Two things I have learned about JFK Airport:
1) If you have enough time to leave JFK Airport during a transit, you should. They don’t have enough seats for all the passengers here and the air conditioner is weak. On top of that there are flies buzzing around everywhere. It is an unpleasant experience. (Terminal 4)
2) If you are heading into Manhattan from JFK airport I would suggest you take either public transportation (subway) or a taxi. By no means take the Super Shuttle. It is a terrible option. It costs $20 and is a shared-ride van. You have to wait for the driver at the terminal, you then have to wait for your fellow passengers, then you drive to each terminal to pick up passengers, and then it’s up to the driver who gets dropped off first. If you’re the last person dropped off, it may take you 3 hours to get to your destination. A taxi costs $45 (plus tip) and you can leave right away and be dropped off at your exact destination. Subway costs around $7.50 and takes an hour.
You have been warned.
Talk nineteen to the dozen 
Posted by lolo on August 3, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Good tips to provide for a USA-noob like me.
Cheers.
Posted by talk19 on August 3, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Another tip would be if you’re flying out from JFK on the Singapore Airlines flight (SQ 25 to Frankfurt and then to Singapore), be prepared to wait a LONG time on the tarmac after the flight has pulled away from the gate. We sat on the tarmac for over 90 minutes and the pilot said this happens frequently at JFK. There’s little air-con when the plane is still on the ground so dress appropriately.