Cost and Tickets

The cost of AirTrain JFK depends on your travel preferences. Here are some details on costs and tickets.

Within the airport, AirTrain is free.

If you use AirTrain to connect between the airline terminals, parking lots, hotel shuttles and rental car facilities, there's no fee to pay and no ticket is required.

With MetroCard, there are many affordable options.

No matter the option, children five years of age and under ride AirTrain JFK for free.

Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards

Use a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard and pay $5 per ride.
Buy a $25 10-Trip Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard and get each ride at a 50% discount.
Buy a $40 30-Day Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard and ride as much as you want for 30 days.

Value-based MetroCards

Value-based MetroCards can be purchased at AirTrain JFK’s Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, LIRR and NYC subway stations and MetroCard vendors throughout the airport and New York City.

With a value-based MetroCard, you can:

Ride when you want.
Buy as many AirTrain, subway or local bus rides as you want with the same card

MetroCard (minimum purchase is $4.50, maximum $89).

Put $8 or more on your card and receive a 15 percent bonus.
Get an automatic free transfer between subways and local buses, or between local buses, but not between subways or buses and AirTrain.

Note: If you connect to the LIRR from AirTrain, you can purchase an LIRR one-way ticket with a $5 MetroCard at LIRR ticket machines showing the AirTrain logo at AirTrain Jamaica Station and various LIRR stations.

Time-based MetroCards

The 10-Trip AirTrain JFK Only Usage MetroCard can be purchased at AirTrain JFK’s Howard Beach and Jamaica stations. Ticket vending machines and the NYC Pennsylvania Station’s ticket vending machines displaying the AirTrain logo. 10-Trip MetroCards currently expire six months after first usage. Every fourth usage, there is an 18-minute waiting period before next usage.

Unlimited 30-Day MetroCards for AirTrain

30-day MetroCards for AirTrain are valid on the first day of use and expire at midnight on the 30th day of use. They can be purchased at MetroCard vending machines with the AirTrain logo, located in AirTrain JFK’s Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, and at MetroCard vendors in and around the airport.

Unlimited Joint Monthly AirTrain/LIRR Tickets

Purchase an LIRR monthly ticket and available on the other side of the LIRR ticket is a monthly AirTrain JFK ticket. It can be purchased only at LIRR ticket machines with the AirTrain logo located at AirTrain JFK’s Jamaica Station and NYC Pennsylvania Station.

Unlimited Ride MetroCards for AirTrain will work only at the AirTrain fee gates in Howard Beach and Jamaica stations and cannot be used again at the same AirTrain station for 18 minutes. They cannot be combined with any other MetroCard, so if you use the subway or local bus, you will need another MetroCard to pay the subway and/or bus fare.

Ticket Vending Machines

MetroCard vending machines and LIRR ticket machines accept cash (U.S. currency only), credit cards and debit cards. MetroCard machines return up to $6 in change (coins). LIRR machines return up to $17.75 in change (coins).

Authorized AirTrain JFK MetroCard Sellers

AirTrain JFK MetroCards that are sold at Howard Beach and Jamaica AirTrain stations can be purchased at Ticket Vending Machines or concession stand employees. These concession stand employees wear a red vest with the words "METRO CARD AGENT" on the back of the vest. At Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, these are the only authorized means of buying AirTrain MetroCards. Please do not use any other methods of purchasing AirTrain MetroCards at these locations.