JFK Inter-Terminal Connections (consolidated)
 

Hi all,

First, a huge "thank you" to all who post here. I have learned a tremendous amount by lurking, and flyertalk has become my number one destination for travel information.

I have read the FAQ and the wiki. There is an entry for "LGA Inter-Terminal Connections," but not for "JFK Inter-Terminal Connections." My question is similar to this post, but I want to know if there are options besides Airtrain and how important it is to go the right direction.

I am flying into JFK at 9:15pm EDT on AA (terminal 8.) I fly out at 11:00pm EDT on Turkish Airlines (terminal 1.) That gives me just 1:45 to get from terminal 8 to terminal 1. I am not checking any luggage, just a carry-on and a backpack.

How do I best handle this?

My girlfriend is currently in NYC and her driver said I should "exit past baggage claim, then take the blue and white inter-terminal bus rather than the Air Train, since the next stop is Term 1."

Another frequent traveler said that it is important to get on the train going the right way. From reading wikipedia it looks like I should get on the Howard Beach or Jamaica Station train and I will only have to go a couple stops. The All Terminals train would be the long way around the loop. If I miss my stop, well Jamaica Plain and Howards Beach both sound like lovely destinations ;)

What am I missing? Could we start a consolidated "best inter-terminal transit" thread for future lurkers?

Thank you all,

Dan

If you take the Jamaica train you will need to get off at Federal Circle (which is the next stop after Terminal 8) and then wait for the next terminals-bound train which will then deposit you at Terminal 1 first stop. It might be faster to take the All Terminals train even if it does run in the opposite direction.

Haven't heard about the bus option before.

Oh, and welcome to FT :)

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Just take the All Terminals AirTrain from Terminal 8 to Terminal 1. The one-seat ride will take all of 10 minutes or so.

Thanks folks.

Dan

Welcome, ComputerX & thanks for pointing this out! LGA connections are a bit trickier because it's all by bus or walking, but it'd be good to have a central resource for JFK as well, so I'll add this to our Sticky!

jfk transfers?
 

Hi All,

What a great site thanks for all the valuable info and advice, it makes for great reading.

I'm looking for some advice, am due to arrive into JFK from Pls (Provo) with AA at 4pm and then have to connect onto Virgin travelling to London at 1930. Any advice as to the best way to do this with 2 children in tow. It's been a while since I was at JFK, the airtrain seems to be the best option but i'm a bit confused as to which direction and train number?

Leaving tomorrow so any advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Airtrain is the way to go, no matter what. You'll have plenty of time...

And since when does AA fly to anywhere from Provo??? :D

P.S. Welcome to FT.

Keep in mind that the Airtrain is outside security so time may be an issue depending upon if your flight arrives on time. Take the Airtrain that DOES NOT say Howard Beach or Jamaica. You want the one that just loops around the airport.

Here's a map: http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/jfk-airtrain-map.pdf

Here's a terminal map too: http://www.airportterminalmaps.com/J...minal-map.html

Welcome to Flyertalk, ComputerX.

deleted

It wouldn't save you from TSA, actually, because with the exception of Terminals 2 and 3 (Delta) all the terminals are individually sealed security islands. There's no airside transit access.

Transit time from T7 to T4 using the Airtrain should be no more than fifteen minutes. Note that Airtrains run in both directions and you want the inner-circle train that doesn't leave the airport. When you exit T7, go outside and take the elevator / escalator up to the Airtrain platform, and get on any train that is running from right to left as you face away from the terminal. Ride it for three stops. The signage is pretty good and helpful.

It's very difficult to walk between terminals, especially with luggage. Train much faster and easier.

You want to be in line for your TLV flight at least 2.5 hours before departure, so if you are reclaiming / rechecking your bag you should schedule at least a four-hour layover between flights.

deleted

You should also note that even though the DL TLV flight usually leaves from T4, T4 is a mixed terminal so it can be very crowded. Think of TBIT at LAX.

