JFK International Airport AirTrain

On AirTrain, children who are five years of age or older must pay; children under five are free. On the subway, children who are more than 44 inches tall -- regardless of age -- must pay; children less than 44 inches tall -- regardless of age -- ride for free when accompanied by an adult.

If you decide to take the AirTrain and the subway *both* ways, buy a ten-trip AirTrain card for $25. It can be used by up to four people at a time, so you'll get the roundtrip for four for $25, instead of $40. And I would take the AirTrain to Jamaica Station -- not Howard Beach -- and take a Manhattan-bound "E" train directly from Jamaica to 23rd Street/8th Avenue. Travel time will probably be a few minutes less than with the A/C combination, and you won't have to transfer from one subway to another.

If you want to go by taxi, you would have to take two taxis, as each is authorized to carry a maximum of four passengers; or you could reserve a larger limousine from a car service.

How many people? How much luggage? AirTrain to Jamaica and then the "E" subway to 50th Street/8th Avenue would get you very close to your destination. The subway will be crowded at that hour, but you would be boarding at the second stop, so you should be able to get a seat. (You also have the option of riding the "E" train one stop in to opposite direction -- to its terminal at Jamaica Center -- and you would certainly get a seat there.) If you only have carry-on size luggage, you can probably slide it under your seat to keep it out of the aisles.

A taxi is always an option, but it will cost about $60 with toll and tip, and might not be any faster than the AirTrain/"E" subway combination at that hour.

From Port Authority, it's slightly faster to take a Queens-bound E train (on the uptown platform) to the Jamaica AirTrain station (Sutphin Boulevard), and take AirTrain from there. The AirTrain uses pay-per-ride Metrocards (not "unlimited" Metrocards) for fare payment. You would need a pay-per-ride Metrocard with $10.00 in value for two AirTrain fares. You can purchase such Metrocards at any subway station, or at the AirTrain terminals.

You can avoid the AirTrain altogether -- and save $10 -- by taking the Queens-bound E train to Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike station, and transferring for free to the Q-10 or Q-10 Limited bus, which will take you to JFK Terminal 4. The E train from Port Authority to Kew Gardens takes 25-30 minutes; the bus ride takes about 35-40 minutes, and there is frequent service. From Terminal 4, you can ride the AirTrain free of charge to other terminals in 5-10 minutes.

If you take the E train and AirTrain, I would estimate 75 minutes to get to your terminal; if you take the E train and the Q-10 bus, I would estimate 90 minutes to your terminal. Your individual airline can tell you how far in advance of departure time they want you to check in.

There are no published timetables for AirTrain service. Service is frequent, and at the time of day that you are traveling, you should not have to wait more than 5 to 10 minutes for an AirTrain from Terminal 1 to Jamaica Station. (Do not board an AirTrain bound for a different destination.)

From Jamaica, service to Ronkonkoma is provided by the Long Island Rail Road. Fare and schedule information can be found at www.mta.info. If you are able to make a train that departs Jamaica before 4:20 PM, you can use an off-peak-fare ticket; after then (until about 8:15 PM) you would need a peak-fare ticket. When you arrive at Jamaica Station, if you use one of the Long Island Rail Road ticket vending machine, you can purchase your railroad ticket and your $5.00 AirTrain fare in a single transaction.