I'm going to be traveling JFK to mid-town on a Sunday evening and mid-town to JFK on the following Sunday, mid-day. I'll be traveling with a roll-away suitcase, a backpack, and a camera bag (that can be secured to the top of the suitcase). This is probably one of those stupid questions we see here from time to time but is this too much luggage for the subway on Sundays?

I do not see any problems taking public transportation.

On a Sunday, the LIRR train from Penn station is only $1.25 more than the subway and will get you to Jamaica station to connect to the AirTrain in half the time of the subway from midtown and you won't need to climb any stairs (there are escalators). The subway will require stairs.
http://www.mta.info/mta/airtrain.htm

If you're on the east side, there's an Express Bus from Grand Central area that's $15/person and is another option.

Bottom line, there's no problem with the subway. The issue is your comfort and which of these is the best for you depending on where you're starting in midtown.

The primary reason I thought I might use the subway is my hotel is on 40th, just across from the Port Authority bus station. Using the subway would save me transferring from LIRR to the subway at Penn Station.

If you take the subway you have to get yourself and your luggage up and down several flights of stairs. If you can't do it easily in one trip (no leaving things at the top, then going back and hoping they're still there) I wouldn;t do it.

(IMHO you have WAY too much for subway stairs.)

I wold take one of the shuttle buses from Grand Central or Port Authority - much cheaper than a cab for one person - and no dealing with luggage.

If you can handle the stairs and don't care that it takes longer, go for it. There's also the Express bus from PA. I hope you're at the Westin and not the Milford Plaza.

I'm at the Fairfield Inn - good, bad, indifferent?

If you are across from Port Authority, then either take the Express bus that goes to JFK or take the E train subway.

For the E train, go inside Port Authority and you can use the escalators to go down a level to the subway. After the turnstilesl, you'll probably have to carry you bags down one flight. Take the E train UPTOWN to Sutphin Blvd/Jamaica Station. From there, you can use escalators and elevators all the way to reach the AirTrain.

Here's the info on the bus for $15
http://www.nyairportservice.com/page.php?id=62

And I have never had it take as long as the schedule says it will. On a Sunday you'll be at the airport in less than 1 hour.

The Fairfield Inn either just opened or hasn't opened yet. When are you going?

I believe it's been open awhile. I'll be there in early April.

It's located on W 40th between 8th and 9th.

Thanks for the bus info link. I'll check that.

Thank you all for your feedback. After all of this info, I decided to use Super Shuttle. I've had good luck with it in other cities and hope I will in NYC as well.

I'm on my way tomorrow at Oh dark thirty and I'll provide some feedback when I get back home in a week.

dwooddon, if you're still reading, the New Yorkers on this board have consistently recommended AGAINST using Super Shuttle in Manhattan. Whether it's good or not anyplace else is irrelevant, it's apparently AWFUL in NY!

I recently used the NY Airport Service from JFK to Grand Central Terminal after a redeye from California. I was tired from not getting enough sleep on the plane (when do you ever get enough sleep on a plane?), so figured I would try spending the extra money (about $8) instead of the Airtrain to the subway and the schlep upstairs with my bags.

I was pleasantly surprised. Despite a nasty bit of traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway, the driver made good time (about an hour) and I had a chance to sit and relax.

It was good enough that I chose to tip the driver a couple of bucks for his demonstration of driving prowess.

I'll still be cheap and use the subway when I've had a good nights sleep and the traffic is murder, but I now am a believer in the Airport Service.

Don't know about Airport Service but do NOT use Super Shuttle. There have been numerous reports of problems, from not picking people up at all to driving around in midtown traffic for an hour or more - in addition to the hour in from the airport - dropping people off at numerous hotels.

I had very good luck with Super Shuttle. I was picked up within ten minutes of getting my luggage and was only the 2nd stop in Manhatten. Getting back to JFK, they were right on time picking me up at my hotel. They even sent me a series of automated cell phone calls letting me know how soon to expect the van to arrive. They were accurate to one minute.

We did had a few traffic problems on the LIE and the Van Wyck which I had allowed for in my scheduling. However, the driver knew some surface street routes wich bypassed most of that and we got to JFK more quickly than I thought we would.

I'm sorry others have had a poor expereince with them but mine was good.