John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the busiest of the airports serving New York City, the other two prominent ones being LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark Liberty (EWR). JFK ranks number 1 in the USA by international passenger traffic.
The airport is situated in the NYC borough of Queens, in the southern part of the Jamaica neighborhood, next to Jamaica Bay.
JFK is one of the most significant international gateways in the United States and one of the most well-connected airports in the world. It is one of the few airports in the world with five active terminals, accommodating over 90 airlines, and providing direct flights to all inhabited continents.
After serving over 63 million passengers (of which over 30 million international) in 2024, JFK Airport ranked among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.
Major Airlines - American Airlines, Delta Air Lines
JFK is a major hub for two of the US’s largest airlines, both of which offer domestic and international flights:
Delta Air Lines: Primarily operates from Terminal 4. Delta Connection is its child brand.
American Airlines: Operates mainly from Terminal 8. American Eagle is its child brand.
It’s also a focus city for JetBlue - a major US point-to-point airline with flights to over 100 destinations from JFK. It is based in Terminal 5.
JFK is an operating base for the Norwegian low-cost, long-haul airline Norse Atlantic Airways. While still relatively new on the market, it offers affordable transatlantic flights between New York and Europe.
On the domestic front, 2 airlines stand out for their large number of direct flights from/to JFK: Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning some of the world's largest airlines that land at and depart from JFK daily. The list is long but some notable carriers include:
Air France, which flies to Paris CDG.
Air China, which flies to Beijing.
Air India, which flies to Delhi and Mumbai.
Air New Zealand, which flies to Auckland.
Japan Airlines, which flies to Tokyo-Haneda.
British Airways, which flies to London-Heathrow.
Emirates, which flies to Dubai.
KLM, which flies to Amsterdam.
Qantas, which flies to Sydney.
And of course, Singapore Airlines, which operates the world’s longest scheduled passenger flight between JFK and Singapore 3 times per day.
Terminal Layout and Gates of JFK
With 5 passenger terminals, JFK is one of the largest airports in the world and hosts an impressive array of domestic and international carriers. There are 130 gates in total.
Owing to many terminals closing or being combined throughout the decades, the current terminals do not follow standard numbering, which can be a bit confusing.
Its terminal configuration is as follows:
Terminal 1: Opened in 1998, this is the second-oldest terminal facility at JFK. It hosts various international airlines and has 12 gates.
- Terminal 4: A major international terminal with 43 gates across Concourses A and B, serving Delta and various global carriers.
Concourse A: Takes Delta Connection flights and mostly Asian Airlines.
Concourse B: Primarily serves Delta Air Lines and its SkyTeam airline partners.
Terminal 5: JetBlue's dedicated terminal, offering 28 gates. Cape Air also uses T5.
Terminal 7: This is the oldest terminal currently in operation. It used to belong to British Airways, which did not exercise its lease options and left the terminal in 2022. It currently serves various regional and long-haul airlines like Alaska and Qatar Airways with its 10 gates, but the current owners’ plans are to demolish it and replace it with the new Terminal 6.
Terminal 8: Operated by American Airlines, which uses it as a hub. It has 31 gates divided between Concourses B and C, and recently renovated lounges. It also serves large members of the Oneworld alliance like British Airways, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, and Iberia.
The terminals are connected landside by the free AirTrain. Although walking between adjacent terminals is possible, it is not recommended due to the busy roads. The terminals are not connected airside.
Connecting Flights and Transit
JFK Airport is a bit archaic when it comes to connecting flights and transit.
First of all, no two terminals are connected post-security (airside), so all transits between terminals involve re-clearing security checks.
Secondly, all international arriving passengers must recheck all bags for the second leg of their journey, even if traveling with the same airline.
All this means that the common notion of an airside transit is just not possible at JFK.
The minimum connecting time depends on which airline(s) you fly with, whether you have checked-in luggage or only carry on, the immigration queues on arrival at JFK, your nationality, and which terminals you land at and depart from. In general, it falls between 1 hour and 3 hours.
Wi-Fi at John F. Kennedy International Airport
JFK Airport offers free Wi-Fi everywhere in the airport. To connect, select the network "_Free JFK WiFi" and follow the on-screen instructions.
