JFK Express TV Commercial "Train to the Plane" (1980)

From the New York Transit Museum archives, a TV commercial for the "Train to the Plane," featuring a jingle you'll never forget.

[@LindaSmithNYLA]

I am actually in this commercial! Just after the English woman says it's "fast and safe," a man says "That's the only way to fly." I am sitting next to that man. I'm wearing a red sweater tied around my shoulders! Hahaha.

[@alvarobonilla3822]

+Linda Smith how long did it took to go to jfk air port?

[@LindaSmithNYLA]

+Alvaro Bonilla Back then? Probably about an hour taking the Train to the Plane.

[@WiseAilbhean]

so none of you guys were actors? They just walked in with a camera and started asking questions?

[@LindaSmithNYLA]

+PumpkinEskobarr Everyone in the commercial with a speaking part was a paid actor. I got into the shot cos I worked for MTA at the time and was on set coordinating with the ad agency. The director needed a body next to the guy who says "That's the only way to fly," and I was recruited. :) The magic of TV commercial production.

[@rodracer4567]

+Linda Smith Change of topic, have you ever rode those double letter trains?

[@jasonpayne1240]

I loved this commercial when I was a little kid. It made me happy to find it on KZbin and know that other folks enjoyed it too!

[@rockvilleraven]

In the Baltimore/Washington area we have something similar, our commuter rail system MARC has a station near BWI-Marshall, but you still have to take a free shuttle bus to your terminal. I did it in the -early 1990s on Christmas day, using Amtrak because MARC didn't weekend service yet. Got there 3.5 hours before my flight, but it the only public transportation that was available that day. I just paid $14 for Amtrak and Metro fare to Union Station.

[@TheJeromeFanner]

11 years later.. who’s still watching this nostalgia video??

[@Logo_subwayfan]

I am

[@communism.934]

Me

[@grsnider]

I am. Just thought about it this morning; loved this as a kid.

[@TransitFannerM]

Me

[@Rusty_trombone62]

I love this commercial. So many awesome childhood memories

[@lanabyk8012]

For some unknown reason...absolutely unknown...my brain just started to rattle off "Take the train to the plane..." and then I checked the internet...and found out that it is an advertisement that I listened to about 40 years ago. Amazing!

[@beermonger1]

I have to watch a commercial before I can watch the commercial?

[@haroldalexis4200]

The memories of that commercial a girl in my class in HIGH SCHOOL was singing the theme: 🎵TAKE THE TRAIN TO THE PLANE🎵 😆

[@curtflirt2]

Damn, not too many people remember this train but I do growing up in the 80s. It would even pass through Hoyt Street in Brooklyn at one point.

[@mikefagan6840]

Also Jay st

[@JessieSchalles]

Vintage commercial featuring a vintage NYC phone number preceded only by an exchange (no area code), vintage footage of the NYC Subway, the vintage MTA logo, a defunct vintage service pattern, and vintage rolling stock still in-use today! I love it!

[@AEMoreira81]

The MTA had over 100 phone numbers then. Now it's all on 511NY.

[@joshmasterproductions9066]

The JFK Express was discontinued on my birthday

[@landocalrisian2014]

I was 10 when this was out and left NYC in 89 and NEVER forgot this melody 😂😂

[@bebo2good1]

Sad the (MTA) discontinued this service in 1990 due to low rider ship as wiki says.. Tho the AirTrain today should get extended to Manhattan! Hopefully something works out in the future!

[@joshmasterproductions9066]

On my birthday tho...it was discontinued

[@aaronsamuel2823]

@@joshmasterproductions9066 sorry to hear that

[@kenjiharima23nep91]

Already have trains to JFK and to transfer to Air train are LIRR to jamaica and the (A) Train to Howard Beach.

[@maknyc1539]

E

[@NATO4623]

@@kenjiharima23nep91there is now lirr from Jamaica to grand central or Penn station so no point of a jfk express anymore

[@Eagleman44]

When I was a probationary Railroad Clerk for NYC Transit, I worked on it for its final 4 months. It closed on April 14, 1990. Normally, a probie couldn’t work there. Since it was closing no one wanted those runs. They didn’t know what was going to happen to those of us getting kicked out of there in the middle of a run “pick”. They did have open runs for us to select so it wasn’t bad.

[@thetrainguy400]

I WANT THE JFK EXPRESS BACK NOW!!!!

[@dendidong]

No

[@arifakyuz7673]

It would be pointless

[@SonicWilliamX]

We have AirTrain!

[@TheSuperiorLite]

Good luck because the trains will be moving slower than molasses

[@qwentingreer6793]

​@@SonicWilliamXIt's goes around to other airport terminal airlines and to Jamaica.

[@Ntgp126]

The day a legend was born

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

I bet tons of people thought they could get a "JFK express" ticket and jump on the LIRR. The reason it was only $4 is it's the subway.

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

Of course this is the most standard transit option everywhere else in the world except the US. Anyone who's traveled in Chicago understands how nice it is to travel to an American city when you can take the train to and from the airport.

[@earlanderson8749]

My father was a conductor on this train

[@yippyyokiyay]

I noticed that this commercial came out in 1980. Does anyone remember what month this commercial originally aired?

[@lisadipasquale6121]

I still sing this little ditty

[@ramonaramonsitta6410]

I wish JFK express train could be back in service😭

[@ramonaramonsitta6410]

And in 2023

[@JakeGaming2634]

You can take the A.

[@bobjersey]

CLASSIC!

