02/06/2025 23:50
TRAVELERS are ranting after a major US airport announced a big change after deplaning that makes the trip home even longer.
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City released an alert, revealing that ride app pickup locations have changed in Terminals 4, 5, and 7.
Passengers using Uber or Lyft after their flights will now have to take the airtrain to a different location to go to their cabs.
This means passengers won’t be able to simply walk out of their terminals to get picked up by a waiting cab.
“From 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily, ride app pick-ups (e.g. Uber/Lyft) for Terminal 4 are located at the Ride App Pick Up location in Lot 66,” read the release.
“Free shuttle bus service, running every 1-2 minutes, is provided for customers to connect from the front of Terminal 4 to the lot. During all other times, ride app pick-ups can be met in front of the terminal.”
In Terminals 5 and 7, the rideshare service is located at the Howard Beach/Ride App Pick Up Lot, which passengers can access using the airtrain.
Passengers arriving at the airport for departure won’t be affected by the change, said the airport.
“They will continue to be dropped off in front of the terminal,” read the release.
ADA-accessible cabs will also continue to operate at the front of the terminals for pickups and dropoffs.
For each terminal, the airport provided steps that passengers can use to access the lots.
TRAVELERS RAGE
The change had travelers expressing their frustrations online, complaining that the change would only add to their travel time.
News of the change was shared on Reddit and was full of upset users.
“As if getting to the taxi line, uber/lyft pickup at T5 wasn’t already annoying as hell,” wrote one person.
Another person wrote: “This inconvenience almost makes going with one of those unlicensed hustlers attractive.”
“As someone who lives in south west Queens, this adds a considerable amount of time to my commute home. Annoying,” said a fourth person.
How to use Ride App Pick-ups at JFK International Airport
Passengers leaving from Terminal 4 should:
- Go to the front of the terminal; and
- Board the free shuttle bus to the Ride App Pick Up location at Lot 66; and
- Exit the bus and contact their driver to meet them in the assigned, numbered pick-up space.
Passengers leaving from Terminals 5 and 7 should:
- Follow the signs to the AirTrain; and
- Board the AirTrain to Howard Beach Station (green line); and
- Get off at the Howard Beach exit; and
- Look for the exit to Ride App Pick Up & Long Term Parking; and
- Exit for free and contact their driver to meet them in the assigned, numbered pick-up space.
“What a joke of an airport,” wrote a third person. “Especially for a global city.”
However, some users didn’t mind the change with one person saying they did it and it “really wasn’t that bad.”
Another person believes the change was to crack down on unlicensed taxis “that rip people off in the airport.”
“If you thought yellow taxis were scam artists, you’ve seen nothing,” wrote the user, who claims to have worked in Terminals 5 and 7.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to JFK International Airport for comment.
