At EWR, there are signs for the AirTrain--just follow them. I fly into and from the new terminal A and it's a trek to the AirTrain station from there, but the other terminals are connected to the stations.

For cards: yes, I think you have to buy tickets (a card/Apple Pay doesn't work, although I could be wrong). If you're willing, just download the NJ Transit app and the MTA TrainTime app and get the tickets in advance (the EWR AirTrain ticket can, I believe, be bought from the NJ Transit app). I believe that the AirTrain JFK requires a MetroCard, which can be bought from a kiosk at the AirTrain entrance, but I believe that may be changing to allow pay-by-card or Apple Pay, but I'm not sure when.

Flying Business class on SQ requires Blade helicopter service between EWR-JFK.

The travel logistics from the west coast makes this award ticket a giant headache to position for the SQ JFK flight. Is it really worth it?

​​​​​​Sarcasm? I mean, Blade is cool and quick but absolutely unnecessary.

Per the OP, only available award is ex-JFK right now. The itinerary would be a bit complex, sure, but nothing which has not been accomplished in the past.

NJTransit ticket-vending machines accept contactless payments. I personally used Google Pay a few years ago at an NJTransit station.

https://www.njtransit.com/press-rele...payment-option

("NJ TRANSIT MODERNIZES TICKET VENDING MACHINES WITH CONTACTLESS PAYMENT OPTION")

Not sure if the LIRR ticket-vending machines accept contactless payment. The app does. However, if you use a *green* ticket-vending machine at New York Penn Station, you can buy your LIRR train ticket with a JFK AirTrain MetroCard in a single transaction. (This option is only available at the green-colored vending machines.) Note that if you will be traveling on an LIRR train scheduled to depart Penn Station before 4:15 pm, you can get the cheaper "City Ticket" for just $5/person, rather than the more expensive "off-peak" ticket. (If you will be departing on an LIRR train at or after 4:15 pm weekdays, you will be forced to purchase the even-more-expensive "peak" ticket.)

One other consideration: If you will be returning within 30 days and know that you will be coming through JFK on the return, a ten-trip JFK AirTrain MetroCard -- valid for 30 days after first use -- would be cheaper than four single rides. The ten-trip card can only be purchased at special vending machines at the AirTrain terminals at Jamaica and at Howard Beach.

This is very useful info, thanks. On return, I fly IST-ORD in J with TK metal non-stop, so will take care of ORD-RNO logistics later, there is non-stop ORD-RNO with UA, however, availabily with partners (TK for 7500 miles) is pretty much non-existent.

To be clear: you can’t tap a credit card or mobile payment device at a turnstile when you’re looking to take the AirTrain or NJ Transit or LIRR train. It’s necessary to buy a ticket, either at a kiosk or via the app.

OP is flying JFK-FRA-IST, which is 8 hours in business for JFK-FRA, and a 3 hour flight on a A320. OP also needs to get to JFK from RNO, which, at best is 5 hours. This is a dead minimum of 17 hours of flying, and less than 50% of that will be in lie flat business.

If you were to add 1.5 hours to each airport, thats 4.5 hours of travel, so we round up, thats 22 hours of travel AT A MINIMUM. And you still only have 8 hours in business.

This kind of positioning is not for me, especially as there are 2x non-stops from SFO (13 hours).

Just because there are flights does not mean there are award availability. If you have found one on SQ KF, you can forward to the OP.

there are no award flights available from SFO with reasonable miles/fees.

UA - nothing for the first week of June:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...83d937938e.png


SQ - SQ metal:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...241b032eb0.png

SQ - Star Alliance

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2cf25774eb.png

TK, 45k miles in Economy for 13h during daytime (in reality 14h flight because TK flies slower to save fuel) plus $140 and you can't select any seat until departure.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...709a66da68.png
and forget about business... the only time I managed to book TK's business from SFO was 12 years ago around Memorial Day.

returnoftheyeti 's point was that your current plan gives you 8 hours in lie flat business and 14 hours scrambling. I think many people here would select 13 hours in economy over what you've proposed.

I agree, I think for most, it requires a lot of effort to savor a little bit of business class. But then again, not sure what OP's situation is, if their KF miles were expiring and this was the best they could do or what.

Kinda like how we all find these rare awards and do crazy positioning just to fly them. Reminds me of when I booked 2x BOM-AUH-MEL in EY F A380, despite the fact that I don't live in India or Australia and had to position across continents. Of course JFK-SIN award space is not that rare nor is it that expensive to purchase (~$2,000 average round-trip J fare).

I would agree. I hope that something will come and I can start my trip from SFO instead of JFK.

Sorry, my point was, for me, no way I’d go through this amount of hassle for an award flight that gets me 8 hours of business. I’d pay cash, or use points and fly economy. But thats me, and my values. Yours may be different.

If I started to feel bummed during the 13 hour nonstop in economy, I'd be able to cheer myself up pretty quickly by thinking about my other self on the United red-eye in economy who is going to spend all day screwing around with public transit in NY until well after I arrive.

EWR-JFK is a total of about 75 minutes on trains/AirTrains and time for waiting; I figure it’ll be 2 hours and 15 minutes. That’s not “all day”.