Oh man, this was truly horrific. I fly often. Very often. I’ve set foot in 130 countries and have certainly seen my fair share of long airport security lines. But last night was a new low…
Here’s the point of this post: if you are flying out of Terminal 4 at JFK in the evening, arrive at least three hours before flight departure.
Trust me, I’m the kind of guy who likes to arrive at the airport as late as possible. Sure, I’ll show up early if I am flying first class and have access to a fancy lounge, but other than that I prefer to maximize my time at home or in my hotel room.
Thankfully, the Park Hyatt New York was full last night and booted us out 4pm. Otherwise we would have missed our 8:15p flight…
Perhaps you Delta flyers are used to this sort of thing, but I was shocked last night at how horrible the security lines were in T4.
I may be mistaken, but I cannot recall ever waiting more than 20 minutes to clear a security checkpoint in all the travels I’ve done over the years. Last night took nearly 80 minutes…in the priority security line.
Lines and Line Cutting
Lines are one thing, but the line cutting last night…
Many people cut it too close and wound up at the back of the line with only 25-30 minutes prior to departure. These people pushed and shoved to get to the front of the line, with varying degrees of politeness. Some asked nicely, some just pushed.
An El-Al flight was boarding for Tel Aviv and the Orthodox community in the line had a sort of tag team going on. As one would enter the security area, he would hand his bag over the roped line to a fellow faithful. Then he’d enter the back of the line and assert that he had to get to “his friend” holding his bag about 50 people ahead. He’d push his way through and then tag his “friend” who would pull the same trick with another guy about 20-30 people ahead in line.
This ensued for several cycles before [let’s call her] Mavis decided to put her foot down. She refused to allow a man past her and hilarity ensued. A loud argument. Some cursing. But most of all, Mavis just planted positioned her carry-on baggage to prevent anyone from passing her.
Finally, after 15 minutes of nervous hand gestures to his “friend” about a hundred feet away, an airline employee escorted a first class passenger through and the man followed (though not before he received a shower of curses from Mavis and a “you can’t trust people in hats” quip).
That was another problem. Every few minutes an escort from SWISS or Virgin Atlantic or Delta would elbow their way through security with their VIP guest. There was no special line or rope…they all just pushed. One guy covered his head with his arms as he proceeded through the line.
One time an older couple was being led to the front of the line and about eight additional people decided to follow. I felt the like a chump as each one pushed their way past me. Unfortunately, that created a stampede of sorts and I had to re-assert order through a fairly loud yell for the people behind me to stop pushing.
The cutting game slowed things down tremendously.
Just as were nearing the front, a fistfight nearly broke out between a German man who was sick of people cutting in front of him and a French man who was late. It’s not pretty when you get a German and Frenchman in the same room…
The German blocked the Frenchman and being much larger, the French guy sensibly decided to stand down.
Eventually, as in over an hour later, we made it to the front of the line…as in the point where the TSA scribbles on your boarding pass and pretends to look at your ID.
Past that came the next queue: a new bottleneck to get the actual screenings.
Finally, 1hr19 minutes after we started, we cleared security.
CONCLUSION
There was one more thing. One lady was so mad that airline representatives kept cutting in front of her that she shoved a Delta rep. The TSA were promptly notified. How did they respond? Find out tomorrow.
I’m not making this stuff up. The Fourth Terminal is Third World at JFK.
I flew Delta for the first time in about 5 years a few months ago. Had to go to T4 at JFK and it was awful. I didn’t have pre-check for that particular flight. Makes EWR look decent.
However, Delta runs an air side shuttle between their terminals at JFK. It seems you can clear security elsewhere and take the shuttle. Not sure, as I haven’t booked a Delta ticket since.
secret TSA screening at JFK T4 lower is always faster
@listen: I should have known…
Yes. Zach from TPG had a post about this. I almost always fly United out of Newark but had to take Delta out of T4 recently. The pre-check line was not too long so I didn’t have need to go to the lower level, but I was prepared just in case.
JFK is one of the worst run airports in the world. They have the highest enplanement fees in the USA and the passengers get no value out of it. The terminals are always filthy and crowded. the Port Authority is a one big corrupt mess like most every public agency in NYC.
Some interesting stats:
Average PA employee salary: $100,000+
One in 10 PA cops (170 out of 1,649) : $200,000+
36 other employees: $250,000
Now you know why it costs $15 to drive over a bridge or through a tunnel in NYC and why the PANYNJ needs to charge $25 for every passenger that uses one of their facilities.
