Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Flashback: The JFK Express
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 25, 2009
Modified Nov 28, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 25, 2009
Modified Nov 28, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
An express train that'll take you from Midtown to JFK Airport, with specially installed luggage racks and a conductor punching tickets, all for just $3.50? That would probably come in handy for many people today, but it no longer exists. CityRoom takes a nostalgic look back at the JFK Express, which operated from 1978 to 1990, running down Avenue of the Americas in eight stops, then non-stop to the airport.
So why did they kill the Express (which even came with a cute jingle, "Take the train to the plane")? Allegedly because there were too many complaints. Riders didn't like having to switch to a shuttle bus for the last stretch, and "everyday subway-goers had to be reminded not to step onto the specially marked express trains, which loaded at the regular subway platforms." So we'll have to settle for the train to the airtrain to the plane.
The MTA's Jeremy Soffin told the site, "There may not be sufficient demand to revive the JFK Express, but I can definitely see the "take the train to the plane" jingle making a comeback." (Old television ads can be seen after the jump).
Tagged
airtrain
flashback
jfk airport
JFK Express
travel
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the Village Halloween Parade keeps its soul
A visit to the community-driven pre-parade puppet preparations.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 28, 2026 at 12:38 p.m. ET
'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary has been selling out across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tickets to see the film, however, are very much available in other boroughs.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary has been selling out across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tickets to see the film, however, are very much available in other boroughs.
By
Sonia Rao
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
By
Sonia Rao
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .