Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'll be going to JFK airport with a friend with his luggage. We'll take R train to Queens Plaza to transfer for E train. Are there any stairs involved (considering luggage) transferring between R and E?
From the moment of getting off E train at Sutphin Blvd (seems?), to taking Air Train to JFK terminal, are there stairs to climb up/down at all? (He's got a lot of heavy luggage so even a few stair steps will be painful.)
Does the Air Train stop at different terminals, or everyone gets off at the same stop?
I'll be going to JFK airport with a friend with his luggage. We'll take R train to Queens Plaza to transfer for E train. Are there any stairs involved (considering luggage) transferring between R and E?
No stairs involved. The transfer is right across the platform.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ny123
From the moment of getting off E train at Sutphin Blvd (seems?), to taking Air Train to JFK terminal, are there stairs to climb up/down at all? (He's got a lot of heavy luggage so even a few stair steps will be painful.)
Sutphin Blvd. station does have elevators, but I don't know if there's direct access from the E train platform to the Airtrain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ny123
Does the Air Train stop at different terminals, or everyone gets off at the same stop?
The Airtrain stops at all the terminals in the airport.
Allow yourself a lot of time. The Air Train is wonderful, E train not so much. I waited an hour in december for an E train that I could board with my luggage. There are a lot of people getting on the train with their luggage. I don't think that was a consideration when they linked the E to the AT.
I do this all the time. Be in the back half of the train on the E. There is a single escalator leading from there. If you're in the front, it's the stairs or walk to the escalator in the back.
Once on the upper level, you can take an elevator up 2 levels to the Airtrain level- you walk past the LIRR concourse to get there.
Allow yourself a lot of time. The Air Train is wonderful, E train not so much. I waited an hour in december for an E train that I could board with my luggage. There are a lot of people getting on the train with their luggage. I don't think that was a consideration when they linked the E to the AT.
If the train is that packed, you can try taking the E train one stop to Jamaica Center (it should be less people in that direction). Jamaica Center is the last stop so everyone gets off and the there should be a train going back towards Manhattan. You should figure out which train is leaving next and get on. You should definitely be able to get on and even get a seat.
Depending on where you're starting from, it might work just as well to get the A train (make sure you get on the one bound for Far Rockaway, not Lefferts Boulevard) and transfer to the Air Train at Howard Beach. I think that may involve less schlepping luggage around than the transfer at Sutphin Boulevard.
Depending on where you're starting from, it might work just as well to get the A train (make sure you get on the one bound for Far Rockaway, not Lefferts Boulevard) and transfer to the Air Train at Howard Beach. I think that may involve less schlepping luggage around than the transfer at Sutphin Boulevard.
From the MTA website:
"Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av/ JFK Airport
Elevator off southeast corner of Sutphin Boulevard at Archer Avenue near elevated LIRR tracks. Use corridor next to escalators. on upper level of station; on lower level; LIRR one level above street; AirTrain JFK two levels above street."
From the MTA website:
"Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av/ JFK Airport
Elevator off southeast corner of Sutphin Boulevard at Archer Avenue near elevated LIRR tracks. Use corridor next to escalators. on upper level of station; on lower level; LIRR one level above street; AirTrain JFK two levels above street."
...Which means that the basic choices are 1) R to the E trains, transferring to Air Train in Jamaica Center. Or 2) A train to Howard Beach, transferring to Air Train at that station.
Thanks all for the help! A train is out of question for us. We plan to take the E to Sutphin. Thanks for the tip to go to the back half of the train on the E. Friend leaving in two days. Incidentally I remember the A train used to go directly to the JFK, and you didn't even need to spend $5 extra like the air train! I think they should make the air train FREE, or metro card applicable.
If you ever plan to create a comedy series, this would be a wonderful idea for a sketch. And I say that because "they" happen to be Port Authority, which owns and operates Air Train. I would love to be a fly on the wall inside a Port Authority board meeting when the suggestion that running Air Train for free is discussed.
(By the way, that's also why it isn't MetroCard friendly. Port Authority--which is nominally an interstate agency but in reality dominated by New Jersey--has no interest in cooperating with MTA. Quite the contrary, they managed to get a proposal to build a cross-Queens line running directly from LaGuardia Airport to JFK squashed. That would've been a much better idea than Air Train.)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
