New York City Airport
- JFK -
Worst Airport Winner
Lasting Impressions....
"Overall, not a bad place to be stuck for half the day." (Kerry)
"it is a bloody disgrace." (Sam)
"JFK was probably the most confusing and filthy airport terminal I have ever been in." (Amy)
"I managed to get some sleep but it wasn't easy." (?)
"The terminal 6 is gross. It is way overcrowded for the size that it is." (?)
"People front desk counter were rude, insulting, didn't care that I drove 5:30 hrs. to get there, one person was making fun of me and giving me a hard time. - sakajawea
"seating was awful, so i laid out on the floor. However i saw a rat roaming around so i didn't sleep much that nite." - seanamazing
Good times
by CZ
"I was snowed in at JFK airport and all the hotel rooms below 200 were filled with other people in the same dilemma as me. So I slept at the airport waiting for the airport to open the next day. We slept in the Delta terminal (I figured that at least everybody was screened for weapons). I went to sleep at around 11:30, with a number of other people who were also snowed in with no place to go. I woke up briefly at 2:00 and noticed that all of us were covered up in Delta blankets! Now that is what I call service."
Not a bad place, but not great either
by John
"As a New Yorker who frequently takes flights out at ungodly hours I ama bit amused about reading the expectations of people coming from civilized airports like Denver or others in the West. JFK is not one big airport but nine small ones, nine very separate terminals, and it really depends on which terminal you are looking at. To make the story short, there are older and newer terminals. The worst are 2 and 3, Delta I believe, which are dirty, crammy and just plain old. The best to my experience are Terminals 1 and 4, they opened in the last years, are very clean and have at least a few amenities, especially new and clean restrooms. However, those people who design airports seem to hate travellers. Case in point is Terminal 1 which has almost no seating on the "land-side" of security. Once you are at the gates there are relatively comfy seats, but if you have to wait for your check-in counters to open plan on sitting on the pretty clean marble floor. And don't think that check-in will be open earlier than about an hour before the first flight goes out.
Same thing in the new Terminal 8 (British Airways): virtually no seating in the check-in area. No other amenities either. So either go upstairs if you are ticketed or hop over to Terminal 4, but don't count on getting a seat there either.
The bottom line: If you cannot get to the gate area right away try to stay in Terminals 1 or 4 and be prepared to be in a clean place but on the floor. Avoid the other terminals.
Oh, you could also ride the new automated AirTrain for hours between Jamaica and JFK. It is free unless you leave the train in Jamaica and since it is automated there is no staff on board. However, since they have video surveillance in each car police would probably kick you off latest after two or three trips if they see you sleep. They even might slap you with a ticket since in New York City it is illegal to sleep on a subway train (thanks Mr. Bloomberg). "
Um, you may want to rethink sleeping in this place
by patina
Had to stay overnight at JFK check-in hall due to flight-cancellation. Check-in-desks closed around 1am but opened again at 4.30am. announcements started early as well, so it was never absolutely quiet. during this hours the cleaning crew was working, but very careful not to disturb the sleeping folks.
there were almost no chairs available, only a few, but very comfortable chairs but three times more people and all of them were occupied :-(
i tried to enter the departure-hall, thinking it may be more comfortable there, but one is only allowed to enter there during traffic-time.
it was pretty cold but i could manage to organise some empty boxes. so it used them to sleep on and protect me from the cold ground.
hope you have never to stay there overnight, i had just 1 or 2 hours of sleep and was pretty happy to catch my flight at 7am the next day.
Airport Guide
Here is some information that we've picked out of from your reviews. Be sure to read the reviews on the next page for the most up-to-date info:
- try the metal platforms in terminal 4 fast food area
- 24 hour cafe
- frequent announcements
- benches are cold
- bright
- seats with armrests
- WiFi
- Terminal 4; "luxurious" carpeted area upstairs
- CNN blasting
