New Air Train Homepage
I was in New York yesterday and for the first time took the AirTrain to and from the airport. I felt like an idiot since I’ve been to NYC often during the past two years but failed to use this service. Open for nearly two years, this is the only way to get in and out of Manhattan unless you have a free ride. I have probably taken every different airport ride including the old helicopters that used to fly to JFK from the Island.
This new system is both the fastest and most cost effective mechanism. Only Hong Kong and London are this slick. The goal is to take a subway (Metro) or the Long Island RR to either Howard Beach (Metro only) or Jamaica. The use of the subway stems from the experimental “A” trains that once were specially marked as the JFK express which dropped you off at Howard Beach where you’d then take a bus to the terminals.
Once the express was discontinued it simply took too long to take the subway.
So unless you are a local living in Queens, skip the subway and go to Penn Station and get on an LIRR train that stops at the Jamaica station. The express trains that go straight to Jamica take about 15 minutes at the most. Add another five minutes for the trains that make a couple of stops. The off-peak price for a ride out there is $5 ($7 peak). You then jump on the AirTrain which is up the stairs. It’s another $5 (at the time of this writing).
You should note that if you have not been to Penn Station the LIRR is not easy to find, so ask! The entire experience there is user unfriendly, but do-able. Going from JFK to Manhattan is a bit less weird. And since you can cut 30 minutes off the trip, it’s well worth it.
The trick is to use a Metrocard with $5 on it. Then you jump on the automated AirTrain that takes you to all the terminals. This is another 15 minutes. So without any hassle you are there in around 35 minutes. Only the helicopter was faster and as I recall it was a $100 ride. And it’s gone. And it didn’t have the frequency with only a few rides a day. Old-timers reading this post may have the correct price of the chopper ride.
The LIRR trains run about one every 10 minutes and the AirTrain appears to have a 5-10 minute frequency. This the the way to go. It appears to have killed the $15 bus ride and can’t be doing much for the cab rides either. People still seem to be using private cars, cabs and buses only because they do not know about the AirTrain or have not tried it (my excuse). There is also service to Newark, but the mechanism is slightly different and is explained on the Airtrain website (above).
Now having said all this. If you are coming to Manhattan with a family of four and too much luggage. Use a car service.
When I was a kid in NYC in the 60s, I remember watching the dual rotor helicopters that traveled from Newark Airport to the Pan Am building heliport then to JFK.
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=New%20York%20Airways&distinct_entry=true
“Only Hong Kong and London are this slick.”
In Chicago, you can get to either Airport for $1.50 direct from the Loop (the Central Business Area) in around 30 – 45 minutes on the L with no special fuss. Seems pretty slick to me.
-adam
This looks suspiciously like the SkyTrain in Vancouver, B.C. I’m assuming that the same company produces both.
For the record, Vancouver has the best transit system, bar none.
Well, looks like we won’t have anything like that in Seattle since they voted down the Monorail….
Airport trains are great, but not if you have big luggage. I have a sizable (forty plus pounds) suitcase with me all the time, and a laptop bag at about twenty pounds. Just last week I took an airport train from Amsterdam Schiphol to Brussels Noord (both exemplary modern and efficient rail terminals) and fell down seven feet of stairwell with two bags in tow. (the elevator for that track was out of order)
Day before yesterday I was in San Francisco airport–and they have an AirTRAM to the car rental service. All you have to do is pick up your bags, go down the escalator and through the tunnel to the parking garage, then (in my case) over to the next terminal because AMERICAN AIRLINES DOES NOT ACTUALLY HAVE AN ELEVATOR TO THE SKY TRAM then up the elevator to the roof of parking. Then, up a flight of stairs to the airtrain station, then up an escalator to the tram–then a 35 minute journey JUST TO THE CAR RENTAL COUNTER. I landed at SFO at 5:40. I got into the city at 7:45
I should have taken a cab.
So you got from jfk to penn station in 35 minutes? All the trains were there and on time?
I’ll take the cab. The leg brace will help until it heals up. Travel is sometimes hell.
David Perry
A man diied during the origional Air train test ride..
A concrete block was used to simulate the weight of passengers.
The Block shifted and he was crushed to death.
The air train now works well and is operated by computer and monitored from a remote control station.
The ride is smooth and swift however it leads you to New York subway system which isn’t very comfortable, especially during rush hour.
They should extend this service into NEW York City.
By New York Law,
New York City taxi’s are not permitted to charge more than certain amount into the city no matter what the meter says. I think the dollor amount is $35.00.
For more information about the airtrain please visit:
http://www.panynj.gov/airtrain/
Perry, Learn to travel light. Unless you are actually moving to a location I see no reason to bring more than one bag that holds a suit and maybe an extra pair of pants and some shirts. I always do an inventory on my return and note what was and was not used on the trip and then I eliminate the unsed items on the next trip. You can always buy stuff when you arrive assuming you are not headed to the jungle. I know of people who bring large bottles of shampoo when travelling. Why? What really galls me are people — mostly women — who travel heavy then expect the guy to lug all the crap around for her. It’s a ploy to torment men.You also have to be aware of the 44-pound limitations on some International routes.
Well – I must be the only woman who packs light then – re women expecting men to carry their bags – you must pick the wrong ones mate, most of us millenium girls can do that ourselves!
Hooray for Liz.