You can't actually walk between T7 and T4 at the moment because of the demolition of T6. For the reverse, you should take the AirTrain once again but this time look for the outside line train as it will be quicker.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

It's only two stops -- not three -- from T7 to T4 on the "All Terminals" AirTrain. (T5 and T6 are served by a single AirTrain station.)

To be totally pedantic about BearX220's post T4 is also connected airside to T2 and T3 but an interterminal shuttle.

You know, that is perfectly true... to get people from T3 over to the DL departures from T4 of the sort littlesheep is catching.

Further, I shamefacedly report that I nearly missed my DL flight last week, hiking back to the far reaches of T3 in search of "B28" when my flight left from plain old 28, over in T2. Backtracked and made it just in time. That rat's nest drives me crazy.

I think gate 29 in T2 is also an inter-terminal shuttle gate. Anyway I usually enter in T2 and take it from there but the gate numbering can be confusing considering gate 1 is in T3 and gate 29 is in T2 and then you have all the B gates in T4.

Ams <--> jfk <--> rdu
 

I engineered myself a long layover in AMS on my way back from Russia this year, and now find myself trying to figure out what to do in order to get from NYC back to RDU.

My flight from AMS is scheduled to arrive at 7:55pm (DL/KLM) to Terminal 4, and the last DL flight from JFK back to RDU is at 9:00pm. On one hand, I can just recheck my bag after customs, but with only an hour... I don't think its a "legal" connection.

I do see a JetBlue flight at 10:05pm, which would mean a hop from T4 to T5, as the last flight out of the day (other than a $500 AA one). Am I crazy to try this? Looking at flight history the AMS / JFK flight seems to be early coming in.

Is 2 hours enough for customs, moving terminals and security? Or should I just spend another day in NYC and extend my trip?

Thoughts?

It is quite unlikely that it will take the full 2 hours, less so if you are a US citizen. But there is a risk there. Also keep in mind that you don't really have 2 hours as you have to get your bags over to T5 and checked in with JetBlue 30 minutes prior to departure, I believe.

How do I transfer from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5? Also, if bags are being checked through (LY/B6 interline,) arriving from TLV, flying to LAX, do I need to claim the bags, and if so, where do I re-drop them?

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

You would take a "Jamaica" or "Howard Beach" AirTrain one stop to Terminal 5.

You will have to claim your checked bags and submit to customs inspection upon arrival from TLV. I believe there is a re-check desk for JetBlue just past Customs in Terminal 4, as some of JetBlue's own international flights arrive at Terminal 4.

I mean, the regular international arrival in the US I'm familiar with.

So I'd drop the bags off just after clearing customs, and then follow signs to AirTrain? Is there one AirTrain stop there, with both trains? (Sorry, but I'm very NOT familiar with JFK, as I avoid it usually, being from NJ)

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

There is only one AirTrain stop per terminal.

There are three AirTrain routes: Jamaica, Howard Beach, and All Terminals. Do not take the "All Terminals" AirTrain, as it runs in a clockwise direction and will take longer to get from T4 to T5. The Jamaica or Howard Beach routes will take you from T4 to T5 in two minutes.

I assume, like in EWR, it's free. Correct?

For your purposes it is free. If you were using Jamaica or Howard Beach stations to the Subway or LIRR, it would cost you $5.

So then just like EWR ;) (At least in practicality)

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Correct. There is never a charge to ride the AirTrain, at either JFK or EWR. There is only a charge to pass through the fare gates -- in either direction -- at Howard Beach, Jamaica, or the EWR rail station.

I, for the life of me, cannot understand designing and constructing an Airtrain system that forces in transit people, domestic to international, to exit one terminal to ride it and then to re-enter another terminal. I would imagine that entails going out of one terminal through security and re-entering another terminal again through security. What whiz kid thought this one up? Must have been the same people who engineered and who "run" CDG.

From Terminal 3 to terminal 4 is there the possibility of walking it? Is the walk inside or outside? Do you have to go through security to be able to walk from one terminal to another?

Totally flabbergasted.

Same problem at EWR, at least regarding Terminal B. (You have the bus to connect airside between A and C. Though no connection between different piers at A.)

