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AirTrains: Newark & JFK -- The Very Good & the Not-So-Very Good First the very good: A few years back, a new rail link revolutionized the process of connecting by public transportation to New York's notoriously underserved airport: the brand-new AirTrain Newark, which now connects Newark Airport with Manhattan via a speedy monorail/rail link. Even though you have to make a connection, the system is fast, pleasant, affordable, and easy to use. Each arrivals terminal at Newark Airport has a boarding station for the AirTrain, so just follow the signs once you collect your bags. All AirTrains head to Newark International Airport Station, where you transfer to a NJ Transit train. NJ Transit will deliver you directly to New York Penn Station at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue, where you can pick up a cab to your hotel. The trip from Penn Station to Newark terminal was under a half-hour and only cost me $14 ($12 for the AirTrain link via Penn Station plus $2 for the subway to get to Penn Station). That's a savings of at least $35 if I took a cab, not to mention the time I saved. NJ Transit trains run 2 to 3 times an hour during peak travel times (once an hour during early and late hours); you can check the schedules on monitors before you leave the airport terminal, and again at the train station. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines at both the air terminal and the train station (no ticket is required to board the AirTrain). The one-way fare is $11 (children under 5 ride free). (On your return trip to the airport, the AirTrain is far more predictable, time-wise, than subjecting yourself to the whims of traffic.) Note that travelers heading to points beyond the city can also pick up Amtrak and other NJ Transit trains at Newark International Airport Station to their final destination. Now the not so very good: After years of anticipation and $1.9 billion, AirTrain JFK opened late in 2003. Though you can't beat the price -- $7 if you take a subway to the AirTrain, $12 if you take Long Island Rail Road -- you won't save much on time getting to the airport. From Midtown Manhattan, the ride is approximately 90 minutes and the connections are murky. Only a few lines connect with the AirTrain: the A, E, J, and Z; the E, J, Z to Jamaica Station and Sutphin Blvd.-Archer Ave. Station, and the A to Howard Beach/JFK Airport Station. The MTA is working hard to clear up the confusion, and though they are contemplating adding connections to the AirTrain in Lower Manhattan sometime in the next decade, there's not much they can do now to speed up the trip A word of warning for both AirTrains: If you have mobility issues, mountains of luggage that will make connections difficult, or a bevy of small children to keep track of, skip the AirTrain. You'll find it easier to rely on a taxi, car service, or shuttle service that can offer you door-to-door transfers. For more information on AirTrain Newark, call tel. 888/EWR-INFO or go online to www.airtrainnewark.com. For connection details, click on the links on the AirTrain website or contact NJ Transit (tel. 800/626-RIDE; www.njtransit.com) or Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com). For more information on AirTrain JFK, go online to www.airtrainjfk.com. For connection details, click on the links on the AirTrain website or the MTA site, www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mta/airtrain.htm.

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