JFK Airport
reviews and complaints

i was in line to go throuh medal dector. let let people use a diffrent walk through machine. and told me to gonto the one that scans the whole body. then told me my crotch was yellow and had to touch ariumd my underwear and then then when up amd down my leg. then the security officer told me i bet you will never wear those pants again to the air port i feel lime this was unjust and unfair i have actually flew in thease paints more than once and this has never happend. i really feel like i was taken advantage of.

Arrival 26 th of July. Flight DL0049.
I ‘m a frequent visitor of the USA for 25 years. Returning ESTA registered.
What a Total loss of time and bureacratic non-added value arriving at JFK terminal 4. Hundreds lining up in 2nd world war processes.

There is an opportunity to make visitors feeling welcome as we spend a lot of money in your country. Don' spoil your time in trade wars as the USA simply doesn't have the resources to be independent.

But strip your internal bureaucratie systems and paperwork.

Not difficult . You know how many arrive at what time, queing mathematics, and number of immigration desks required will tell you staffing. 10 minutes waiting is the objective. 🤓I do have time available to help you as I don't think it s a core compentence.

Robert visscher
[protected]@yahoo.com
+[protected]

My flight was scheduled to leave (originally) from JFK to RDU on 7/23/18 at 7:26 pm, Terminal 4. That did not happen and did not depart until 10:20 pm - not to mention in between that time there were 5 OTHER delays (7:56 pm, 8:46 pm, 9:29 pm, 9:49 pm, 10:05 pm). We were NOT told inclement weather had anything to do with this but informed a crew was not available and they were coming out of Cleveland, OH.

The attendant at that particular gate (53) was not very forthcoming with information at the beginning of this setback. I noticed people waiting for quite some time to board at the original boarding time (6:26 pm I think) and he continued to ignore them. After quite a bit of time had gone by passengers approached the desk area and his response was low toned and harsh. Eventually I approached him as well and asked about the hold-up in which he replied we are waiting on the crew and the wait is at least an hour. Each time he was asked it was obvious he was extremely annoyed which leads me to this - had he announced in a timely manner why we were not boarding this question would not need to be answered repeatedly.

Across from him were 2 other attendants - one of them literally yelled at the passengers if they went in a wrong direction, stood in a wrong area, yelled at the shuttle bus, elderly passengers that asked for assistance and the most obnoxious thing she did was yell at someone who needed a wheelchair. To the back wall of the area were wheelchairs and one of the passengers needed one. The lady that was assisting her escorted her to a wheelchair and the attendant yelled for her not to touch them; if she needs one then walk somewhere else to find one but those could not be touched. It wasn't until then that it was noticeable that not only did she have one crutch but she also had a cane to service her because she is blind! The attendant tried to back track after seeing this but damage had been done. I do not have the attendant's name but I do have her picture. Someone stated they have an actual video and will be posting it on social media. A majority of passengers agreed they would repost this and make it go viral.

This experience has been the worse I've ever endured for a flight. Both attendants are the epitome of ignorance at its' finest. They are very poor representatives of whom the work for and are in need of more training especially in morals.

First of all, after travelling 5.5 hours on a plane from iceland to jfk, I had to get my baggage and recheck it. Not the end of the world, but annoying. Next, we get to go through security, again! Not too terrible, annoying, but not terrible until my icelandic water I paid for at duty free in iceland along with the bottle of water I got on the flight from iceland were confiscated at security. Why am I even going through security again in the first place? That's fine, I get that they are doing their job, but my water, from duty free! It's absurd!

No chairs prior to security and an idiotic policy that prevents passengers arriving on international flights from going to their connecting gate longer than 2 hours from departure.

People were lying on the floor like refugees waiting to be let into the security area where chairs are located.

Recommend reviewing the policy that prevents use of chairs at the connecting gates or add chairs in the non secure area for passenger comfort.

Best solution is to avoid JFK entirely.

This is the worst and the most disgusting airport I have ever been to. I definitely will not be coming back. Some people working here were very nice but most of them were rude and filled with attitudes towards everybody, which got me in a bad mood in the first place. The people serving food did not treat customers kindly. Employees should not be rude in the first place, even if customers are rude. Like some people said, as you walk through the airport to the boarding area, you will get all types of looks. This is ridiculous and these people need to be trained more.

On Monday, my partner and I returned home from vacation abroad. We used the Customs Reciept kiosk, but my partner recieved an X on their Reciept. There was no explanation for why they recieved an X. Instead, we had to wait on the X line for almost an hour. They have back problems and after a 3:30 hour flight had to wait an extra hour in excruciating pain for no reason.