New EWR should have an airside connection between all 3 terminals, and new A should all be accessible past security

I get the feeling that costs were the factor. Likely putting a track on top of particularly older terminals would be more expensive than an outside track. Also, the number of people connecting between different airlines and therefore possibly terminals on domestic/domestic or domestic/International is likely fairly small. One of the issues with B6 and AA expanding their code share arrangement in the transfer between T5 and T8. But I agree for those that do its a hassle.

Can one walk, without too much effort, from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 and thus avoid the security overkill and the waste of time? If so, is the walk inside or outside? Are there any Travelators to move you along? All of us, although older, are in good shape.

The only terminals connected inside security via a walkway are T2 & T3. There is a shuttle bus which can get you from T3 to T4. Otherwise you have to exit security.

As for why it was built that way, the airport was built as a collection of independent operations in their separate buildings. Getting the train retrofit into the space available was a challenge and the system as it exists isn't actually so horrible. It could be a lot worse.

If one did decide to walk I imagine you would exit the front of T3 and turn to the right heading toward T4. I'm quite sure there are some people who do wish to walk instead of riding. Are there sidewalks or does one have to walk in the street with traffic? Just trying to get different options. We'll probably take the Airtrain if we find out that walking does not look too advisable.

Pretty much, yeah.

There are sidewalks but it also means reclearing security while riding the shuttle bus would avoid that.

I would think under any circumstance you would want to avoid reclearing security. Security at either T3 or T4 can be horrific at times, T4 as there are many non US citizens that know nothing of the shoes off, belt off, lap top out etc, and of course speak little to no English (meaning they would not understand the orders being barked at them by TSA.)

Even at T8 (AA) I've seen long drawn incidents involving TSA and non English speaking flyers. One woman went crazy when the TSA agent tried to throw away her large jar of skin cream.

I asked Delta about the shuttle bus from T3 to T4. They in fact do have one that departs from T3 Gate 11 to T4 every 15 minutes. I told them I was arriving into T3 on Delta and Departing out of T4 on Singapore. They never really indicated if I also had to be departing on Delta out of T4 in order to ride the shuttle. I find that a lot of these airlines customer services are vague on some of these gray area issues.

Even though you are flying into T3 on Delta I am wondering if they allow you on the shuttle if you are not flying out of T4 on Delta?

Also, another issue with Delta. Four of us traveling with two bags each. I know that Delta will transfer our bags to Singapore Airlines. But, they couldn't really tell me whether they would charge us for the bags and told me to check at the ticket counter in Orlando Airport. I thought that domestic airlines don't charge for bags if they are going to be transferred to an international flight. More vagueness.

Why am I still flying with Delta, which I unfortunately have for years? How I wish they would allow the Asian airlines to do domestic runs in the US. A lot of this nonsense would end quickly and with most of the American airlines out of business in 6 months.

JFK airport T1-T8 transfer
 

Hi I have a query I am arriving at terminal 1 at JFK and need to get to terminal 8-42 to meet someone from aa who is also arriving. Can I do this? If yes how do I do it?

Thanks

Take the Airtrain to Terminal 8 and wait for your friend outside of security. You won't be able to go to the gate.

As previous reply indicates free Air Tran is your answer. If you want to save time - take the ALL TERMINALS Air Train (on the inside track away from terminal) as it is only 1 stop in that direction but boarding the Howard Beach or Jamaica bound train will require you to wrap around the entire airport. You can't get lost either way but attempt to board All Terminals.

Terminal 1 to terminal 5
 

Hi everyone,
This is my first time into jfk, im flying into terminal 1 on lufthansa and arrive at 1250,
I have an option of booking a Jetblue flight from Terminal 5 onwards to Rochester at 1655.
Can anyone help me by letting me know if I have enough time to make it to the Jetblue terminal?
If yes, what is the best way to transfer from terminal 1 to terminal 5?
Bearing in mind I am not an American citizen.. Do i have enough time to clear emigration customs etc?
Thanks.