yup quite SpudQueen. And that is why I fly into JFK and take a cab. My girlfriend lives here, so I am over a lot. I've got from the Manhattan apartment to hailing a cab on the street to clearing check-in a JFK, customs etc and being in the bar in under an hour flat :-D
My girlfriend likes using those vans (the blue ones right) as she is just one street away from where they emerge in Manhattan from the Queens tunnel, So she always gets first drop-off. But as you say, I just can't be bothered with all the delay and to and fro.
Bottom line, a cab from JFK into town is GBP30. Same from Newark but the queues at the tunnels at peak times can be a bit of a nightmare from Newark. There are bus, van. and train options from both for say $15... but they can mean changing and hauling stuff, and a lot of d$cking around in general.