JFK Airport Is Making Traveler Pickup More Annoying This Summer
You’re better off at LaGuardia.
Compared to the people’s princess of New York City—LaGuardia Airport—John F. Kennedy International Airport is the messy and cumbersome cousin that no one really likes. And sadly for travelers this summer, circumstances will not be improving when it comes to New York State’s largest airport.
In an effort to reduce traffic congestion during busy, peak-of-summer travel times, rideshare pickups (Uber and Lyft) for arriving passengers at JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 have been relocated to a remote lot from noon to 2 am. This means: After enduring long customs lines and picking up checked luggage, travelers will have to board a free shuttle bus outside of the terminal then travel to a remote lot, before linking up with their driver.
Apparently, an “abundance of shuttle buses will ensure service every one to two minutes,” according to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, we’ll believe it when we see it.
For those wondering if this will affect any upcoming travels, Terminal 4 is the largest terminal at JFK Airport and services 22 airlines including Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, WestJet, Emirates, Etihad, KLM, AeroMexico, Air Europa, and more.
This transportation change comes in the midst of JFK’s billion dollar renovation initiative, which promises improved functionality, indoor greenspaces, public art, and renewable energy technologies. But while we patiently wait for the results of this project—projected to run through 2030—we have no choice but to shoulder through the often burdensome experience of JFK Airport travel.
Reddit is, unsurprisingly, replete with unsatisfied JFK Airport customers commenting on “overcrowding, huge long lines, and literally every employee is thoroughly pissed off and rude for no apparent reason.” In the #jfkairport search on TikTok, a similar vibe is apparent.
Port Authority officials are definitely aware of this long standing issue. Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton called for some clemency during this time as, “Serving a record number of summer travelers this year, while construction of a new John F. Kennedy International Airport is at its peak, is an enormous challenge. We ask for patience and apologize in advance.”
This rideshare pick up relocation is definitely a wrench thrown into the plans of arriving Terminal 4 travelers. Our takeaway: This is yet another point for yellow cab rides, which will still be available outside of Terminal 4—sans a shuttle bus to an undisclosed remote lot. Yellow cab supremacy!