GirlOnTheTrain wrote:You can also change at Broadway Junction to a Far Rockaway-bound A (not one to Lefferts) to get to the JFK Airtrain.
When taking the Far Rockaway train get off at Howard Beach-JFK station.
I do believe now you can put a set dollar amount on a metro card in addition to an unlimited - so throw $5 a piece on each of them for the Airtrain and you should be ok. The unlimited portion will not cover the airtrain.
You are partially correct, however, the way it works is that any money placed on an active unlimited card will stay in the background until the unlimited pass expires. So putting the $5 on the unlimited card would just be a waste of $5 since the AirTrain turnstile would see the unlimited pass first and reject the card (unless the unlimited portion had already expired - which in this situation it would not have expired).
Quite frankly since you are only going to be here for 3 days the 7 day unlimited would be a total waste of money. For the unlimited to be worth it you have to use it 12 times to start saving money. The 7 day card costs $32, 12 times $2.75 equals $33 so on the 12th use you'd save $1.00.
Go for a regular MetroCard. You only need one card or the two of you (a regular MetroCard can handle up to 4 people).
I recommend that you put $10.50 on the card to start. With the 5% bonus that gets added you will have $11.03 which will cover 4 fares ($11.00). $20.95 will get you (with bonus) a card with $22.00 which will cover 8 fares.
Keep in mind that you will be charged $1.00 at time of purchase for a new MetroCard but you can then refill the card with no additional fee.
When it is time to go to JFK just add enough money to whatever money left on the regular MetroCard so that you have $10.00 left to use for the AirTrain.
If you have no money left on the MetroCard put on $14.80 which will get you (after the bonus) a value of 15.54 which will cover 2 subway fares ($5.50) and 2 Airtrain fee ($10.00).
There is no visual difference between a card that is unlimited vs a card with only money on it. It is all based on what is encoded on the magnetic strip.
{You did mention that you would buy unlimited cards just for the overall convenience - since any money placed on that card will NOT be recognized by the AirTrain turnstile you would wind up having to buy another card at the AirTrain station for $11.00 (2 AirTrain fees @ $5.00 each plus the $1.00 fee for the card. I strongly suggest you do not do that based on what I laid out above).