RWPrincess said: "Justin D said: "like I said before, I too use the train from JFK to midtown, but only tried it back to the airport once and missed my flight, so i get nervious on the return trip, but will try this time and give my self an extra hour just to be safe. There are also buses to port authority but I;ve never tried those."
Are you talking about the subway or the Long Island Railroad? I'd recommend the LIRR out of Penn Station over the subway even though it costs a little more. The trains are on a set schedule to Jamaica/AirTrain and it's easier to manage luggage on those trains as well."
I second the LIRR recommendation, for trips both to and from JFK. You've got to take the AirTrain between JFK and Jamaica regardless and while it is more expensive than the Subway, there are no other stops along the way (some trains may have 1-2, but I've definitely done it "express" many times). LIRR is also an option going to/from Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn.
I come from Boston so I almost always just take Amtrak, but like yankeefan, if I fly I avoid LGA like the plague.