New York City subways accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple pay, Wallet pay and the OMNY card as well as MetroCard. AirTrain only accepts MetroCard at this time.
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Paying for your AirTrain RideYou may purchase a new MetroCard ($1.00 fee applies) or refill your own MetroCard using cash, credit or debit card at our Ticket Vending Machines in Howard Beach or Jamaica Station. Frequent users of AirTrain may purchase the following discounted fare packages.
The new fare payment system will accept contactless debit/credit cards, digital wallets and OMNY cards. Fare gates that accept MetroCards will remain available and an option for customers.
Customers utilizing JFK's Long Term Parking can take the free AirTrain JFK to all Terminals. All customers who plan to park at JFK for more than 30 days in any lot should contact ABM the day you arrive at (718) 244-4168.
Paying for your AirTrain RideYou may purchase a new MetroCard ($1.00 fee applies) or refill your own MetroCard using cash, credit or debit card at our Ticket Vending Machines in Howard Beach or Jamaica Station.
Total Cost: $11.15 -- $8.25 for the AirTrain (children under 5 ride free) and $2.90 for a single subway ride. Travel Time: varies depending on your destination. But plan on 60-90 minutes to get to Midtown Manhattan.
The AirTrain automated light rail system links the nine passenger terminals of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with the central terminal, rental car area, and parking lots.
You don't have to sign up or download an app to use OMNY; simply use your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY card to tap and go. OMNY currently supports full-fare and Reduced-Fare pay-per-ride options.
Use your MetroCard at the AirTrain turnstiles to pay the $8.25 fare. Use a MetroCard ticket machine if you need to add value to your card. (Do this in advance to skip the lines.) You can board any AirTrain that arrives.
The AirTrains from Howard Beach and Jamaica run counterclockwise on the “outer loop” of the 2 tracks. There is a separate “inner loop” for a train that only visits airport terminals. This train runs clockwise, in the opposite direction as the outer loop.
The increase came just a year after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey raised the AirTrain fare to $8 from $7.75. Port Authority officials called the most recent raise an “automatic inflation-based adjustment” in a December press release that highlighted the agency's 2023 budget.
Subway. By far the cheapest way to get to JFK is the subway, departing Manhattan every few minutes. You'll want to take the subway to Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport, on either the A, E, J, or Z trains.
Once you have swiped the card to enter the subway, it cannot be used again for 18 minutes. Unlimited Ride MetroCards are not accepted by the JFK AirTrain, Express buses or PATH trains. See below for other transportation systems that accept this card.
Subway: The closest subway station to JFK Airport is Sutphin Boulevard/Archer Avenue/JFK Airport. To get there, you can take the AirTrain from JFK Airport to Jamaica, and transfer to the subway.