How to Use the JFK Airport AirTrain From CT

With so many airports nearby the tri-state area, luckily as a Connecticut resident, there are many flights to choose from. For me personally, I always pick the cheapest flights, which always seem to leave out of JFK. If you are looking for a low cost way to get to JFK, taking public transportation can be a great way to get to the airport, without bothering anyone in your life to wake up at the crack of dawn and drive you! As an avid solo traveler, I use this method often and without fail! Here is how to use the JFK airport AirTrain from the CT area.

Buying The Right Ticket

The first step in this process is to buy the correct ticket. For this, you need the MTA Train Time app. You will be departing from the station closest to you that takes you into Grand Central. Maybe here you can have someone in your family drop you off! Purchase a ticket on the Train Time app departing from your local station, and put the arrival station as Jamaica. This way, you will be purchasing a two-in-one ticket that will allow you to ride Metro North into Grand Central, and also take the Long Island Railroad out of Grand Central to Jamaica.

Grand Central to Jamaica

Once on your local train to Grand Central, you will start to look at your connecting train times. Every single LIRR train stops at Jamaica, so you can use the app to look at which LIRR trains you can take. To get to the LIRR, you can easily access it from the food court/dining concourse. It will take you about 10 minutes to get from your Metro North train to your LIRR train since you will need to take a flight of stairs or two and walk through the beautiful new LIRR station.

Find the next LIRR train leaving, hope on it, show your two-in-one ticket to the conductor, then keep your eye out for the Jamaica stop. This ride is 21 minutes long.

Jamaica to JFK Airport AirTrain

Once you arrive at the Jamaica Station, it’s thankfully very easy to find the entrance to the JFK airport AirTrain due to tons of signage. I was further back on the LIRR train, so when I exited at Jamaica, the AirTrain was up the stairs to my right. There were so many signs, it was truly hard to miss where to go. To get into the AirTrain lobby, you tap your card or can use Apple Pay to enter. It is $4.25 per person.

After you simply wait for the AirTrain to arrive. The train comes every 5-10 minutes and is a short 10ish minute ride to JFK, depending on what terminal you are leaving from. Keep an eye out for your terminal, then exit and go catch your flight!

JFK Airport AirTrain Conclusion

If you want an affordable way to get to the airport, taking the JFK airport AirTrain can be a great way! If you are traveling with a family or group, take note of the Metro North Train cost and see at what point it could make more sense to take a private car. Or if you are with a small group or going alone, this probably will be the better option.

Once you get to Grand Central, it takes about 30 minutes to get to JFK, which is a great way to get to the airport without sitting in traffic! The AirTrain is a super simple and affordable way to get to JFK. It has made my life so much easier, and I hope it does the same for you as well!