John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) info for drivers
To create a smooth airport experience for you and your passengers, read the rules below.
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Rules for all airports
Airport officials will issue administrative citations to drivers who don’t follow the rules. If you violate airport rules or regulations, you’re responsible for paying any tickets you receive.
To help avoid a ticket, review the following information carefully.
Lyft emblem rules
At an airport, be sure to always:
- Display your Lyft emblem in the lower right hand (passenger side) of your front windshield while giving Lyft rides.
- Remove the emblem if you’re giving a non-Lyft ride.
If you’re a newly approved driver, you should receive the emblem soon. If you didn't get an emblem or need a new one, place an order in your Dashboard. While waiting for it to arrive, you may print a temporary emblem.
Airport conduct
Always follow instructions given by airport personnel.Airport officials could give you a citation if you:
- Stop or pull over in crosswalks.
- Park anywhere outside of a designated staging area or in the taxi/shuttle areas (unless otherwise specified).
- Display any form of advertising on or in your vehicle.
- Pick up or drop off in an unauthorized location.
Note: This isn’t a complete list of actions that call for citation at the airport. Always follow instructions from airport officials.
Waybill
Airport authorities may ask you for a waybill, which shows your latest ride. Learn how to access your waybill.
JFK general info
For real-time updates on last flights in, as well as operational changes, please visit JFK airport's Twitter account.
Waiting for requests
Wait in the designated staging areas. You’ll only get added to the queue once you're in the staging areas.
You may see multiple airport staging lots in the app. You can choose any available lots and it won't affect your place in the queue. The app will show how many drivers are waiting in each staging lot.
Use either the Cell Phone Lot or the Limousine Lot.
If the staging area is full, you must leave the airport. Unless notified from within the app, you can't wait for requests anywhere else on airport property, or use any other parking lots, while in driver mode.
How the queue works
The queue is predominantly First In, First Out (FIFO), which means:
- The driver, in driver mode, who waits in the staging area for the longest amount of time, gets the next request.
- Your physical location within the staging area doesn’t affect your spot in the queue.
- If you exit the staging area or log out of driver mode, you'll lose your spot.
You can view your position in the queue in the app.
Note: FIFO may have exceptions, such as Short Ride Bump.
Cancellations
Passenger cancellations don't affect your place in line. Go back to the staging area if your passenger cancels. As long as you're back within 15 minutes, you’re placed at the front of the queue.
Driver cancellations and missed requests do affect your place in line. You can miss or cancel up to 3 rides before getting placed at the back of the queue.
Pickups
Go to Arrivals, and pick up passengers at their carrier of choice.
Passenger delayed
If your passenger is significantly delayed during pickup, go back to the designated staging area. Don’t wait or circle back. Ask the passenger to cancel and request another ride when they’re ready.
Short ride bump
If you’ve waited in the queue, and a passenger requests a short ride from the airport, you may qualify for a higher queue position after you drop off your passenger. You'll receive a message after drop-off saying you have the option to return to the staging area for a preferred spot in the queue.
Note: If you give a ride before returning to the staging area, you may still qualify for a preferred spot in line.
Express Match Zone
The Terminal 4 designated waiting areas are C1 or C2 at the traffic island.
The Terminal 5 designated waiting area is D1 or D2 in the Orange Lot. Access the Orange Lot by the outer road from the Departures Level of Terminal 7.
The Terminal 8 designated waiting area is Zone D at the traffic island.
Always start at the staging area to give an airport ride. Don’t go straight to the curb unless directed to do so by the app.
While you're in the staging lot, you may get a notification telling you to drive to one of the pickup areas.
If you get a ride request while you're on the way, give the ride as normal.
If you don't get a ride request, continue to the pickup area. The app has a countdown timer which lets you know how long you can wait for a request in the pickup area before needing to return to the staging lot.
The designated staging areas are Zones H and J at the traffic island. Always start at the staging area to give an airport ride. Don’t go straight to the curb unless directed to do so by the app.
Rematch
The rematch feature matches you with additional passengers shortly before or after completing a drop-off. After you drop off a passenger, you can receive a ride request for up to 1 minute without returning to the assignment area.
If you don’t get a rematch, leave the airport immediately. Go to the staging area to accept additional airport requests.
Drop-offs
Go to the terminal entrance, and drop off passengers at their carrier of choice.
Don’t wait at the airport terminal after drop-off. If you'd like to wait for additional requests, go to the staging area.
Earnings disclaimer:
Your average earnings that are communicated via SMS are based on earnings at JFK airport from July 1, 2023 to July 31, 2023. Drivers using Lyft earn by the job, not by the hour. These hourly earnings are no guarantee of future performance and are not specific to a driver's personal earnings. They are calculated before taxes, insurance, depreciation, and other costs associated with being a rideshare driver. This calculation includes all online platform time for drivers, including any potential time spent on other app-based services.
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