dlflyer2

Tried the Airtrain on 2 occasions only to discover it is more expensive but no more convenient or faster than other alternatives.

I traveled Airtrain Jfk - Jamaica in the late weekday afternoon, then used the E train($7.) and probably arrived at 74th/Bway, Jackson Hts a little faster than Q-10 to Kew Gardens and E train($3.)

Returning to Jfk late morning from midtown, waited 20 minutes for A to Howard Beach,
then waited at least another 10 minutes for Airtrain($7.), A to Lefferts Blvd and Q-10 would have been faster($2.).

The apparent advantage with Airtrain is if going to Long island or Penn Station.

[This message has been edited by dlflyer2 (edited Mar 07, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by dlflyer2 (edited Mar 07, 2004).]

tfjim

I flew on an evening flight into JFK this past Sunday night and as an experiment decided to try the Airtrain/subway route to get to my apartment on the UES. It took me 75 minutes from Terminal 9 to 77th St. and Lexington. While that is nothing to be excited about I have to say it is probably about the longest it will ever take and could be shortened considerably. Here's why:

I waited only about 10 minutes for the Jamaica train. This after two trains went by, one to Howard Beach, another inside loop train. This was on a Sunday night, so I think their frequency is up now.

I waited over 20 minutes for the E train to head into the city. Even at 10pm on a Sunday night it was fairly crowded. On weekend evenings the E runs local into the city which is something of a bummer as it adds a bit of time to the ride. However, you can switch to the express F at, I believe, Forest Hills.

At 59th and Lex I waited about 10 minutes for an uptown local.

I think that given the time of day that I traveled I did ok. It's definately possible to have a quicker trip, here's what I'd do:

• Hope for a better connection at Jamaica, could save a lot of time.
• Switch to the express F and then just cab the last bit to my home. That would have shaved 15 minutes off the trip for sure.

I'd do it again, but only if I had lots of patience. I think the main benefit of the ride would be to avoid serious traffic headaches and to get to the LIRR or Penn Station.

dhuey

A quick question for the JFK experts. I will be coming into JFK on JetBlue in T6 and going out on Iceland Air in T7. If my JB flight is delayed, I might need to pull an O.J. to catch my flight (not double murder, but rather the O.J. sprint of the old Hertz commercials).

I know I can take the Airtrain, but could I just walk/run from 6 to 7? The JFK site doesn't seem to indicate if that is possible.

dhammer53

6 to 7 is about a 2-3 minute walk. I think you can manage!

bdschobel

Walking is probably faster and maybe even easier than the AirTrain for such a short distance. You don't have to go up to the train level and down again to the ground. You don't have to wait for a train (even if it's just 3-4 minutes). You can walk closer to the terminals, saving the distance -- twice -- to the AirTrain route.

Bruce

nerd

What dhammer53 and bdschobel said. Terminals 6/7 are right next to each other and probably two of the easiest terminals at JFK to walk between.

http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/jtframe.htm

dhuey

Thanks, folks. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't any barrier or prohibition that would prevent me from walking or running from 6 to 7.

fastflyer

I have a generally positive feeling toward AIRTRAIN. Particularly now that the taxi fare has been increased, it is a wonderful and inexpensive alternative to Midtown or Downtown. For other parts of the city, it may not be as useful.

I can make it Midtown-JFK or v.v. in under one hour (usually 50 minutes) door to terminal. That is what it takes in moderate traffic in a taxi. In contrast, it takes me 35 minutes to get to LGA which is half as far. (N train to Astoria to M60 bus).

Also, the AIRTRAIN provides a choice when traffic is truly awful. A better connection to the E train at Jamaica would be nice. Perhaps when they finish the remodel of the LIRR station.

Finally, this now means that if I am going to eastern L.I., I will travel into JFK and connect to the LIRR at Jamaica. Much easier than dealing with LaGuardia if going to the Hamptons.

dschon

for us Nyers the airtrain is great, and cuts alot of time even though you have to walk up those stairs and platforms