How we meet you at JFK
At JFK, cars can stop at the terminal curb only to pick up. They can't wait there. So we meet you at the curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal. Your chauffeur waits nearby. Once you have your bags, they call or message you with the exact spot. Our guide to meeting your driver at the airport lists the messages that make it quick.
To skip the calls and the curb, add meet and greet. Your chauffeur waits inside the terminal near baggage claim with a name sign and takes your bags from there. There is an extra charge, plus any airport parking. We track your flight and move the pickup if it lands early or late. You get 45 minutes of free waiting after a domestic landing, 60 minutes after an international landing, and 15 minutes at any other pickup. For flights, we count from touchdown.
Terminal 1: the curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal.
Terminal 4: the curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal.
Terminal 8: the curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal.
Terminal 5: for now, a lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station, a free AirTrain ride from the terminal.
Terminal 7: for now, a lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station, a free AirTrain ride from the terminal.
With meet and greet: inside the terminal near baggage claim, with a name sign.
| Terminal | Pickup point |
|---|---|
| Terminals 1, 4 and 8 | The curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal |
| Terminals 5 and 7 | A lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station, a free AirTrain ride from the terminal |
| Meet and greet | Inside the terminal near baggage claim, with a name sign |
For now, car service pickups at Terminals 5 and 7 use a lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station, a free AirTrain ride from the terminal. Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (opens in a new tab), checked October 15, 2026.
Every terminal on one loop road
JFK is in Jamaica, on Jamaica Bay in southeast Queens, about 16 miles from Midtown Manhattan. In September 2026, passengers use Terminals 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8, all on one loop road. The Van Wyck Expressway comes in from the north and the JFK Expressway from the west, off the Belt Parkway. A new Terminal One and a new Terminal 6 are being built and will change that list when they open. The AirTrain runs around the same loop to Jamaica Station and Howard Beach. That helps if your group splits up when you land.
Each terminal has its own arrivals level and doors, and they're far apart. A car at the wrong terminal isn't a short walk away. When you book, give us the terminal number, the airline and the flight number. If you don't know the terminal, the flight number is enough for us to find it.
From JFK to Manhattan and the boroughs
The route into Manhattan depends on where you're going. To Midtown, we take the Van Wyck Expressway north to the Long Island Expressway, then the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. To the Financial District and Battery Park City, the Belt Parkway west to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel is usually quicker. To the Upper East Side, we take the Van Wyck to the Grand Central Parkway and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge onto the FDR Drive. That skips Midtown traffic.
To Brooklyn, we take the Belt Parkway west, or Conduit Boulevard to Atlantic Avenue for north Brooklyn. Long Island City and western Queens are off the Van Wyck and the Long Island Expressway. The Bronx is north on the Whitestone Expressway and over the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge. Staten Island is the Belt Parkway to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
East and north of the airport
Some trips are short. Rockaway Boulevard and Cross Bay Boulevard go to Howard Beach and the Rockaways, right next to the airport. Book those rides too. Going east, the Nassau Expressway and the Southern State Parkway lead out of the city toward Long Island.
Going north, we take the Van Wyck to the Whitestone Expressway and the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge. Most northbound delays build up at the Kew Gardens interchange, where the Van Wyck meets the Grand Central Parkway and the Jackie Robinson Parkway, several miles from the terminals.
Routes into the city
Here are the usual routes from JFK into the city. For trips from Manhattan to the airport, see airport routes from Manhattan. Our guide on how JFK, LaGuardia and Newark differ compares the three airports.
- JFK to Midtown Manhattan ratesVan Wyck Expressway north to the Long Island Expressway, then the Queens-Midtown Tunnel
- JFK to the Financial District ratesBelt Parkway west to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and out through the Battery Park Underpass
- JFK to the Upper East Side ratesGrand Central Parkway to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, then the FDR Drive to the 96th Street exit
- JFK to Brooklyn ratesBelt Parkway west for the southern half, or Conduit Boulevard onto Atlantic Avenue for the north
- JFK to Long Island City ratesVan Wyck north to the Long Island Expressway and off at the Queens Boulevard exits
- JFK to the Bronx ratesWhitestone Expressway to the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge and onto the Bruckner Expressway
Airport rides into the city have a flat rate, set when you book. Airport transfers to or from JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Teterboro are one total price by vehicle class from any New York City address, with tolls, airport fees, NYC sales tax and the Black Car Fund included. See all rates.
Groups and luggage
Lots of luggage or a big group
After a long flight into Terminal 1 or 4, you may have more bags than a sedan can take. A Business SUV takes 5 passengers with 3 large and 3 small bags. The 12-seat Sprinter takes 10 large and 2 small bags. It suits a family or a group going to one hotel. Tell us how many bags you have when you book, and we'll send the right class. Child seats are free, and our car seat page explains how to ask for one.
- Flight trackingWe move the pickup if your flight lands early or late.
- Bags10 large and 2 small in the 12-seat Sprinter
- Child seatsInfant, toddler and booster seats, free on request.
Questions
Questions about JFK pickups
Where will my chauffeur be waiting?
Nearby, because JFK lets cars stop at the terminal curb only for pickups. Your chauffeur meets you at the curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal.
Which terminals do you cover?
Every passenger terminal in use. In September 2026, those are Terminals 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8, and the list will change as the new Terminal One and Terminal 6 open. For departures, we drop you at the terminal you name. For arrivals, we meet you at the curb or the car service pickup area, or inside near baggage claim with meet and greet. Give us your flight number when you book, and we set up both ends before your ride.
What happens if my flight is late?
We track your flight and move the pickup if it lands early or late. There's no extra cost for that. You get 45 minutes of free waiting after a domestic landing and 60 minutes after an international landing. If you're out early, call or message us and the car will come to you.
Can I get a car seat for a JFK pickup?
Yes. Infant, toddler and booster seats are free. Tell us which one you need in the booking notes, and we'll fit it before the car leaves.
Where does traffic build on the Van Wyck?
Mostly at the Kew Gardens interchange, where the Van Wyck Expressway meets the Grand Central Parkway and the Jackie Robinson Parkway, several miles from the terminals. The fare stays the same in any traffic.
Nearby areas
Areas near JFK
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We answer calls and messages 24 hours a day, every day. Send us the flight number, the terminal and the number of bags.