When traveling, a non-stop or direct flight is probably your preference, but sometimes a layover becomes necessary. If your travels take you through JFK (John F. Kennedy International) Airport, it's best to know ahead of time how to get to your connecting flight.
Allow yourself time for connections and possible delays when you book your airline tickets. JFK Airport is busy and you're going to need time to find your next flight's terminal, and time to make your way there.
Know the airlines you're traveling on. JFK services over 70 airlines and has eight terminals, and each airline may fly into one or more of the terminals. If you're flying on JetBlue, you may fly into Terminal 4 or Terminal 6.
Check online before you go to the airport for your first flight. Even if you didn't choose the "E-Ticket" option for booking your flight, you can still go directly to the airline's website and view the "Flight Status" of your flight up to 24 hours in advance. This will provide terminal and gate numbers. Your boarding passes will also provide the terminal and gate numbers for each leg of your flight.
Land at JFK Airport and de-board your plane. Proceed to the nearest "Arrivals/Departures" Board to check on your next flight's status. The information you receive on your boarding pass concerning terminal and gate numbers may change unexpectedly, so these boards provide the most current information. You can also check at this time to see if your next flight is on-time.
Go to your next flight's departing location. If you're lucky to have your connecting flight be in the same terminal, you can walk right to the gate. At JFK, if your connection is at a different terminal, you can proceed to the AirTrain which provides a constant loop to all terminals. This service is free of charge within the JFK Airport terminal loop for connecting flights.