During this wait, I checked online for a reason they recieved an X. The reason ranges anywhere from computer error to 'second questioning'.

Once we reached the customs officer, it felt like a normal exchange. They did not mention the X, and it was a very standard interaction. After all that waiting and not knowing, we would have liked some communication from the officer, but even after we asked three times they ignored our questions.

The reason I would like to complain is that no explanation was given prior, during, or after to Customs as to the nature of this X. Did we do something wrong? Was the computer system just not working right? I did not even know if I was allowed to be on the same line, but I did so anyway. It upsets me to think that people who travel together are split up during Customs for no good reason. I have never felt so mistreated in an airport.

In the future, I hope there will be better documentation and staff communication about a mark on a Customs Reciept.

I arrived at JFK airport on January 5th on an air France flight and was kept inside the plane on the tarmac with other 300 passengers for 6 hours despite the fact I complained many times of my heart condition, I called 911 and CNN news. Upon arrival at the baggage claim area I waited for another 6 hours for my luggage which I still never received to this day and I am being told is sitting in "overflow storage." Yes the weather was bad and lots of flights were cancelled for good reasons because of the weather. But the way in which the airport dealt with this crisis is shameful and reprehensible. The airport scenes of those days looked like scenes of refugees after a war or natural calamity. Absolutely unacceptable for a civilized society and country. The experiences on January 5th and 6th caused me serious health problems, resulted in extra expenses of hotel, taxi, parking fees and caused me to miss important meetings. I request compensation for the huge inconvenience and harm done as a result of lousy services, and huge incompetence.

During my latest visit at JFK Airport it was greatly overcrowded and the entire airport was out of control. Instead of averting flights coming into JFK, they just let planes coming in to a point of danger for the people using it. My delay on the tarmac was greater then 5 hours and upon entering the terminal lines to get missed flights rescheduled was hours long. After waiting 4 hours to get tickets for a flight out the flight was delayed for many hours then cancelled. I had a very hard time picking up baggage so I could get out of departure terminal. Finally got out of main terminal and went back into outer area to try and get another ticket for cancelled flight. Once out of the main terminal and into terminal 4 area found no flights going out for days. Could not get back in to the main part of terminal 4 without tickets and stayed on the cold concrete for approximately 24 hours more waiting for a flight to open. This area did not have seats, lacked heat, and no food was available. The only place to get food ran out of food. After about 48 hours of misery I finally got a vehicle to complete my journey to Tampa, FL getting no use of the original paid for tickets. See my complaint to the airlines I used below and you will see which flight I came in on and that I have made a complaint to that airlines.

Here is why JFK management is at fault:

You must avert incoming flights when you can not get them off the tarmac.

You must have a way to keep travelers warm, place to rest, place for them to get food, and most of all, a place for customers with small children to go.

When you overcrowd your airport you are acting like a 4th world country and putting people at serious risk. This is unacceptable and I want to know what you are going to do to correct this situation and what compensation you will provide for your customers. Need more information, just ask. Please respond as soon as possible.

WHAT WAS SENT TO AIRLINE CONCERNED BELOW

Request compensation for canceled flight and unreasonable, more than 5 hour, tarmac stay at JFK airport on your plane Flight KE 081 with ticket date of 05 Jan 18. Also when I checked in at your service center at JFK airport they refused to assist and trying to find out information about our next flight that was canceled due to delays. This ended in a two day stay at JFK airport that ended in not getting the flight to Tampa Florida. Since no rental vehicles were available at the airport I was required to arrange a vehicle which was originally out of the airport. This was complicated by water in terminal 4 where I was trying to stay that caused luggage damage and illness. Please let me know soonest, with-in a reasonable time frame, what you are or are not going to do considering this complaint, so that I can take appropriate action. Any reasonable action will be accepted; however, not action will require me to take action. Thank you; Leonard Earl Bauduin

Hello. I travelled through JFK last Monday November 30th and the TSA team was obviously making a contest of the rudest people on Earth, which they surely easily won. Not only they were litteraly shouting at each and every one - including myself, but since I'm 5.90 and 220 lbs and able to look not nice, the [censor] that was in front of me shut his dirty mouth pretty quickly - but, and this is the most chocking, they didn't lift a finger to help two poor Japanese ladies one with one little kid an doth other with two, one of them, the baby girl, that wasn't walking yet. They saw them struggling to take off their shoes and their children's and had some mocking arrogant faces. I had to helped them both putting their strollers on the conveyor belt, which is when one of the [censor] yelled at me - not for long, I reassure you. It was only downstairs, in the duty free/restaurant area that I found a nice lady that urge me to complain, which I'm doing now. It's purely unacceptable and I regret I didn't took the name of the [censor]. Really disappointing and scandalous.