The connection is not limited in either time or bandwidth.
The Best Dining Options at JFK
With so many large terminals and dozens of the world’s premier airlines, it’s no surprise that JFK offers a diverse culinary scene. So many are the dining options that it’s easy to fill a whole article with just noteworthy restaurants and bars.
To leave room for surprise and exploration, and to summarize the important information in a world of short attention span, here are just a few places to eat and drink at each of JFK’s terminals:
Terminal 1: Have Turkish food at Eat & Go Istanbul near gates 5-7, an American breakfast at The Local at Gate 4, or charcuterie at Soho Bites near Gate 3.
Terminal 4: Experience an American classic - a burger from Shake Shack (find near Gate B22 or B37). Alternatively, go for some quick Japanese at Bento Sushi near Gate B26, or have some juice at Jamba Juice next to Gate B27.
Terminal 5: Have the best sushi at JFK at Deep Blue Sushi within the Marketplace, where you will also find Baked by Melissa (try the mini cupcakes) and 5ive Steak. Vegetarians can try Eggy Weggy, located in the Food Hall.Terminal 7: Go to the Food Court, where you will find pretty much all dining options at T7. Try a burger from Brindle Room or a pizza from Brooklyn Rebel.
Terminal 8: The Main Terminal area hosts Bobby Van's Steakhouse (serving breakfast, sandwiches, steaks, and featuring a full bar) and Angelina's Metro Market with its pre-made and made-to-order sandwiches.
Additionally, the TWA Hotel provides unique dining experiences, such as:
Paris Café by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, where you can try airlines’ menus from the 60s and 70s.
The Sunken Lounge: a classy bar inspired by the 1960s offering crafty cocktails, charcuterie, and other snacks.
Rooftop Pool Bar: Try some of the aviation-inspired drinks or poolside fares like flatbread pizzas or a hummus platter.
Lounges at JFK Airport
Every terminal of JFK houses at least 1 premium lounge, but Terminal 4 is home to the most.
In Terminal 1, you can choose between the Air France Lounge near Gate 1, which offers French cuisine and Clarins spa treatments, or the Lufthansa Business Lounge, where you will receive plentiful buffet food and self-service alcohol.
Other lounges at T1 include Korean Air Lounge near Gate 3 and the Primeclass Lounge next to Gates 8 and 9, both of which offer shower facilities.
Many airlines have their premium lounges in Terminal 4. Notably, the Delta Sky Club features ample seating and a Sky Deck. Some of the lounges at T4 with the best guest feedback are the Air India Maharaja Lounge, Emirates Lounges (both near Gate A5), Etihad Lounge, and Swiss Lounge (both on the 4th floor).
Terminal 5 is lacking in lounges due to its operations being limited to mostly JetBlue. However, there is a USO Center across from baggage carousel 3, which functions as a lounge, open from 9 AM until 2 PM.
In Terminal 7, there are 3 lounges:
Aer Lingus Lounge near Gate 1.
Alaska Lounge above the TSA Security Checkpoint.
Lounge @ T7: a publicly accessible lounge also above the TSA Security Checkpoint.
Lastly, Terminal 8 is home to 4 lounges:
American Airlines/British Airways Lounge: Quite possibly the most sleek and modern lounge in the entire airport. It has self-serve alcohol, a tasting room, buffet food, plenty of seating, and showers.
The Greenwich Lounge: An awesome airport lounge for Oneworld Sapphire & Emerald travelers on AA & BA international flights. The table service makes it an amazing choice for busy travelers.
Chelsea Lounge: Another very classy lounge offering both formal and informal dining options in a very quiet environment.
Soho Lounge: An open-access lounge with a lovely bar and potentially lifesaving showers.
Additional Services at JFK
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of the facilities and services in the airport not listed so far:
- Baby care facilities:
Nursing stations located airside in T1, T4, T5, and T8.
Minute Suites can be found near Gate B39 in T4 and are free to use by mothers for up to 30 minutes.
Family washrooms in T4, T5, and T8, both landside and airside.
Traveller’s Aid: An information and assistance desk in T4 for passengers in all sorts of stressful situations.
Interfaith Chapel: Located landside in T4.
