How to Get Around JFK International Airport

From One Terminal to Another

Recognize the setup of JFK Airport, including what airlines serve each terminal. JFK Airport is arranged in a semi-circular pattern and served by a mono-beam driverless "monorail"-like train transporting riders between the terminals before the security checkpoints. Terminal 1 serves airlines coming in from international airlines. This includes Aeroflot, Air China, Air France, Air Italy, Alitalia, Austrian, Azerbaijan Airlines, Brussels, Cayman Airways, China Eastern, EVA, Interjet, Japan, Korean, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air, Philippine, Royal Air Maroc, Saudi Arabian, Turkish Airlines and VivaAerobus. Terminal 2 serves Delta Airlines' domestic routes. Terminal 3 has been demolished but had been the former's DeltaWorldPort terminal. There's now a TWA Hotel near the AirTrain connector at Terminal 3, outside of the TSA (unticketed side). Terminal 4 serves international flights from major airlines. These airlines include: Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air India, Air Serbia, Asiana, Avianca Brasil, Caribbean, China, China Southern, Copa, Delta, Egyptair, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Kuwait, LATAM, Singapore, South African, SWISS, Uzbekistan, Virgin Atlantic, Volaris, WestJet and XiamenAir. Terminal 5 serves AerLingus, Cape Air, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and TAP Portugal. Terminal 7 serves British Airways and includes such others as Aerolineas Argentinas, Alaska Airlines, ANA, British Airways, Eurowings, Iberia, Icelandair, LOT, and Ukraine International. United Airlines services it's flights out of this Terminal. Terminal 8 serves all the airlines provided in the OneWorld hub including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Ethiopian Airlines, Finnair, Qatar, and Royal Jordanian airlines.

Walk from one building to another. Although all the buildings are right by one another, no terminals ever connect, and you must exit one terminal building and get in the TSA line at the other terminal to proceed to your gate. You may ask a gate employee for help - as airlines stick within each terminal, but if your flight changes companies, you'll have to exit the building and re-enter the other queue in the other building.

Come out of one building and walk over to the AirTrain. Ride the AirTrain from one building to another. Although it may take a bit of time to go from one terminal to another, if you have some extra allotted time and your connecting flight isn't on a terminal on the other side of the airport, this may save you a few minutes. The best thing is that transportation on the AirTrain is completely free in the area around the airport.

Bicycle between terminals if you have no luggage behind and you have brought your own bicycle from another terminal. Make sure the connecting flight company is aware of the fact that you are checking in the bicycle.

Be aware that if you transfer between two airlines in different airports, you must manually get out and switch terminals with your luggage in hand. TSA is not responsible for luggage that has been left behind due to your negligence to pick up the luggage for the transfer here. Most of the luggage can be picked up on the airport's bottom floor, below the terminal's entrance. Ask at the check-in desk if you have arrived at the wrong area to find out exactly where the desk is, as all terminals are slightly different.

Inside the Terminal

Recognize that each terminal is different, but most of the existing policies tend to be the same here.

Head inside the building and grab your ticket from the check-in desk. If your airline allows mobile check-ins, check-in with the service, and print your boarding passes. You'll need your boarding pass and ID to pass through security. Drop your baggage and continue from the check-in desk.

Walk up to the terminal's TSA security entrance. The security entrance will stack some TSA agents that will check your information. Make sure to hand them your boarding pass and ID. They don't have a separate line for special boarding (for special conditions that allow other people to pass through without examination-like some airports do).

Place all items (including your shoes and socks, jackets, and other things you may be carrying on you) onto the X-ray machine's belt once everyone in front of you has completed their initial scanning of security details.

Walk through the security scanners. Stop inside the security scanners and turn and face the person-looking figures if they say you're in one. Comply with the rules, and you'll likely be awarded to step back out.

Grab your stuff from the other end of the X-ray belt or the rollers at the end of the X-ray belt, put on your shoes and socks (they have a few chairs nearby), and walk towards the terminals.

Look down at your ticket. Look for the terminal your flight will be boarding from.

Walk towards the gate you'll board from. There will be signs over top of each gate that say the gate number of the gate.

Board at the time the airline agents ask for people to board.

Walk down the maze of boarding paths that lead up to the plane from the entrance doors where the agent will look at your ticket and either scan or collect your ticket.