The MTA stopped selling the vinyl swipe cards at the start of the year, replacing them with its new digital tap-to-pay OMNY system. But the Port Authority, which runs the city’s airports, is still lagging behind. The trusty old MetroCard remains the only way for airport workers to score steep discounts on the pricey JFK Airport fare that would otherwise cost them $8.50 each way.
“I can't afford that. No one could afford it, honestly. If you come here every day, you can't afford it.”
- Piantonio Ventura, 42, who works ground operations for JetBlue
