Originally Posted by
entropy
IMHO, EWR is superior to JFK, its fast to get to, and CO's C facilities are great.
However, EWR is also very limited in space. There is really no space for a new terminal. Nor is there space for another badly needed runway. We'll see how B does once it is re-done, perhaps they can find more space do expand A properly.
JFK Terminal 2/3 is like a 3rd world country. T4 is great as is the new B6 termianal.
Both airports have their pluses and minuses.
It's true that JFK's T2 & 3 are shockingly decrepit and antiquated. There are few major airports even in Africa that have anything comparably out of date. That's really more of a DL issue than anything else.
But JFK also has quite a few modern facilities, and it's not just T4 and T6. T1 was the first of the new generation terminals, and it's completely fine. T8 is very new, gargantuan and palatial. Even T7, although dating from the 60's, is a pleasant place, in an eccentric, Austin Powersish sort of way.
JFK's AirTrain is also, on balance, better than EWR's monorail. The JFK train is far more reliable, has much larger cars, is much speedier. Yes, it's a little more complex with it multiple lines, but in the end it's far more practical.
For anyone living within the 5 boroughs, JFK also has the huge advantage of allowing us to use NYC taxis. For those going to Manhattan, it's a flat fare. That's a lot better than the overpriced NJ cabs, for anyone going to NYC, especially if you're not going to the west side of Manhattan.
EWR has Terminal C, which, while not without its issues, is a great airline terminal.
EWR is closer to the West side of Manhattan than JFK and this advantage is increased at rush hour, when the drive to/from Manhattan to JFK via the Grand Central Van Wyck is horrifying (it's really not that much better to EWR, just a slightly closer).
In the end, it's really a matter of size. JFK is a much larger airport than EWR, with more runways (including one of the longest civilan runways in North America, rwy 13R/31L), far more capacity (JFK has CBE at Terminals 1, 2/3, 4, 7 and 8).