sbm12

It does not AFAIK. The pay-per-ride cards are limited to 4 concurrent uses.

Blumie

A friend (a non-U.S. citizen) recently arrived at JFK on a Thursday at exactly that time on an AB flight from Berlin and it took two hours to get through immigration. AB arrives at Terminal 8, whereas BA arrives at Terminal 7, so my friend's experience may not be indicative, but it might be.

Letitride3c

For these typical JFK int'l arrivals lately, 2 hours to get thru CBP - a reasonable assumption, could be more ... or less, if flying J or F & can get ahead of the crowds, be sure to fill out the custom declaration form before landing & join the correct lanes, etc.

CX (Cathy Pacific) is based at T7, like BA, and usually has one afternoon non-stop from HKG (B773's) landing - end of January is around the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, flights are rather full in both directions, and higher # of non-US (infrequent) travelers - which is known to slow down the lines. Mid/late afternoon - isn't that peak time for Euro flights coming in for JFK landings, all the terminals busy ... the automated systems seemed to move everyone along faster. Those with GE & of course, flight crews/pilots typically zipping along.

Last time we came back, idle time was hanging out in the baggage hall waiting for the delivery of checked luggage - wasn't possible to carry-on as the Kirkland 22" was expanded for extras picked up abroad.

Mass transit might be faster than taking a flat rate taxi to downtown Manhattan as the Van Wyck is always packed at those hours, although the northbound bottleneck is smoother and squeezing north of the Kew Gardens Interchange at the Grand Central Pkwy split in the past 3 weeks ... southbound or going toward JFK, not really much better. Getting onto the LIE (I-495) west for the Queens Midtown Tunnel (yes, it's now faster without the toll gates) & then south for the FDR Drive, as I would definitely avoid going south on the BQE for the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridge with the ongoing major bridge/roadwork over Newtown Creek, potholes opening up with this "warm" January weather lately.

A quick check with Google Maps/Navigation or Waze would show the faster route & trip time, if one has the option to choose and data access (JFK has no free WiFi ) - but, all of NYC's subway stations/platforms now has free WiFi, at the end of the the AirTrain connection - either at Jamaica or Howard Beach terminals for the transfer.

KARFA

Not anymore. They have recently moved to T8.

Often1

Checked luggage will matter too. But, CBP is whatever it is and you cannot control for that.

Consider Uber as a much for pleasant alternative to a cab. UberX will be cheaper. A black car slightly more expensive and vastly nicer. Black car drivers also tend to be much knowledgeable and will vary from standard routes when it is faster.

UKtravelbear

Oh yes it does and I used it the other week.


It was boingo with 30 mins for free.

see WiFi Instruction from the JFK website.

Blumie

This is sometimes true, but rarely. (That said, it's always the case that public transportation is a lot cheaper.) But as noted, check google maps, which should give you a sense of travel times when you're ready to go.

nrr

I normally arrive in T8.
Once was on a BA flt arriving in T7. T7's custom hall is less spacious than T8; huge queues in the passageways At one point CBP agents came through the corridors: "US citizens left, others right" that speeded up the process for US citizens, the non-citizens probably had a 90 minute wait just to enter the screening area.
I'm GE, but if you can't get to a kiosk, that perk doesn't help.
At peak times in Jamaica Sta. AirTrain payment area, there are agents selling pre-packaged AT + subway (no $1 extra fee). If you have cash this speeds up the process, since the MC vending machines sometimes have queues 5 deep.

KARFA

why on earth did you wait in the queues? Just go forward to the GE kiosks - the queue for US citizens is for those seeing a CBP agent or for APC machines not for the GE kiosks.

ijgordon

I'm almost certain you can swipe more than that. I know you won't get free transfers for more than 4. And you may have to resume the fifth swipe after the passenger(s) go through the turnstile, which is what I was referring to.

UKtravelbear

the limit is 4 (including the card holder)

http://web.mta.info/metrocard/compare.htm

Blumie

If that's the case it would be a change from how it used to work. I once tried to get five of us through. After swiping in my four guests, I was left out in the cold. (Yes, I purchased an illegal swipe from someone. Sue me. Or forgive me.)

sbm12

That has not been my experience. My card locked out the one time I tried.

stewaran

Thanks All, Good to know we can share 1 travel card between the pair of us

Pretty sure we will use the Subway, should be HBO, and in F, so hopefully one of the first pax from this flight out of the airport (except GE etc)

nrr

The queue I referred to was in the CORRIDOR before you even got to the CBP area (where the GE terminals are located)--it wasn't until CBP agents came through, directing US Citizens veer left, "others" right, freeing up the tangled mass of pax.
T7 (older terminal) has less space than T8 for pax queued for agents, so the lines backup in the CORRIDOR.