On my travels yesterday I discovered that the MTA has launched a new ten-trip Airtrain card.  Previously, one had to pay $5 every time the Airtrain station was transited. 

The new 10-trip card costs $25 thus providing a 50% discount per transit.  This is great for people who travel to and from JFK regularly.  The card I bought yesterday is good until July 2011 so there doesn't appear to be a "short" window for usability either.

Now if only the people at NJ Transit would do the same for EWR...

ETA: It appears this has been around for a while though not very commonly known.   So, I stand corrected on it being new, but it is still a neat thing for those who don't know about it.

If you are looking for a simple cost effective way to get from Manhattan to JFK airport, I'd suggest taking the subway or Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to the JFK Airtrain. Since a taxi will generally cost you $55 ($45 fare, $5 tolls, $5 tip) and a variable amount of time, depending upon traffic, the train or subway can be much cheaper and get you there in almost the same time.

The recommended mode of transportation depends upon your location in Manhattan and the ...