question about JFK terminal 4
 

hi fodorites,

can anyone tell me whether i will pass a hudson's booksellers on my way OUT of JFK terminal 4? according to the JFK site, hudson's is located "Pre-Security Mezzanine - Center". i am arriving into JFK via LAN airlines from YYZ. i will have checked bags and plan to take the airtrain to jamaica station. will i pass the hudson's at some point? or is it easy enough to get to from the arrivals area?

thanks!!!

If I remember correctly, there is at least on of them in the pre-security departure area. So when you arrive, you can take the escalator up to the departure area and it should be right there.

hi trebex,

do you know if this will be before or after baggage claim? (i'm hoping before).

thanks!

I haven't been in Terminal 4 for a while, but it's gigantic, and in most terminals at JFK (especially international terminals), the answer is probably no, you will not pass the newsstand on the way out of the terminal. You will have to go down to baggage claim then back up into the terminal.

There may be an exception for your flight, which will probably be treated as a domestic flight arriving at JFK (most customs in Canada is done before the flight rather than after). This is an odd situation, though, but I'm almost certain you would have to go back up into the terminal. If you take the Airtrain, however, you will certainly find a Hudson's in Penn Station. Not sure that helps though.

hi doug,

yes, i'll be clearing customs @ YYZ ... so i'm assuming the LAN flight will arrive as a domestic flight.

we're taking the E train to 53/lex so we won't be passing through penn station.

thanks anyway.

There's a giant Barnes and Noble store on the corner of 54th and 3rd (the northwest corner of the Citicorp building). You could always go there. They have a huge selection of magazines and books.

hi doug,

yep - B&N is my back-up. i was just hoping to hit hudson's since B&N closes at 9 pm on the night we arrive ... and i'm not sure if we'll get there before then.

tks!

What is it that you want to buy on arrival? Perhaps it's available somewhere else.

Well, if something's so important, then just go up to the Hudson News and get it there!!!

I think you'll have to claim your bags first and then go back up. I usually arrive there internationally, so I'm not quite familiar with domestic arrivals.

Just want to add that while this flight comes from YYZ, it may not have US pre-clearance as the flight continues to Santiago, Chile. I don't know the specifics of how this flight is handled, but I doubt they want all Canada-Chile passengers to have to go through US immigration/customs at YYZ, though I may be wrong.

hi all,

i want a streetwise manhattan map. you'd think that would be easy enough to buy in canada ... but amazon.ca lists a 3-4 week shipping time (and we're arriving on dec 18). i called streetwise directly and the product could take up to 17 business days to get here. and they don't sell their product anywhere in canada at a retail level. grrrr...

i have a AAA/CAA map of manhattan that i'm using for planning purposes (plus google maps and hopstop) ... but i'd like a pocket map during the trip that i can slip easily into my bag.

it's not 'that' important ... i can use any pocket map but i really prefer the streetwise maps. the streetwise rep said their manhattan map should be readily available at hudsons and/or B&N.

i read some reviews of LAN airlines from YYZ to JFK and previous fliers have confirmed that they went through customs before boarding in YYZ. so i expect we'll do the same.

tks all!