amount of time away to get to T5. Overall its not too tough a trip as long as you dont have too much luggage with luggage all the mass transit can be annoying quickly so pack light.