Originally Posted by
Repooc17
If by car, traffic can be bad in both instances depending on the time of day.
Public transport: JFK wins by a mile with more frequent LIRR trains than NJT trains; and AirTrain JFK is actually reliable, which the same cannot be said for Airtrain EWR. If time is not a consideration but cost is, JFK wins: $2.90 vs. $4.35 for EWR.
No way is it $2.90 from JFK unless you exit out of Howard Beach JFK Station and walk to North Conduit Aqueduct Station to catch the A Train or take the JFK AirTrain to Lefferts Station and catching bus Q3 or Q10, both of which do not go to Manhattan. It will cost $11.40 total with the JFK AirTrain to Jamaica Station or Howard Beach with a $2.90 fare on NYMTA plus $8.50 to exit the JFK AirTrain system. Going to LIRR is $5 off-peak or $7 during peak hours to Jamaica from Penn Station and add the $8.50 access charge for using the JFK AirTrain from Jamaica.
The JFK AirTrain isn't as reliable when it is early morning/weekends and you are waiting more than 10 minutes to get on the correct train to get to the correct terminal due to maintenance or some breakdown and having to transfer at Federal Circle station.
EWR it is $4.35 total with the NJ Transit 62 bus from EWR to Newark Penn Station and then $2.75 for PATH to Manhattan with no slow EWR AirTrain needed. I've flown in/out of both airports past week.