This is especially because airports are frequently further out from a city than the subway system goes -- you need light rail.
But the A train is a subway that actually connects directly to the AirTrain which goes around the terminals at JFK.
So I don't think it's a reasonable complaint that you have to connect to an AirTrain that goes around the terminals, or that getting to Newark requires NJ Transit instead of MTA. This is entirely normal.
Also, the subway is not "the main" transit mode. For a huge proprotion of people in the metropolitan area, they rely just as much on NJ Transit, PATH, LIRR, and even Metro-North.
LaGuardia is honestly the only one that's annoying, because the connecting bus is more annoying.
I think the proper term is people mover. I might suggest "amusement park ride" as an accurate description as well.
Either way it fucking sucks. Go to continental Europe some time if you want to see examples of how to run local transit into airports.
Big deal if it doesn't run as fast as you'd like. That doesn't make it not a train.
Also, MTA buses run at a normal vehicle speed. So I don't even know what you're complaining about. You really need to get to your terminal, what, 5 minutes faster? You need a bullet train between terminals or something?
Yes I know what trains in Europe are like. You're changing the subject. Your point seemed to be that NYC airports aren't connected to convenient public train transportation, but the fact is that 2 out of 3 of them are.
Even if it's not technically the MTA subway itself that is the train that brings you directly to your terminal. Still, quite literally, 100%, a train.
What does it matter whether it's technically a "subway" train or a train that is not technically a "subway" but works the same?
The point is, you can take the train to two of NYC's three major airports.
(And no, AirTrains are not buses. That's a bizarre and false thing to say. They're trains.)