Jfk airport & plane changes in term 3

[Shih-Tzu]

We will be arriving at JFK on a Wednesday from BGR with a 35-40 minute window to change planes to get the flight to Orlando. We are arriving on Comair (a Delta feeder) and transferring to another Delta flight so all the changes are in Terminal 3 (so I've been told). We are arriving on a CRJ and leaving on an MD-88 so that my help someone who knows the "parking" arrangements for planes and probable gates.

Should I worry about trying to "run" through the airport to another gate pushing my mother in a wheelchair, or will there be enough time to be comfortable. The airline has been advised that airport assistance is required but I'm not sure if that means that a flight attendant actually assists with the transfer (like they do up here) or if they just provide the wheel chair.

Any advice would be great (and this is if they don't change our flights AGAIN...).

 

[rwdavis2]

IMHO, a 35-40 minute window is problematic regardless of the airport. Just a small delay on the first flight could cause you to miss the connector. Here's a link to JFK:
http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/kennedy.html

If, for some reason, the originating flight lands at a different terminal you can forget about making the connection.
BD

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Thanks so much for the website link. Appreciate the assistance

I have checked and both airlines (Comair is apparently an official "feeder" for Delta and has Delta flt #s) arrive and depart from Terminal 3...so hopefully we won't run into a problem - our original flight had an hour window but when Delta changed the flights around, they eventually came back to last year's scheduled times...(our travel agent tells us that everyone she sent before had that connection which apparently the Delta computer provides as a flight combo option if they're taking the early flights (which most do as the later flight doesn't get you to MCO until quite late in the evening - I hope she's right).

I guess I'm a little surprised that the airline computer would allow a connection that could become a problem. Years ago if it wasn't within the time frame of a "legal connection" (whatever that was) it wouldn't put the two flights together (or maybe that's a Canadian thing?)

Do you (or anyone else) know what Delta does for people who's files are marked "airport assistance required" for wheelchair? (first time travelling with a disabled traveller).

 

[edbo77]

I can't help you out with travelers with a wheelchair, but I can tell you my recent experience flying on Delta through JFK with my three kids.

All of the Comair flights leave/arrive out of the same gate @ JFK - depending on the "luck of the draw" that day with gates your next flight could be at the next gate, or it could be a bit of a walk. We had to go from one terminal to the next to make our flight, but it was a walkable distance with stroller and took 5-10 minutes. If you alert the Delta personnel as you land at one gate that you have to go catch your next flight they should be able to call ahead to let them know that you're coming.

JFK was much easier than LaGuardia (we stopped at LaGuardia on the way down and JFK on the way home). At LaGuadia we had to go through security again which made things tight, but we did not have to on the way home through JFK. I would hope that you would have no problems, good luck!

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Thanks - I feel a bit better about this now