Changing planes at JFK

[richard_andmel]

Hi. We have never flown into JFK for any reason before. We're going to meet up with family in Naples for Christmas, and all of the miles plus money seats were sold out going into Miami with VA. So I managed to get some UC into JFK and we're going to go with Jet Blue into Fort Myers. Here's the big question.... We land into JFK at 12:30 and Jet Blue leaves at either 13:50, 15:15 or 17:55. Which one should we book? (Ok, I am really only looking at 3:15 or 5:55.)

I REALLY don't want to miss a connecting flight at JFK. But I am worried about getting into Florida at 9:24 at night to an area we don't know at all. If it was Orlando I would be fine. One thing I am considering is booking the 5:55, and then staying at an airport hotel in Fort Myers our first night. Really, it would be dark before we made it to Naples even if we left JFK at 3:15 probably. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thanks,
Mel

 

[jtlover]

I personally would stay in NY over night and get a later flight the next day so I could go shopping in NY

 

[disneyholic family]

Hi. We have never flown into JFK for any reason before. We're going to meet up with family in Naples for Christmas, and all of the miles plus money seats were sold out going into Miami with VA. So I managed to get some UC into JFK and we're going to go with Jet Blue into Fort Myers. Here's the big question.... We land into JFK at 12:30 and Jet Blue leaves at either 13:50, 15:15 or 17:55. Which one should we book? (Ok, I am really only looking at 3:15 or 5:55.)

I REALLY don't want to miss a connecting flight at JFK. But I am worried about getting into Florida at 9:24 at night to an area we don't know at all. If it was Orlando I would be fine. One thing I am considering is booking the 5:55, and then staying at an airport hotel in Fort Myers our first night. Really, it would be dark before we made it to Naples even if we left JFK at 3:15 probably. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thanks,
Mel

obviously the 13:50 flight is totally out of the question...no way could you make that in time at JFK....i have to look at the terminals, as i don't know which ones Virgin and Jet Blue use....typically at JFK, you have to switch terminals....and sometimes you even have to drag your luggage with you - depending on whether virgin and jet blue have a luggage transfer agreement (after you go through customs)....for example, northwest doesn't have an agreement with the airline we fly into JFK, so that means we have to get our luggage, go through customs and then drag the luggage over to northwest to check in all over again (albeit, in the same terminal in which we arrive)..

so you have two issues: whether you'll be able to just drop your luggage off again right after customs (at the connecting flight desk) and whether you'll have to go to a different terminal (there's a train to take you around the airport)..

so...as i said, the 13:50 flight is out of the question....insufficient transfer time....the 15:15 flight gives you almost 3 hours....that would be the one i would pick....JFK can be terribly terribly terribly terribly slow in unloading luggage....but 3 hours should be sufficient time to get you through..
although, i have to admit that we've missed flights even with a 3 hour window....but it was the airlines fault and they arranged the replacement flight for us....(they transfered us to la guardia to get the last flight of the day to orlando)...

i'm editing this to add one more thing....immigration can sometimes take a while at JFK, depending on when you arrive and how many other planes arrive at the same time...
sometimes it takes no time at all, other times it's taken us an hour to get through (that was the time we arrived on the 4th of July at 5 am...there were only 2 immigration officers on duty - yikes)...

 

[richard_andmel]

Thanks Beth! I have flown through Newark countless times, but never JFK. It sounds from your description as if Newark has a slightly better set up. My other concern obviously is if VA is delayed getting out of London. Having missed a connecting flight once in Newark, I never want to repeat the experience. (And especially not with DH, who absolutely hates the whole airport part of travel to begin with.)

Mel

 

[disneyholic family]

Thanks Beth! I have flown through Newark countless times, but never JFK. It sounds from your description as if Newark has a slightly better set up. My other concern obviously is if VA is delayed getting out of London. Having missed a connecting flight once in Newark, I never want to repeat the experience. (And especially not with DH, who absolutely hates the whole airport part of travel to begin with.)

Mel

i hate airports too...and airplanes...and flying..
but that's another story..

i just checked JFK and it looks like you're going to have to change terminals..

from what i can see, Virgin arrives in terminal 4 (makes sense -that's where we come in too on a different international airline)..

and it looks as if domestic jet blue is in terminal 6...

that's not tragic - you just find the exit that takes you to the train (ask any worker and they'll be able to tell you)....you take the train around to terminal 6....really not a big deal....the train is overhead by the way...so you see it when you're outside the terminal (i've gotten lost a number of times, trying to get to it - but it's right there in front of you, so it's not as if you can really go that far astray).

the bigger question at this point is if you'll be able to just drop your luggage off at the connecting drop off desk (right outside of customs) or whether you'll have to drag your luggage with you..

you might not get the definitive answer until you walk up to that desk and they tell you that you can't drop it there...

but maybe if you call virgin, they'll know the answer to the question...

many airlines do have baggage transfer agreements (northwest isn't called northworst for nothing - they're the biggest pains in the derriere around)..

so maybe jet blue and virgin have an agreement...
hopefully they do...

 

[Jets fan]

I would definitely stay in NY for the night and then get a really early flight to Orlando, that way you won't miss the connecting flight and it's not stressful. However I am a worrier and would be paranoid about missing the flight.

Hope you have a great holiday
Tina

 

[disneyholic family]

I would definitely stay in NY for the night and then get a really early flight to Orlando, that way you won't miss the connecting flight and it's not stressful. However I am a worrier and would be paranoid about missing the flight.

Hope you have a great holiday
Tina

personally, i would NOT stay in new york overnight..
i'd continue to florida....get the traveling out of the way...why prolong the agony?????

the only reason i'd stay in NY, is if i was making a true stopover of it....
spending 2 or 3 days (we always do that on the way back home - a 3 day stopover in NYC)..

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Will Jet Blue have the same luggage allowance?

 

[disneyholic family]

Will Jet Blue have the same luggage allowance?

excellent question - i don't know the answer

 

[barbarah]

We have just flown with Jet Blue last month and found them to be great. Their luggage allowance is 2 bags each passenger of 23kilos each so is exactly the same as Virgin Economy.

Their legroom and tv is great and their staff are very friendly. You made a good choice.

 

[Tony Toon]

An interesting thread. It prompted me to check the itinerary of DD's bf who is joining us in the middle of our holiday and is flying through JFK. I found he has 3hrs25 to make the connection so he should be ok - except he has little experience of large airports and how they work. He's smart though so he'll be fine .... he'll be fine ...... he'll be fine .........?

 

[disneyholic family]

An interesting thread. It prompted me to check the itinerary of DD's bf who is joining us in the middle of our holiday and is flying through JFK. I found he has 3hrs25 to make the connection so he should be ok - except he has little experience of large airports and how they work. He's smart though so he'll be fine .... he'll be fine ...... he'll be fine .........?

all he has to do is ask directions....there are many airport workers around who will be happy to provide directions...