TSA is not the Port Authority. While I agree these are pretty bad airport terminals, the issue at hand is the responsibility of Homeland Security which contracts many of these security check jobs to minimum wage employers.
This isn’t limited to T4 during evening hours. I endured much the same experience at T8 last month trying to clear security for an RJ flight. No TSA PreCheck flying RJ, though I was able to channel myself (legitimately) into the AA Priority lane (being an ExecPlat). However that line didn’t move much faster than the regular ones and even stalled for about 15-minutes as the ID check agent couldn’t get any more people into the actual security line behind her. Once she started checking people once more I got behind her to total chaos and backed up lines that didn’t seem to be moving much, if at all as I’d pretty much observed while still waiting for the ID check. Luckily I spotted an opening at the far end and made my way to a very short entry line to security which moved surprisingly fast and within 10-minutes I was on my way to the Flagship lounge. So at these peak overseas departure times the two main JFK “domestic carrier” terminals (DL’s and AA’s) are zoos because there are so many of their alliance partner flights heading off and very poor channeling and staffing.
Clear security at T2 and take the Delta shuttle between T2 and T4.
T2 has CLEAR I think. I’m not that familiar with JFK but couldn’t you enter another terminal and shuttle over?
As a Hasidic Jew, I’m extremely offended by your “tag team” description. How do you know they were not really friends? How do you know they were all going to Tel Aviv? It sounds like you are scapegoating us for all your probelms. Please be a little more tolerant and a little less racist.
@Isaac Goldenstein, Wouldn’t that be more like anti-Semitic? Don’t think Judaism is a race.
You are correct but the point remains, singling out Jews for bad line etiquette is simply not cool. Making fun of white Germans or Frenchman is ok with me, but please do not pick on any protected classes.
Yeah! Just make SURE I judge that German or Frenchman beforehand, based on their skin color, right? Lol
So, it is ok to make fun of germans and frenchmans, but not about other races? That is called racism
I just am annoyed by their ugly fashion. I can’t stand when peeps wear their religion on the outside…whether its a silly shtreimel or a muslim kufi prayer cap or a hijab. Unless you’re clergy, please assimilate, like we all have.
You’re an asshole. 6 Million Jews went up in flames in WWII Europe because they “weren’t” a race?? F you, antisemitic b!tch.
Isaac I’m an Orthodox Jew and my first reaction was to be embarassed, not offended. That’s the problem today. We’ve all turned into pansies and get “offended” at everything. He’s telling it like it was! Stop throwing around the word “racist” and antisemitic and save it for the serious situations. You’re cheapening the meaning of those words.
No need to take offense. That’s what they do and they do it well.
OMG I had no idea it’s that bad at JFK. Wow, what a fourth world cesspool airport. It’s amazing that so many people would be willing to endure that in order to fly through JFK.
Why or why or why can’t they at least be a second rate airport. Forget being first rate, how about just becoming second rate?
Pro tip: Enter security at T2 and ride the bus to T4. You’re welcome.
I find T4 ok generally. T1 is the worst – that’s really third world.
And hhow many bombs and guns were confiscated?
Listen I understand everyone’s pain but the people u need to blame is the airlines they book multiple flights to leave at the same time and when u have different airlines there that is what happens next time you go flying look at the departure screen and c how many flights are leaving at the same time and that will tell you what u are about to deal with trust me I use to work in the airport and I always felt bad for the people when the holidays were coming
We made the mistake of using the “1st class” lane , vs the preck lane at T4…the preck lane seemed to 10X faster and wasn’t that bad
JFK is extremely unpleasant. It is bewildering why all these airlines stand in line, paying outrageous fees for the “prestige’ of having flights in and out of JFK. Literally feel every time I have flown out of JFK like the whole place has contempt vs. the traveling public.
“ It’s not pretty when you get a German and Frenchman in the same room…”
Oh my, as the daughter of a German (who would be 84 yo if still alive) I completely understand this statement!
SJU has horrific TSA lines, 25 minutes in Pre-check are not unusual on a cruise turnover day, regular TSA stretches for miles.
So, it is ok to make fun of germans and frenchmans, but not about other races? That is called racism
Okay then… After reading this I’d plan 4 hours addtitional to the usual 2 hours I plan being behind security…
If the checkin will be open then.