Help re flight changeover times in JFK Please

dmg24

I would agree that two hours is too short to transfer at JFK, however I would check JetBlue's policy regarding missing your flight. I missed my connection to Boston and they put me on the next flight at no extra charge. However, I had already checked in and handed over my luggage, so this may have made a difference (I fell asleep while waiting - don't ask! ).

If you still want to go to Boston why not fly there? It is well worth a visit!

hethmar

Id love to have the nerve but being on my own and never having been to the states before ................................

Ive checked as above and find if I land at 12.10 JFK there is a jet blue at 3.10 p.m.? Coming back Syracuse there is about 2 and half hours - 6.55 p.m. - flight at 9.30 p.m. back to Heathrow

Murphy_The_Cat

hethmar wrote: »

Id love to have the nerve but being on my own and never having been to the states before ................................

Ive checked as above and find if I land at 12.10 JFK there is a jet blue at 3.10 p.m.? Coming back Syracuse there is about 2 and half hours - 6.55 p.m. - flight at 9.30 p.m. back to Heathrow

Those are the sort of connection times that I would be happy with/looking for.
Please, please, please don't be put off by flying on your own and not being to the States before. FWIW, once on the flight, ask some of the passengers who are around you how the whole immigration, bag collection. Customs, re checking your bags etc and I'm absolutely 100% sure that they will put your mind at rest (don't be surprised if they say follow us in the queue and we'll show you).

BTW, you haven't said what time of year you are travelling, but I've just been to https://www.opodo.co.uk and I found multiple flight options WITH THE SAME
AIRLINE for the trip that you are looking for.

As a final thought, even if it is a few ££ more, IMO, it is much, much, much better to use one airline for your trip -- (possibly) a touch more money, potentially a load less hassle.

& :D as a final, final thought, before you book your chosen flight with (say) AA, be sure to sign up with their frequent flyer programme (in AAs case it is AAadvantage) as, just in case you get the America bug, you can very quickly get enough miles for a free flight.



p.s I like America, have you noticed :j:j

hethmar

How very kind of you. Ill be honest, Im very anxious about it all. Id be tempted not to go at all now as I was relying on my son being with me, but I also dont want to let down the old friends whose sons wedding it is. (Though Im sure theyd understand).

Ive not even flown for about 6 years as I had a real bad problem on my last flight with ear pain which went on for weeks after the flight! It put me off flying at all so thats another thing thats worrying me - though Im hoping that big planes will land quicker than smaller ones (the plane was circling for about 15 mins over Heathrow and I was in agony - it must have been at just the right height to cause pressure probs).

I just have this awful feeling of this poor old dear standing in a manic airport not knowing which way to go and ending up sitting on a bench all night after missing the connection

Re dates, the wedding is on 1 August - I was thinking of going say 28 or 29 July and returning 4 or 5 August. I did use Opodo but some of the flights they bring up (same airline) give 35 mins to get the connection! I thought that the system would work out the correct sort of timings but obviously they dont.

Is Washington airport quieter? I see that United are showing me just an hour to change over on the flight back - surely that wont be enough to the palaver?

M4RKM

As I said in your previous post, if you book with 1 airline, and they give you a connection like that, they are saying it is a legal connection time. If for whatever reason, you miss your connection, as it is booked as one ticket, they'll put you on the next flight.

If you miss a connection with a different airline, (bearing in mind, instead of just picking up bag, going through customs, and dropping off bag, you actually have to find the check in desk for your new airline) they could just say - tough, buy a new ticket for the next flight!!

Booking the flights with one airline is the BEST way to go, and the easiest, as you'll get some help from the airline, because they KNOW you're connecting.

JetBlue won't know, and assume you're just turning up at the airport, and have no reason to put you on the next flight for free.

M

Murphy_The_Cat

hethmar wrote: »

How very kind of you. Ill be honest, Im very anxious about it all. Id be tempted not to go at all now as I was relying on my son being with me, but I also dont want to let down the old friends whose sons wedding it is. (Though Im sure theyd understand).

Ive not even flown for about 6 years as I had a real bad problem on my last flight with ear pain which went on for weeks after the flight! It put me off flying at all so thats another thing thats worrying me - though Im hoping that big planes will land quicker than smaller ones (the plane was circling for about 15 mins over Heathrow and I was in agony - it must have been at just the right height to cause pressure probs).

I just have this awful feeling of this poor old dear standing in a manic airport not knowing which way to go and ending up sitting on a bench all night after missing the connection

Heather -- my Dad was in exactly the same position as you, this time, last yera. He had decided to go on a trip to America (despite not having flown ANYWHERE for 50 years) and then suffered all sort of anxiety about doing so afterwards.
Long Story, Short.
He had an absolutely wonderful experience and enjoyed every minute of his trip.
Please, please, please, please do the trip ---- but plan it in the most hassle free way possible.
Even if it costs you a few quid extra, a through ticket with one airline is a very good thing to do (you can see from this thread, that a few of us are all saying the same thing)

Also, remember that airports around the world are used to having first time travellers going through them, that the overwhelmimg majority of folk that you will meet in an airport have been in the same position as you, at one stage and that nearly anyone will help you, AS LONG AS YOU ASK THEM.
If you are ever unsure of something in a US airport, ask someone, anyone, in a uniform for some help and/or assistance -- even if it is a pilot or a cleaner. Even if they are unable to help you, they will find someone else who can.

