Jando S.
Yelp
As the largest terminal at JFK, Terminal 4 is known as the international air terminal and is also the largest privately operated terminal in the country. I've never been too high on JFK in general, but I've always had a soft spot for T4 despite it not being my favorite terminal (#1).
Some things I love:
* For folks who have been to other international airports, this looks the part. It is bright, spacious (#2), and a lot easier to navigate here than most of the other domestic terminals.
* It is the international terminal afterall, which means there are flights from carriers from all alliances. These include China Airlines, Kenya Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Caribbean Airlines, Air India, Copa Airlines, and Aeromexico. Hell, they have Uzbekistan and Kuwait Airways. That's a wonderful thing.
* They have the Centurion Lounge (#3) here. That's a huge deal for anyone who cares about airport lounges.
* It's continually expanding. By 2023, there will be a new arrival/departure hall modernization, along with 10 new gates in Concourse A. This will be super helpful and help JFK get with the times.
Some things I'm not fond of:
* For many international travelers, this is their first stop in the US. Given how constrained the airport is and all the difficulties that come with traveling in New York, it's a very bad first impression for what should be a world class airport.
* Added to the above, the overall customer service experience is not great. In fact, across the board they're extremely pushy and rude. While I've had some good treatment in the lounges and first class areas, the rest of the place could use an overhaul of standard training / service.
* Food options were abysmal prior to the renovation, but not that exciting even now. Beyond the mediocre options that include Buffalo Wild Wings, Bento Sushi, La Brea Bakery, Shake Shack, and Camden Food, there is also the Palm Bar & Grill and Marcus Samuelson's Uptown Brasserie. Even though the Five Borough Food Hall is temporarily closed, no one is really missing out on that at all.
* Pickup is already a struggle in most parts of JFK, but it's especially bad here. The men who wait outside of arrivals will likely try and hustle folks by offering cash only cab rides that are inflated prices to/from the airport. While I don't think most folks are savvy enough about the AirTrain to public transit, it remains to be seen if the new improvements projected next year will make a difference in this arena.
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(#1) That would still be T5. My review of 10 years ago still stands today: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jfk-airport-terminal-5-jamaica?hrid=7oaLU5oRNBpx6pkM0joHrw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
(#2) 2 million square feet spacious. That's massive.
(#3) https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-centurion-lounge-jamaica