All JFK guides

Luggage storage at JFK

Yes, JFK has proper staffed luggage storage, and you can use it whichever terminal you are flying from. That last part is the bit most people do not realise, and it is what turns a long layover from something you endure into a day in New York.

Is there luggage storage at JFK Airport?

There is staffed baggage storage at JFK, run by Smartecarte, in two locations:

• Terminal 4, Level 1 in the Arrivals Hall. Open 24 hours.
• Terminal 1, near Arrivals on Level 1.

This is a desk with staff, not a bank of coin lockers. You can pre-book or simply turn up. And the detail that decides whether it is useful to you is the terminal question.

Can you use it if you are flying from a different terminal?

You can. The Terminal 4 facility is usable regardless of which terminal you are flying to or from. JFK's terminals connect on the AirTrain, so leaving bags in Terminal 4 and departing from Terminal 5 or Terminal 8 is a normal way to use it rather than a workaround.

Allow for the AirTrain hop in both directions when you plan the collection time. The JFK airport map shows how the terminals sit on the loop if you have not made that transfer before.

How long can you store luggage at JFK?

You can store luggage from a few hours up to 72 hours. Three days covers the cases people actually have: a long layover, a hotel checkout hours before an evening flight, or an early arrival with a late departure and a city to see in between.

What do you need to bring?

You need a confirmed ticket. All customers must hold one, and stored items are subject to TSA inspection, so pack anything you are leaving behind on the assumption it may be opened. Beyond that the process is a desk transaction.

We are not quoting prices here. We could not verify current rates from an official source, and a wrong number on a page about what something costs is worse than no number. Check at the desk or when you pre-book.

What if you have already lost the bag rather than stored it?

That is a different problem with a different owner, and where you lost it decides who has it. The JFK lost and found guide routes it across the airline, TSA, the terminal operator, the Port Authority and the MTA. Worth knowing that Smartecarte, who run the storage desks, also run the Terminal 4 lost and found.

Long layover and now free of your bags? What to do on a JFK layover covers whether you have time to leave, and which JFK lounges you can actually get into covers staying put comfortably.