July 15, 2005

AirTrain transfers absolutely miserable with luggage

I want to like AirTrain, I really do. But my trek home from JFK Airport on Wednesday night turned into a long, sweaty mess as I had to navigate too many staircases and transfers to make the hassle worth the cost savings.

I've had no problems using Newark's AirTrain or even JFK's free AirTrain service between terminals. But this week was the first time I'd actually used it to get either to or from the airport. And it will probably be my last.

But since I had almost two hours to ponder AirTrain's troubles while trying to get home, I came up with some circumstances that might be a good way to use the JFK AirTrain. The service would be ideal if your final NYC destination is very close to the A, E, J or Z subway lines or the Long Island Rail Road and you have very little luggage.

I flew into JFK with a carry-on suitcase and a laptop bag. Exiting my flight I headed through the airport, past baggage claim and the taxi queue, where people were waiting to pay the $45 flat-fare to get to Manhattan. There are three streets to cross before you get to the elevator that takes you up to the AirTrain platform. Once there, you need to determine if you want an AirTrain headed to Howard Beach (for the A subway) or Sutphin Boulevard/Jamaica Station (for E, J, and Z subways and LIRR.) There is nothing to pay here; you just need to get on one of the trains, which arrive every few minutes.

I boarded AirTrain at 10:35 p.m. for a 10-minute journey to Howard Beach. Once there, I took a set of escalators to the station, where you must pay to exit. There was an empty token booth, automated subway card machines, and a staff person standing around, explaining to travelers how to pay. It costs $5 to exit AirTrain and $2 to board the subway. If you already have a subway card, you can swipe it through, letting you deduct $7 at once. (Unlimited-ride subway cards, such as weekly passes, won't work here.) You can buy a subway card at the vending machine using cash (no coins,) or credit or debit cards. Once paid, you need to head to the Manhattan-bound subway platform via escalator or elevator. Any luggage carts you rented at the airport must be left upstairs before paying to exit AirTrain.

I waited 10 minutes for the A train, and then discovered it wasn't running express and I had to sit through 20 stops (35 minutes,) before I got to the Borough Hall station in Brooklyn where I needed to transfer. At Borough Hall/Jay Street, I had to walk up one flight of stairs and down another to get to the F train. Five minutes later I was on my train headed home. But at my station, one exit was locked so I had to turn around and head to the far end of the platform where I was faced with three flights of stairs. Luckily there was an MTA employee working in the toll booth, so he buzzed the gate allowing me to exit there, rather than having to lift my suitcase waist high in order to get it over the turnstile. (However, many token booths are no longer staffed, especially at night. Also, some subway exits use floor-to-ceiling round turnstiles, which are an especially tight squeeze with luggage.)

Now close to two hours after my plane landed, sweating, and hauling my suitcase and laptop down the sidewalk, I hoped a cab would pass, saving me the final 10-minute walk. Though paying for a cab now would have cut into the savings I was trying to achieve in the first place by taking AirTrain.

The walk home turned out to be the worst of it, even though the sidewalks were smooth enough to prevent any suitcase tippage. However, my laptop bag, which didn't feel heavy at the airport, was digging sharply into my shoulder. It's a pain I feel now, two days later.

I arrived home at midnight, sweaty, angry, in need of an immediate shower and wishing I'd paid for a cab at the airport. I can't imagine taking AirTrain out to the airport, unless you allow at least two hours. With a cab, I would have been home in 30 minutes.

Update: The MTA website has a list of which subway stations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which means they'll have elevators or no stairs.

Earlier: NewYorkology Basics: From the airport to Manhattan
LaGuardia Airport ferry service postponed to 2006
Taxi docket: credit card fares and $45 flat-rate to JFK
Emmanuelle takes an AirTrain safari
Pricing a cab ride from LaGuardia to Manhattan
JetBlue guiding passengers to AirTrain
AirTrain approaches 1-year anniversary, still short of goal
Buses get funds intended for LaGuardia subway
Fare hikes, smart cards in works for subways, trains
Airport troubles, pondering solutions

July 15, 2005 08:06 AM in Arrivology, Cheap Stuff

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