New Yorkers Can't Stand JFK Airport's Inconvenient New Rideshare Pickup Policy

If you're trying to decide between New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), you might want to consider how you'll get out of the airport once you arrive. At JFK, depending on the terminal you're flying into, you might not get a rideshare at the curb.The change has left many New Yorkers unhappy with the added hassle.

Here's what's different: If you arrive at Terminal 4 between noon and 2 a.m., you must take a shuttle bus to reach the rideshare pickup area. At Terminals 5 and 7, you have to take the AirTrain to the rideshare lot. The policy was put in place to help ease congestion during airport renovations. It may be working, but it's also getting on travelers' nerves and potentially costing them more money. 

Some people might argue that the change isn't a big deal — why not just take the NYC subway system? After all, the AirTrain connects to the Howard Beach station, where you can transfer to the A line. But depending on your destination, that can be time-consuming, taking an hour or more. As one Reddit user pointed out, that's a lot to deal with, especially if you have luggage in tow. Having personally hauled a giant backpack and suitcase out of JFK and into the city — onto the train, then the subway, and then several blocks on foot — I can say getting a ride makes life significantly easier. This change just makes a long travel day even longer.

I'm not alone in being irritated by this new policy for rideshare pickups at JFK. One person on X (formerly known as Twitter) confirmed it was a nightmare, saying: "It's even worse than it sounds at T5 arrivals. If you don't have a personal pick up you need to choose another airport." Another person tweeted that this policy doesn't work well for groups. "Are big families just not a priority? Because a train ride to Howard Beach with a total of 6 luggage's [sic] and 2 kids is just inhumane."

Others noted that this change could also end up costing more. "Problem is you don't know the price [for a rideshare] til you order it, so you roll the dice and go to term 5 and hope your Uber isn't $105 when the yellow would have been $75," a user penned on Reddit.

One traveler pointed out that LGA does things a lot better when it comes to ridesharing. Once considered a nightmare, LGA has become one of the best airports in America. By contrast, JFK is already among the worst airports in the country for lost luggage. Adding another layer of transportation issues isn't helping its reputation with New Yorkers.