Cost and Tickets

The cost of connecting to local mass transit depends on your travel preferences.

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.

Traveling from the Airport

To enter or exit AirTrain JFK at the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations there is a $5 per person fee.

A $1 fee will apply to new MetroCard purchases from the ticket vending machines. This new card fee does not apply to MetroCard refills at the ticket vending machines or MetroCards bought from authorized merchants. Authorized MetroCard merchants are located near the entrance/exit to the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations

If you use AirTrain to connect to local mass transit, there are many affordable options.

Value-based MetroCards

These cards can be purchased at AirTrain JFK's Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, Long Island Rail Road, and NYC subway stations and MetroCard merchants throughout the airport and New York City.

With a value-based MetroCard, you can:

Ride when you want.
Purchase a $7.50 MetroCard and get AirTrain and NYC Transit subway fares on one card.
Purchase as many AirTrain, subway or local bus rides as you want with the same card. Every fourth usage, there is an 18-minute waiting period before next usage.
Receive an MTA bonus. Put $5 or more on your card and receive a 5 percent bonus. For example, purchase a $20 value MetroCard and it will have a value of $21.
Get an automatic free transfer between subways and local buses, or between local buses, but not between subways or buses and AirTrain.

Ride-based MetroCards

Purchase a $25 10-Trip AirTrain JFK MetroCard and get each ride at a 50 percent discount. Add value to the 10-Trip MetroCard and it can then be used on NYC Transit subway and buses as long as the card has value. This card will expire 12 months (365 days only) after it's first used. After every fourth swipe, there is an 18-minute waiting period before the card be used again.

Time-based MetroCards

Purchase a $40 30-Day AirTrain JFK MetroCard and ride as much as you want for 30 days on AirTrain only. Add value to the 30-Day and it can then be used on NYC Transit subway and bus as long as the card has value. 30-Day AirTrain JFK MetroCards are valid on the first day of use and expire at midnight on the 30th day of use.
Purchase a 30-Day NYC Transit MetroCard and add value to it, it can be used on AirTrain JFK as long as the card has value.

Use AirTrain to connect to the LIRR, a faster option for traveling to Manhattan.

To connect to the LIRR from AirTrain, purchase an LIRR one-way ticket with a $5 AirTrain JFK MetroCard. Look for the LIRR ticket machines with the AirTrain logo at Jamaica Station and various LIRR stations.
If you travel more frequently, purchase an LIRR monthly ticket and available on the other side 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.

Ticket Vending Machines

A $1 new card fee will be charged for each new MetroCard purchased at a Ticket Vending Machine. 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 Merchants

These concession stand employees wear a red vest with the words "METROCARD AGENT" on the back of the vest. At Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, these are the only authorized means of buying AirTrain MetroCards other than the vending machines. Please do not use any other methods of purchasing AirTrain MetroCards at these locations.