[@DrSurprise]

@bebo2good1 don't forget LaGuardia airport. only way there is via the Q33 and Q47 bus and some other bus routes

[@gabyrojas9413]

DrSurprise like the Q72

[@xpdev0]

And the MOST OBVIOUS ONE M60

[@iNevaan]

@@xpdev0 And Q70

[@TheUsualSuspekt]

Now all I need is to see "There's that newsman again" commercial and I am Gucci.

[@JakeGaming2634]

0:01 lol, the girl

[@hooli4110]

Some people are dead and most of the fellow adults in the vid are grandparents

[@Transporter_Not_Statham]

Right?

[@nyctenthusiast3507]

Why do the R68s have the JFK exp bullet?

[@kevinwong6588]

Built before the service discontinued.

[@Autistic_EthanOfficial]

Remember that 4 dollars is 16 dollars today

[@gam903]

30 YEARS AGO

[@daisygirl1993]

0:00 - Who's talking from the beginning of this clip?

[@themovietheatre]

Some French words before the 4-second mark?

[@arifakyuz7673]

There is a JFK express and it is the A train

[@arifakyuz7673]

@NYCT Trainz Productions The JFK Express mostly ran along the Fulton Ave line with the A train. Besides, the Airtrain is too slow to be "express".

[@JamieLoaiza]

I have never took in the JFK Express

[@SquirrelXing]

Train to the plane.

[@R142A6Train]

The first official MTA video since 2010...

[@osagiee.guobadia-secondytc4624]

FACT: The JFK express train is also known as 'The A Train'. : )

[@andrewtorres765]

With fewer stops

[@osagiee.guobadia-secondytc4624]

@@andrewtorres765 Fewer Stops?! Oh. 😨

[@Nelson-od9ns]

They should bring it back

[@BallparkHunter]

Who is the girl at :01 and what are MPA interviews?

[@blazayblazay8888]

BECAUSE IT SKIPS…”THOSE” STOPS

[@thesubwaynut]

Pfff the only thing right about the ad was that the JFK Express was cheaper than taking a taxi. The people were probably pressured to say it was safe and fast 🤣😂😅

[@edwang8975]

Not really

[@veroncruise3542]

It's a commercial. They weren't pressured. They were paid 😂

[@nasirgoldbourne47]

0:01 who’s that girl?

[@JakeGaming2634]

Nasir Goldbourne idk

[@JohnnyMarsan]

Take the train to the plane

[@MrSwj2009]

Now it does make a stop at Dealey Plaza so make sure to duck and cover. :/

[@aaronsamuel2823]

It might return in the future but I'm not 100% sure

[@andrewtorres765]

There's no point. You can take LIRR to Jamaica in 20 min from Brooklyn or 25 min from Manhattan, then connect to the Air train to the terminals. Air train also travels from A train Howard Beach/JFK station.

[@BarrySmith70]

Nowadays it’s easier to take a car service to JFK or LaGuardia. That’s what I prefer to do

[@rafaelasuncionXD2000216]

Does anyone tried to call the number now?

[@Sylveonkpopnyct]

rafael asuncionXD it doesn't work

[@DTD110865]

@@Sylveonkpopnyct Did you use the 212 area code? Because that was the only area code in NYC at the time of this commercial.

[@Sylveonkpopnyct]

DTD110865 yes I did. It doesn't work

[@TatamiDisco]

$4 was a great deal. Now we have to ride to Jamaica or Howard Beach and then pay an additional $8 for the unmanned Air-train for few mins ride.... 😭

[@veroncruise3542]

$4 in 1980 was a lot of money. Okay it would have been about $15 in today's money but i was a kid and that was a lot of money 😂

[@mikefagan6840]

Of course it's safe, you had to pay extra! 🤣

[@OYEone89]

Why the JFK Express is discounted

[@kinkisharyocoasters]

+OYEone89 It had low ridership, partly because it was actually "the train to the bus to the plane," being before AirTrain was built

[@VinceHere98]

+kinkisharyocoasters they should bring it back. I'm pretty sure some people miss taking the train to the plane.

[@jayo1212]

They've got something better now! REAL trains to the plane!

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

Because it was a failure.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

kinkisharyocoasters Most people just went to work with it, and the MTA had to spend money on fare inspectors since it had a premium fare, and to maintain the special parts. You also had Jamaica station and the subway at that station later.

[@randomperson2025]

OMG 0:02

[@MelissaPerez-ib3db]

What?

[@randomperson2025]

Riley does KZbin! There was a girl for a sec

[@JakeGaming2634]

It in 0:01

[@unknownuser1357]

Used to be safe on that line not anymore

[@blakemcnamara9105]

That rout doesn't exist anymore and the subway has gotten a lot safer since the '80s.

[@spkanava]

JFK 1991

[@johnli25]

$4 in 1980? That’s a lot…

[@Astrochorius]

Well this aged like milk.

[@fahimbhuyan2467]

was it a r44 or r46?

[@R62TransitFanツ]

R44

[@SpartanFret]

Hmmmmm that's what it look like okay

[@robjackson5245]

Beastin' New York and Brooklyn's tranzit systum, son.

[@frankgrimesification]

Do you think you're "cool" talking like that?

[@catyes5658]

What is that

[@frankgrimesification]

It was a train.....to the plane!

[@philipaltamore331]

gun shots slashings to the plane now

[@BrooklynBound4]

It wasn't very good service that is why it was discontinued

[@robjackson5245]

The "M" logo beastin'. Brooklyn and New York bumrushing everybody. UPN/Warner Bros./WB shit