Make your plans Heather, look forward to them and have an absolutely wonderful time -- & don't forget, there are plenty of us here on MSE to answer any queries/reassure you.


p.s. if I didn't have commistmenst at the end of July, I'd offer to carry your bags for you


p.p.s I don't kpwn how this works, but I see an enormous amount of people being taken from terminal to terminal in American airport of the back of airport 'golf buggies' - maybe investigate how to get the use of one. Perhaps you need to ask for additional assistance at some stage

hethmar

Bless you both. I know Im being a pain but I have all these doubts running through my mind that I may be ill and on my own and so on. (believe me it happens as you get older, you dont have the confidence of youth - I once travelled in China on my own, now I fuss about going to a new city on my own) - just the thought of lugging a bag about and so on is a worry when you are no longer as fit as you once were.

So guys, what we are saying is if I book one airline, say US Airways and that they give the options and ok them then they are responsible for me getting the connection.

Ill go back to the drawing board again

Could I just ask again, would it be better, quieter, quicker to go via say Washington or Philadelphia rather than JFK please? Or is there no difference?

hethmar

Right, does this sound ok?

omy
Total incl. tax and booking fee for: 1 Adult(s) and 0 Child(ren), 0 Infant(s)
£ 496.90 GBP
Per
Fare
Tax
Booking fee
Total
Adult: £ 397.00 GBP £ 99.90 GBP £ 0.00 GBP £ 496.90 GBP
Outbound: Wed 29 July 09 ,1 stop(s) Duration: 12:04

Departing : Terminal 1, London Heathrow Apt, United Kingdom
13:05 Wed Arriving: Terminal A, Philadelphia International Apt, United States
16:20 Wed Non-stop
US Airways US 729

Aircraft type - 767
Economy
Booking class code N
This flight uses e-tickets What's this? Connection: 16:20 Wed - 18:45 Wed From: Terminal A, Philadelphia International Apt (PHL), Philadelphia, United States Transfer: To: Terminal F, Philadelphia International Apt (PHL), Philadelphia, United States Change plane and terminal Stop-over duration: 2h25 Departing : Terminal F, Philadelphia International Apt, United States
18:45 Wed Arriving: Syracuse Hancock International Airport, United States
20:09 Wed Non-stop
US Airways US 3784

Aircraft type - CRJ
Economy
Booking class code N
This flight uses e-tickets What's this? Inbound: Tue 04 August 09 ,1 stop(s) Duration: 12:10

Departing: Syracuse Hancock International Airport, United States
17:55 Tue Arriving : Terminal F, Philadelphia International Apt, United States
19:14 Tue Non-stop
US Airways US 4134

Aircraft type - DH3
Economy
Booking class code N
This flight uses e-tickets What's this? Connection: 19:14 Tue - 22:40 Tue From: Terminal F, Philadelphia International Apt (PHL), Philadelphia, United States Transfer: To: Terminal A, Philadelphia International Apt (PHL), Philadelphia, United States Change plane and terminal Stop-over duration: 3h26 Departing: Terminal A, Philadelphia International Apt, United States
22:40 Tue Arriving : Terminal 1, London Heathrow Apt, United Kingdom
11:05 Wed Non-stop
US Airways US 728

Aircraft type - 767
Economy
Booking class code N
This flight uses e-tickets What's this?

Murphy_The_Cat

hethmar wrote: »

Bless you both. I know Im being a pain but I have all these doubts running through my mind that I may be ill and on my own and so on. (believe me it happens as you get older, you dont have the confidence of youth - I once travelled in China on my own, now I fuss about going to a new city on my own) - just the thought of lugging a bag about and so on is a worry when you are no longer as fit as you once were.

So guys, what we are saying is if I book one airline, say US Airways and that they give the options and ok them then they are responsible for me getting the connection.

Ill go back to the drawing board again

Could I just ask again, would it be better, quieter, quicker to go via say Washington or Philadelphia rather than JFK please? Or is there no difference?

You're not a pain in the slightest, chuck and I know that I (& the other much more regular contributors on MSE Travel) are MUCH happier helping someone who has a 'please can you help me approach' than someone who come here all full of aggression & BS. :beer:

You've got the through booking idea spot on -- Once you've booked with an airline (say US Airways) all the way through, it is their responsibility to get you there (& look after you if it all goes wrong). Sooooooo, if for some reason, you missed your connecting flight, the airline would do all that they could do to get you on the next available flight. This is where flying via one of the major hubs can be more advantageous. Say, for example, there are flights every 60 minutes from JFK to Syracuse (I don't know if there are, I'm just using that as an example), if you missed your connection, it would only be another hour before you were on your way again. But if you flew via a smaller hub, there may only be flight to Stracuse every (say) 4 hours, so you could be 'stuck' for that much longer.
Please don't be intimidated by flying via a large airport (lets be honest Heathrow is truly massive) as they are geared up to get an enormous number of people from A-B -- and they have greater number of 'helpers' to help get you there.

Murphy_The_Cat

hethmar wrote: »

How does this one look guys please? OH, just noticed its Gatwick out, Heathrow back
lt: £ 397.00 GBP £ 89.90 GBP £ 0.00 GBP £ 486.90 GBP

As long as you are happy with the LHR, GTW combo, that itineraray looks spot on -- both time wise & price wise.

Don't forget to register for Us Airways Dividend Miles before you book (its free and takes a couple of minutes) and will get you racking up the airmiles, just in case you do 'catch the America Bug';).