Terrible JFK AirTrain Service

**Speedbird1** · 04-09-2009, 08:00 AM

Please forgive me if I posted this in the wrong discussion area but I am so angry. This has been happening on every visit to JFK. When riding on the JFK AirTrain, the train in the loop does not circle all the 9 terminals. As a result, I was again forced to go all the way to Federal Circle to get from T4 to T1. Yesterday, it took almost 40 minutes to do this as the service was slow and erratic. Getting to T1 and T2 was a big hassle. I questioned workers and was told that they are doing track maintenance however I saw no workers present by the rails. If track work really needs to be done why doesn't the PA run shuttle buses between these terminals? I felt bad for travelers boarding the train who had to go back and forth to get from 1 terminal to the next.

**G-BOAD** · 04-09-2009, 08:22 AM

The outside loop goes from Howard's Beach or Jamaica to Federal circle, to the terminals, back to federal circle, then to Jamaica or HoBe. However, the inside loop just goes to all the terminals, so, it should have taken you from T4 to T1 with a short stop at T3/T2. Perhaps it was not working that day?, i have seen that a few times.

**Speedbird1** · 04-09-2009, 09:29 AM

Yes, you are correct. The inside loop was shut-down. This happens every time I visit the AirTrain for the last year. If repairs or maintenance is being done, why can't it be done during the late night? Of course when the inner loop is working, the trip from T4 to T1 takes just several minutes. This is how it is supposed to be.

**PhilDernerJr** · 04-09-2009, 09:58 AM

Were you flying out carrying luggage? Otherwise, it's a 3-minute walk from T4 to T1.

**bluejuice** · 04-09-2009, 10:05 AM

As a daily commuter on the air train it runs smoothly about 98% of the time. Yes there are instances when it is not operating properly and it is frustrating.They have the ability only in one place in the terminal area to switch from the inner to the outer rails and vise versa if there is trouble and that is before you go into the tunnels under the taxiways. Believe it or not it is sometimes easier to have the customers go out to Federal Circle and come back.When they run both the HOBE / Jamaica and the Term trains on the same track the service is terrible for all. I know yesterday they were running a shuttle (2 car train) from t4 to t8 and back again. As this service is 100% computerized sometimes you will not see mx crews on the rails . They could be working on the software somewhere on the system.

**PhilDernerJr** · 04-09-2009, 11:51 AM

I was a daily AirTrain rider for a long time, and as much as I tried to say it was great, there were CONSTANT mx delays and service interruptions. I can't tell you how many times I was sitting on one of them in between terminals, still, for 20+ minutes.

**Speedbird1** · 04-10-2009, 10:11 AM

For the first few years of operation, the service was excellent. Only recently did problems arise. As for my walking directly from T4 to T1 when AirTrain service was disrupted on April 8, I would have gladly hiked over to T1 had I known about the lack of service. There was no indication of disruption at the station so I waited and waited for the "Loop" line. Finally, I asked an agent and was told that the line was not in service. The message board said nothing about the disruption, either, so I waited. Be advised that it is impossible to hike from T8 to T1 as there's no access over the Van Wyck.

**G-BOAD** · 04-10-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Phil D.

I was a daily AirTrain rider for a long time, and as much as I tried to say it was great, there were CONSTANT mx delays and service interruptions. I can't tell you how many times I was sitting on one of them in between terminals, still, for 20+ minutes.

That sucks, especially because many people rely on the service to catch their flight

My worst Air Train occurred when we were coming home from London, on March 3rd, during the snowstorm. The service was shut down and we need it to get to our car in the Long Term Parking lot. There was limited bus service, but they were poorly marked and you didn't know where they were going. Eventually, after wandering the the cold outside T4 for about an hour, we got on a overcrowded bus which took us to Federal Circle, where we got on the Train.
I could see delays resulting from snow in, say Orlando, but this is New York, snow is common during the winter months and they should be prepared to handle it without stopping service.

**Matt Molnar** · 04-10-2009, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by G-BOAD

I could see delays resulting from snow in, say Orlando, but this is New York, snow is common during the winter months and they should be prepared to handle it without stopping service.

LIRR began service when Andrew Jackson was president, Russia was ruled by the czars, and Napoleon had been dead only 13 years...yet they still haven't figured out how to run trains in the snow. :)

**bluejuice** · 04-12-2009, 08:28 AM

From what I can see,they do not have any rotary brooms or plows to handle the snow. All they do is make the trains longer 3 cars, and run them so they dont sit in the yard and freeze. ive been delayed a couple of times when ice builds up on the third rail and there is no power.