Really not nice people. Waiting in the line, had to take my shoes out.
Asked if I could use the other free line, but woman said no in not a nice way.
So waited in the long line. At last the other collegue of her said she had to open her line as well. So she said to me that I had to go immediately to her.
And had to hurry up, go go go she said.
Unbelievable, so unfriendly.
You really have an attitude (power) problem over there, which should change dramastically.

On the early morning of May 31, 2017 at 4:30 am, at the Caribbean Airlines Departure section, my mother and I were dropping off our elderly relative, whom has imperfect vision and needed wheelchair assistance. As my mother parked in the drop-off section, we both got out of the car and approached two men, whose names I really and truly wish that I was able to take note of. They either were not wearing name tags, or they did not have them visible on their uniforms. My mother respectfully began to speak to the men and asked about wheelchair assistance for our relative, as she asked her question, I very audibly reminded her that the first thing she should do is ask for where the bathroom was and go as she'd clearly needed it for 20 minutes at that point and could hardly stand straight. I noticed at this point, that the two men were looking at my mother as if she were a filthy rag. Since, my mother directed me back to our car where our relative was waiting, I obeyed and politely walked away.

However, I was able to hear the inhospitable replies of the two employees telling her that she can't use the bathroom and that it is only for personnel and passengers, then they told her to go all the way inside and ask for wheelchair assistance. By the time my mother came back out, at least, 10 minutes later, she still hadn't been able to use the bathroom and we had to wait about 10 more minutes for someone to come assist our relative. During the time that I waited for my mother to return, I overheard the two men laughing and joking about how my mother was walking funny and the eldest of the set said "We could let them use the bathroom but we don't, and if you don't feel like letting them you don't have to". Upon exiting the doors, my mother had all but crawled back to her car trying to hold her urine in and by the time the porter came for our relative, her bladder had already begun to release itself.

At this point I was livid and my mother was thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed, however she had not one reason to be. When the porter, a different man, came to help our relative he asked my mother if she wanted to accompany our relative inside and she had to say no because she'd already been caused to urinate herself and had to stay with her car. I had to go instead, which would've been fine under better circumstances. My mother deserved a far greater deal of respect and hospitality, as she was born not hatched and surely not propelled out of the bowels of a beast, unlike those two unsightly creatures that are employed by this company. The sole reason that I did not light one under those sorry excuses for humans was out of respect for my mother and her not wanting a scene to be created created.

As far as a resolution, my mother at the very least deserves a formal apology in person from the specific individuals. However, as I do not have a way to identify them, a formal apology from the airline on behalf of the incompetent individuals and an agreement of further suitable compensation between my mother and the company.

March 12 2017 around 4pm Terminal 3 Egypt Air
A young lady walk in to see her parents before departure.The EgyptAir supervisor (Raquel) said you need to go back you are not a passenger(this was far outside security check, by the lines where bags are checked in). The woman did not leave, Raquel repeated her statement again. The woman then left. Raquel started cursing after the lady walked away. Raquel then started to angrily speak spanish to her coworker standing next to her. I mentioned there was not need for cursing. Raquel then covered her name tag with her fingers. I looked at her coworkers name tag and did not say anything. Raquel said why are you looking at her name tag? Do you have a problem? She then says, If you have a problem I am the supervisor you have to deal it with me. All this due to the fact I stared at her coworkers name tag. I said no I do not. She walked away. Although, the work environment can be stressful, workers should not behave unethically as she did. It is understandable that she may have been stressed out but there is no need for cursing or speaking another language, and at the same time bringing unnecessary information about, such as making a conflict of someone staring at a name tag.
Thank you

Delta Air is shipping my rabbit from NYC JFK to MSP. We arrived the suggested 2.5 hours early and began check-in with him & waited painfully long for staff to take any client- it was like watching a snail. We began his check in at 9:10- finished @9:40. His check in information and ticket says he was checked in 10:30. How is this possible? He now missed his flight and has been sitting around for hours. Agent: Vincent L was helpful during check in but I am now afraid dawdled for 50 minutes- our rabbit has now had to sit for 12 hours.
I am very very disappointed with JFK/delta air.

