Explore John F. Kennedy International (JFK).
By Eclipse GroupUpdated
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), in southeast Queens, is New York City’s main gateway for international flights. Its terminals are separate buildings linked by AirTrain JFK, so connections and pickups depend on knowing which terminal your airline uses. Voyara AI is built to track that, along with security queues and road conditions, and to time your departure and connections around them.
Highlights
- AirTrain JFK between all terminals
- Jamaica station for rail and subway
- TWA Hotel at Terminal 5
- Terminal redevelopment, including the New Terminal One
Terminals and transfers
Each JFK terminal is its own building with its own security checkpoints. AirTrain JFK runs between the terminals and is free to ride within the airport, so changing terminals usually means riding it landside and clearing security again. The airport is in the middle of a large redevelopment, including the New Terminal One and a new Terminal 6, so some airlines are moving terminals: check your airline’s terminal shortly before you travel.
Getting into the city
AirTrain JFK continues to Jamaica station, for the Long Island Rail Road and the E, J and Z subway lines, and to Howard Beach for the A train. By road, most trips to Manhattan use the Van Wyck Expressway, where journey times swing widely across the day. The TWA Hotel, in the former TWA Flight Center next to Terminal 5, is the on-airport option for early departures and long layovers.
What Voyara AI does at JFK
Voyara AI is built to plan your departure from the hotel or office with room for traffic and security, and to update it as conditions change. On arrival it follows the flight, the terminal and the baggage hall, so the car or rail plan moves with you. For a connection with a terminal change, it checks whether the time on the ticket still works and starts re-planning early if a late inbound flight puts it at risk.
Frequently asked questions
Is AirTrain JFK free?
Riding between the terminals, parking areas and rental-car stations is free. A fare applies when you enter or leave AirTrain JFK at Jamaica or Howard Beach stations.
Do I have to clear security again when changing terminals at JFK?
Usually, yes. The terminals are separate buildings, so most connections between them mean taking AirTrain JFK and going through security in the next terminal. Allow for that when you book a connection.
Which JFK terminal does my airline use?
It depends on the airline, and assignments are changing as the new terminals open. Check your booking or the airport’s website shortly before you fly; Voyara AI is built to track the terminal on your booking for you.