John F Kennedy Airport Guide (JFK)

(New York) John F. Kennedy International Airport

Building 14, Jamaica, New York 11430, USA

JFK

1

(718) 244 4444

None

Via the airport's website

www.kennedyairport.com

9 (Terminal 5 is temporarily closed)

GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October)

The airport is located 24km (15 miles) southeast of Manhattan.

A huge expansion and renovation programme has been ongoing for the last decade and has among other things seen the construction of the new terminals 1 and 4. The new American Airlines terminal, which will replace terminals 8 and 9, is expected to be completed in 2007.

The AirTrain JFK provides a free service between all terminals (journey time - 8 minutes).

The airport is located on Van Wyck Expressway (I-678), which can be accessed from Belt Parkway, Grand Central Parkway and Queens Boulevard. To reach the airport from Manhattan, take the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) to the airport exit, then take the Belt Parkway East to exit 19/Van Wyck Expressway. From Eastern Long Island, take the Belt Parkway West to exit 20/JFK Expressway. From New Jersey, take NJ Turnpike to exit 14C (Holland Tunnel), then head south on West Street to Belt Parkway.

The airport provides daily and long-term parking facilities. There are car parks in front of each terminal, in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) parking area. The long-term car park is located 6.5km (4 miles) from the terminals, at Lefferts Boulevard. The Howard Beach Station train operates between the long-term parking stations A or B and the Airline Terminal 1 (journey time - 8 minutes). The AirTrain JFK runs from the Airline Terminal 1 to the other terminals. Passengers using the long-term car park should allow for at least 30 minutes to reach the terminal. Call for more parking information (tel: (718) 244 4168).

All major companies, including Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National, are represented. There are desks (or courtesy telephones) in each terminal, on the Arrivals level. Courtesy transport is available to take passengers to car hire offices along the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678).

Rail: The AirTrain JFK light rail system links JFK airport and the region's rail transportation network daily 24 hours. AirTrain JFK connects to the NYC subway ‘A' train at the Howard Beach station from all terminals, as well as to long-term parking and car rental facilities. The AirTrain JFK also connects to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) at Jamaica Station with transfers onto the LIRR, the NYC subway system and local buses. Ground transportation information desks are situated on the Arrivals areas in all terminals.
Road: Bus: New York Airport Express Bus Service (tel: (718) 875 8200) operates a direct service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Manhattan West Side), Bryant Park and Grand Central Station (Manhattan East Side); other services also run to Long Island, Westchester, Upstate, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Super Shuttle Manhattan (tel: 1 800 258 3826) runs 24 hours a day and is a shared door-to-door service to any location in Manhattan. MTA New York City Transit (tel: (212) 6387622; website: www.mta.nyc.ny.us) buses operate to a number of destinations in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island. Other bus and shuttle services are available at the airport.
Taxi: Travellers are advised only to use taxis from the taxi dispatch booths at the airport.

Traveler's Aid services are available from the ground transportation counters in each terminal, while the main office (tel: (718) 646 4870) is located in Terminal 6. Recorded information on all airport facilities, including parking, lost and found, driving directions and ground transportation, is available (tel: (718) 244 4444); passengers can also talk to an operator for further information.

Money and communications: Bureaux de change and ATMs are available in all terminals, except Terminal 6 where there are only ATM services and no money exchange counter. A full-service post office (tel: (718) 995 3368) is located at Building 250, on North Boundary Road. There is a mobile phone rental facility in the arrivals area of Terminal 3. Wireless Internet access is available. 
Eating and drinking: There are bars and restaurants located throughout the airport.
Shopping: Plenty of shops are located throughout the terminals, including duty-free in terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.
Luggage: Trolleys are available at all terminals. A lost property service is available (tel: (718) 244 4225). Luggage storage is available in terminals 1 and 4. 
Other facilities: There are four chapels on the second floor in Terminal 4. The airport also has a medical centre, baby change facilities and shoe shine services.

Terminals offer fax, computer, photocopying and courier services. These services are available to all passengers, except at Terminal 6 where they are for members only. Data ports are located throughout most terminals. Wireless Internet access is also available. Conference facilities are also available at the on-site Ramada Plaza Hotel (tel: (718) 995 9000), which has meeting rooms available and a business centre.

The airport is wheelchair-accessible and is well-equipped to accommodate disabled passengers. Reserved reduced-rate parking is available in car parks close to the terminals; passengers should contact the car parks operator for further information (tel: (718) 244 4168). Disabled toilets can be found in each terminal and TDD telephones are clearly-signposted throughout the terminals. Hand-operated cars can be hired from Avis or Hertz.

The Ramada Plaza Hotel (tel: (718) 995 9000; website: www.ramada.com) can be found on-site, whilst the Best Western JFK Airport (tel: (718) 977 2100; website: http://book.bestwestern.com), Comfort Inn JFK (tel: (718) 977 0001; website: www.choicehotels.com), Holiday Inn JFK (tel: (718) 659 0200; website: www.ichotelsgroup.com) and the Howard Johnson Express Inn (tel: (718) 723 6700; website: www.hojo.com) are located nearby. All hotels provide a shuttle service to/from the airport. Hotel reservation services are located in the Arrivals area of all terminals - either a staffed desk, which charges a small booking fee, or free courtesy telephones.