Why is it that when you fly to London, you have a very pleasant immigration process but returning to JFK, it's the exact opposite. I've just come back from spending a week with my dying father in England. I couldn't believe how rude and arrogant the immigration offers are at JFK. What gives them the right to treat everyone this way? The people in line with me were very upset and felt like they were being treated like immigrants instead of many US Citizens. Something needs to be done about this and I was very apologetic to the visitors standing beside me. I told them not everyone in America acts like this!

I want to report an incident that happened last night, October 5, 2015, at approx 11pm at Terminal 7 at JFK. An elderly lady was wandering in the aisle area where the shoe shine stand is located. She was visibly upset and shaking and held papers in her hand. When she approached me to help her I realized that she didn't speak English and was trying to figure out her gate for departure. Unfortunately I didn't recognize the airport code on her paperwork so I motioned for her to follow me to a service desk for assistance. To the right of Gate 6, which was my departure gate, there was a service desk that was staffed by two males behind the counter and a female who was leaning on the counter at the end. I explained the situation to them and I was absolutely shocked by the response by the male positioned in the middle. He was rude and obnoxious and dismissive, telling me that it was not his problem and go elsewhere. He said he didn't work for the airport and he told me it was none of my business who he was or who he worked for! It was very shocking behaviour to say the least. I felt so sorry for the helpless old lady! I then took her over to the BA service desk past gate 6 and the lady there was very helpful and we got it sorted for the passenger. However that young man should be reprimanded as he exhibited despicable and inexcusable behaviour, such that it shocked me so much that I feel compelled to take the time to complain to you. I did bring this matter to the attention of one of the gate staff for Cathay Pacific at gate 6 when I boarded and he too was appalled. Sincerely, Sheila Hadfield

On August 13, 2015 between 6pm and 7pm, JFK employee Reginald Dacres harassed my 8-year-old son while we were waiting to check in at the TAM airlines counter, Terminal 8. My son was checking in as an unaccompanied minor for an international flight. He was already anxious about making the impending travel without parents. Reginald Dacres (photo of ID and name tag attached) approached my son from behind without warning, did not introduce himself to my son or to me and criticized the 8-year-old boy's physical appearance. As clearly visible in the photo, Reginald Dacres is listed as an Aviation Safeguard and G2 Secure Staff who wears and American Airline name tag. Following this incident of blatant, unwarranted harassment, Reginald Dacres began laughing, causing my son to cry and withdraw. Your employee caused distress and angst that affected my entire family, frequent paying passengers at JFK airport. We seek compensation for the undue stress and angst caused by Reginald Dacres. Dr. Dwight Manning [protected]

My parents travel from New York JFK airport to the Philippines and when they arrive home, one of their baggage that's been checked by the TSA JFK airport have missing items. They're not very expensive, but its not right and fair that these employees supposed to do good customer service and protect or secure your belongings are thieves. Hard earned belongings from passengers that following rules of the airport but still get robbed in their jurisdiction, specially U.S. airports. Why government seems like not doing anything about it to catch these criminals they employed supposed to protect the passengers and they're belongings where in fact we are following their rules and regulations but they're employees are not. Taking advantage ang stealing from the airport passengers, terrorizing our belongings. One of those missing items from my parents baggage TSA checked are at least fifteen pieces of body lotion and some other petty items that supposed to be gift of my parents to our families back home. They only go back home to the Philippines like once or twice every two years and so frustrating that traveling from us airports have so many thieves before you even reach your destination. Hopefully these airport employees stealing will have bad Karma one day.

We flew out of Philadephia to JFK arriving at Terminal 2. Our Altalia Airline flight to Rome was scheduled for a gate in Terminal 1 and we had a limited time getting there to make the flight. We had alot of trouble finding the terminal. We asked several people for directions and were told the quickest way was to go outside and walk through traffic in the rain through construction. We finally made it to the terminal, but were told that we had to go through security a second time. We had only minutes to spare. We knew that there was supposed to be an Airtrain, but we couldn't find it. It is inconceivable that the terminals are not connected, so that passengers can walk from terminal to terminal. After this experience, I will never schedule flights through the JFK airport.

I was travelling from JFK to Mumbai and when I reached my destination I found that most of the gifts I had bought for family and friends was stolen from my checked in luggage. It is evident that these items were stolen in JFK! How else can anyone know that my bag contains these expensive items all nicely tucked in between clothes! And now there is nothing one can do but try and complain to the airport. They have cameras everywhere but I guess its not worth their time to go through the security tapes to see how and when my bag was tampered with.
Its not just about the money but about the inconvenience such things cause. Not happy with TSA or whatever it is in JFK. If it wasnt for security issues we would never allow these guys to check or screen our bags. But in the end who is watching these guys rob us?