Dug720
See the line where the sky meets the sea?
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2012
- Messages
- 26,653
Just to clarify the issues with LGA so that people are aware...
They ARE beginning construction to try and modernize it - and that has caused major traffic snarls. On at least one occasion, people have actually gotten out of cars and cabs with their luggage and walked up to a mile to get to the airport. It's not an every day occurrence, but you should be aware that there well could be traffic issues, especially as things progress. Therefore I would not dream of trying to fly in day-of at all (I mean, I wouldn't anyway, but especially if you are planning to use LGA - and given how traffic can happen and public transportation can have issues, I'd really say NO to day-of flights for any NYC cruise even moreso than a FL cruise). And I'd plan accordingly if you're flying out the day you get back - I would personally do nothing before 2 or 3 out of LGA and not much earlier out of the others.
Also... Until the construction happens, the "budget airline" terminal - the one that Southwest and Frontier use - is EXTREMELY small and if there is any kind of back-up can get EXTREMELY crowded. I personally was there once when there were 3 Frontier flights delayed and at least that many within the "please arrive at the airport" range and 5-6 Southwest flights delayed with easily twice that in the "please be at the airport range" and no one was stopping people from entering the terminal. At one point a flight was boarding, and people on the flight could not get through because there was literally nowhere for people waiting to go. I was ready to call the fire marshall and have them come and see the terminal because there is no way we were within fire codes. Once it thinned out, it was ok, but it's not a big, fancy, comfortable terminal and seating is extremely limited.
The Delta/WestJet terminal is actually nice once you're to the airport. I haven't been to the American one yet - but I can report on that after February (it was more than $400 more to fly out of JFK or EWR, so I'm sucking it up and having a car service pick me up at 4am for a 7:55 domestic flight - and even that timing makes me a little nervous). But I know how people on these boards love their Southwest, so I wanted to make you aware of how small and crowded that terminal can get if there is any kind of a delay that happens.
Hopefully they are able to get all the construction they want done in the timeframe they have set (or earlier)...but we'll see. There is a subway project that has been going on for years and they just made a big to-do about the whole FIVE stations they were able to open on it (while the rest is still woefully behind schedule). The plans look great - including making it MUCH easier to do public transportation there.
They ARE beginning construction to try and modernize it - and that has caused major traffic snarls. On at least one occasion, people have actually gotten out of cars and cabs with their luggage and walked up to a mile to get to the airport. It's not an every day occurrence, but you should be aware that there well could be traffic issues, especially as things progress. Therefore I would not dream of trying to fly in day-of at all (I mean, I wouldn't anyway, but especially if you are planning to use LGA - and given how traffic can happen and public transportation can have issues, I'd really say NO to day-of flights for any NYC cruise even moreso than a FL cruise). And I'd plan accordingly if you're flying out the day you get back - I would personally do nothing before 2 or 3 out of LGA and not much earlier out of the others.
Also... Until the construction happens, the "budget airline" terminal - the one that Southwest and Frontier use - is EXTREMELY small and if there is any kind of back-up can get EXTREMELY crowded. I personally was there once when there were 3 Frontier flights delayed and at least that many within the "please arrive at the airport" range and 5-6 Southwest flights delayed with easily twice that in the "please be at the airport range" and no one was stopping people from entering the terminal. At one point a flight was boarding, and people on the flight could not get through because there was literally nowhere for people waiting to go. I was ready to call the fire marshall and have them come and see the terminal because there is no way we were within fire codes. Once it thinned out, it was ok, but it's not a big, fancy, comfortable terminal and seating is extremely limited.
The Delta/WestJet terminal is actually nice once you're to the airport. I haven't been to the American one yet - but I can report on that after February (it was more than $400 more to fly out of JFK or EWR, so I'm sucking it up and having a car service pick me up at 4am for a 7:55 domestic flight - and even that timing makes me a little nervous). But I know how people on these boards love their Southwest, so I wanted to make you aware of how small and crowded that terminal can get if there is any kind of a delay that happens.
Hopefully they are able to get all the construction they want done in the timeframe they have set (or earlier)...but we'll see. There is a subway project that has been going on for years and they just made a big to-do about the whole FIVE stations they were able to open on it (while the rest is still woefully behind schedule). The plans look great - including making it MUCH easier to do public transportation there.