Luggage Storage: Located landside in T1, T4, and T8.
Many ATMs and Currency Exchange desks in all terminals.
Pet Relief Areas: at least 1 dedicated area in each terminal.
Spa: BeRelax in T5 and XpresSpa in T4, both airside.
Public transport at JFK Airport
Public transport links at JFK are so convenient that taking the NYC subway or the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is at least twice as fast as road travel and comes at a fraction of the cost.
Your journey from the airport starts with the AirTrain, which provides a free service between terminals and connects to the subway and the LIRR for a fee. (called the AirTrain exit fee and amounts to 8.50 USD). The subway fare is 2.90 USD for a single ticket.
Get off the AirTrain at Jamaica to take the subway’s E line or the LIRR, or get off at Howard Beach to connect to the A line.
The LIRR can get you to Central Station or Penn Station in Manhattan (both in about 30 minutes), whereas the subway, plus a connection to a bus or another line, can get you anywhere else on the Manhattan Island.
You can pay for all rides on the NYC public transport using your contactless card or several other digital payment methods.
Private Transport from JFK
Regular NYC taxis wait in front of all terminals during airport hours of operation. Only use licensed operators and do not accept rides from solicitors or touts at the airport.
Taxis at JFK Airport charge a flat fare of $70 for trips between the airport and Manhattan, plus a surcharge of 5 USD during rush hours (4-8 PM).
There could be various tolls on the way depending on your destination. Remember that tipping taxi drivers is customary in New York.
Here are some approximate fares from JFK:
To the Bronx: 70 to 105 USD.
To Brooklyn: 60 to 80 USD.
To Queens: 30 to 45 USD.
To Staten Island: 95 to 105 USD.
A popular modern alternative is the ride-sharing apps like Uber, Lyft, Curb, and ARRO.
They have dedicated pick-up locations at each terminal, usually branded.
Lastly, car rental companies are plentiful at JFK. You have a choice between some of the world’s biggest providers of rental cars, like Hertz, Sixt, Thrifty, and Avis. Their offices are on the Arrivals level of each terminal. The cars are parked at Federal Circle Station, connected to the terminals by the AirTrain.
For more information about private transfers from JFK, click here.
Transport between JFK and other New York Airports
There are numerous options to travel between the 3 major NYC airports, both public and private transport:
The ETS Air Shuttle: a shared shuttle van running between any 2 airports in NYC.
A metered taxi: Would take about 30 minutes from JFK to LaGuardia (30-40 USD) or 90 minutes to Newark (140-180 USD).
Private limousine: Inquire at the Welcome Center in the Airport Baggage Claim Area at JFK.
Parking at John F. Kennedy Airport
As far as parking at JFK is concerned, you have two options: short-term/daily parking in front of terminals 4, 5, or 8, or long-term/economy lot parking a bit outside of the airport grounds but served by the AirTrain.
Terminal 4 (Blue Lot): 6 USD per 30 minutes, maxed at 80 USD per day (60 USD if prebooked).
Terminal 5 (Yellow Lot): 6 USD per 30 minutes, maxed at 80 USD per day (60 USD if prebooked).
Terminal 8 (Red Lot): 4 USD per 30 minutes, maxed at 70 USD per day (50 USD if prebooked).
Long Term Parking: First 24 hours cost 40 USD (35 if prebooked) and every 12 hours thereafter cost 20 USD ($17.50 if prebooked).
Federal Circle Station Lot: Available by reservation only. The first day parking costs 40 USD, with every additional 12 hours another 20 USD.
The parking lots in front of Terminal 1 and Terminal 7 have been closed indefinitely.
Hotels near JFK Airport
JFK has 1 hotel on airport grounds: the iconic TWA Hotel, located in front of Terminal 5. With its retro-themed rooms, tons of amenities, original food options, and culinary experiences, as well as the unbeatable proximity to the terminals, the TWA has become synonymous with “JFK Airport Hotel”.
Outside the airport grounds, you can choose from many more hotels, such as Hilton New York JFK Airport, Comfort Inn & Suites, and Courtyard by Marriott JFK Airport.
Most of the hotels are located in South Jamaica and offer complimentary shuttles to and from the terminals.
New York, NY, USA
