Everything & Anything New York City

cooking-mama

We go on Monday for a whole week,staying at The New Yorker....realy realy excited now,cant believe its so close...Thanks for all the info supplied already guys,very useful and interesting.
I have a question about securing our bags,from what ive read elsewhere it seems almost commonplace that U.S customs will open and search suitcases...does this happen as often as ive been led to believe?,and is it realy worth paying extra for USA type padlocks,cos it seems they may just cut through these too..im thinking of just buying some poundland ones(with spares for the journey home,in case they get chopped off on the journey there!)
Oh and has anyone been to that great iconic establishment known as McDonalds in New York?,;)are the menus/prices just similar to here in the UK??
Thanks guys...no doubt il be back later with more questions:o
Oh...I have another question already..we have booked and paid a package through Firstchoice...will we still have to present a credit card at reception on check in??,we were hoping not to have to take a credit card with us.

phatbear

cooking-mama wrote: »

I have a question about securing our bags,from what ive read elsewhere it seems almost commonplace that U.S customs will open and search suitcases...does this happen as often as ive been led to believe?,and is it realy worth paying extra for USA type padlocks,cos it seems they may just cut through these too..im thinking of just buying some poundland ones(with spares for the journey home,in case they get chopped off on the journey there!)
Oh and has anyone been to that great iconic establishment known as McDonalds in New York?,;)are the menus/prices just similar to here in the UK??
Thanks guys...no doubt il be back later with more questions:o
Oh...I have another question already..we have booked and paid a package through Firstchoice...will we still have to present a credit card at reception on check in??,we were hoping not to have to take a credit card with us.

If you are gonna buy some locks they need to be TSA locks which have numbers on the bottom which can be opened and relocked by customs in the US. If your bags arent secure this can lead to any thefts from your bag not being covered by your insurance as you have not attempted to secure your goods.

Mc D's price is roughly the same but this depends on the exhange rate but they are pretty much the same, however a large over there is our supersize.

On the c/c front its the norm to hand over a c/c when checking in, and personally I wouldnt travel without my c/c just in case, the recent ash cloud incident has further highlighted that

lappish22

costingbunny wrote: »

Never heard of that at all? I flew Delta last April and had own TV on way out and, owing to change of plane, overhead TVs on way back. How can you share a TV with other people/strangers!! That sounds wrong to me

Yes - I know - now i am thinking she meant a tv on every 3rd or 4th row, which is overhead!! I could not understand her accent aso she wasnt making much sense!!! :rotfl:
Think I may be sorted now as we have decided to fly Virgin from Heathrow so we are guaranteed tvs etc!!

northwest1965

cooking-mama wrote: »

Oh and has anyone been to that great iconic establishment known as McDonalds in New York?,;)are the menus/prices just similar to here in the UK??
Thanks guys...no doubt il be back later with more questions:o
Oh...I have another question already..we have booked and paid a package through Firstchoice...will we still have to present a credit card at reception on check in??,we were hoping not to have to take a credit card with us.

Not long to go now!

I personally would never travel without a credit card and I urge you to take at least one even if you dont intend using it. We have booked a package with Virgin and I think if it is done that way, you wont need to present a credit card.

I bet you dont eat at Mc D's much not with all the great delis etc there.;)

johnnyroper

northwest1965 wrote: »

Not long to go now!

I personally would never travel without a credit card and I urge you to take at least one even if you dont intend using it. We have booked a package with Virgin and I think if it is done that way, you wont need to present a credit card.

I bet you dont eat at Mc D's much not with all the great delis etc there.;)

i went in june 07 to sheraton towers through virgin and had to produce cc for incidentals,also same at other hotels stateside when booked through virgin with exception of quality inn orlando.

leave the maccy d's alone,there are a lot better places to get some grub cheaper when in NYC.

johnnyroper

lappish22 wrote: »

Yes - I know - now i am thinking she meant a tv on every 3rd or 4th row, which is overhead!! I could not understand her accent aso she wasnt making much sense!!! :rotfl:
Think I may be sorted now as we have decided to fly Virgin from Heathrow so we are guaranteed tvs etc!!

thats sounds more pheasible,they obviosly use old 757 or 767 aircraft on the route then?

*pinkie*

lisadolphin wrote: »

Hi someone told me that if you fly BA they have their own immigration dept at JFK so you don't queue with the other airline passengers - does anyone know if this is right?

Also how long does it usually take you to get through JFK after coming off the plane? Are there any seats while you wait? Thanks.

I flew to JFK with BA this April, but there wasn't their own immigration dept - your passports, prints and photo are all taken/checked by US security guards - or whatever they are called, its nothing to do with th airline. There are quite a few teminals at JFK - 8 i think - so you shouldn't be queuing that long. However word of warning, i have always passed through JFK without a hitch apart from this April. Two flights landed at once and there were only enough staff on to cope with one flight. Took 2 and a half hours from landing to get to the subway station. There were no seats where i was queuing.

dizzybee

hi,
can someone give me some advice please a friend has told me that when we arrive at our hotel in new york.i have to give them a credit card to put on file the problem is i don't have one and dont want one.i have my Fairfax pre paid card but i will be using this out there.can not just give Dollars.

thatsfabulous

dizzybee wrote: »

hi,
can someone give me some advice please a friend has told me that when we arrive at our hotel in new york.i have to give them a credit card to put on file the problem is i don't have one and dont want one.i have my Fairfax pre paid card but i will be using this out there.can not just give Dollars.

Most hotels will ask for this but you wont have to hand in the card and leave it with them they will just take the details and they wont take any money out of it unless costs are incured minibar etc. As Fairfx card is a mastercard you will be able use it I have a Fairfx card and even though prepaid I havent had any problems using it for this as its a mastercard.

emilyjade

lisadolphin wrote: »

Thanks for your reply Emily. What airline were you with and did you find your flight was shorter than advertised?

We flew with BA, didn't check flight times before we went but on the return journey the captain announced what time we were due in and then just before we arrived said that we had made up 20 mins. Again we were the only flight going through immigration at JFK so no waiting at all:)