AirTrain is free unless you start or end your journey at Jamaica and Howard Beach Stations. There, the fee is $8.25 USD, payable only by MetroCard. Where to buy a MetroCard: Hudson News stands before and after security at Terminals 1, 4, 7 and 8.
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FARES. AirTrain is free between JFK Terminals, parkings and car rental center. If you go to Jamaica and Howard stations, to take the metro or rail, then there is a rate of $8.25.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Very safe. Safer than being in traffic in a taxi. I've taken the AirTrain alone at 2:00AM in the winter and thought nothing of it. Note that there are new machines at Jamaica which allow you to purchase your AirTrain and Long Island Rail Road ticket in one transaction.
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.
The average price for this trip is $83. Open the Uber app and input JFK in the “Where to?” box. The price estimate for each ride option will appear; scroll to see what's available. Prices will vary based on time of day and how many riders are making requests.
AirTrain makes frequent stops around the airport — including the airline terminals, parking lots, hotel shuttle areas and rental car facilities. What's more, every AirTrain ride around the airport is free.
Taxis cost $70 flat (up to four people per taxi) plus surcharges, tolls and tip. An Uber or Lyft rideshare will cost between $45-$150 depending on traffic and surge demand. Be sure to also check out our posts on the other two NYC airports.
AirTrain travels to the Jamaica LIRR Station from JFK every 5 to 10 minutes. The AirTrain ride to the Jamaica Station takes about 10 minutes. Print the full AirTrain Brochure and take it with you.
Well, it turns out the Port Authority does sometimes lift the fee from AirTrain/subway commuters, but only when the bottlenecks at the exits get really, really bad.
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.