White Plains ?s

[SalandJeff]

We are flying out of White Plains on Jetblue. Our flight leaves at 10:05. We have someone dropping us off, so we don't need to worry about parking.

I have heard that the terminal is very small. Do we really need to get there 2 hours before the flight? And if we do, is there anything there (restaurant, snacks, something to drink).

Also, we are coming from CT and normally the drive would be just under an hour. Do you think adding 1/2 hour to the drive time will be enough to allow for traffic at that time?

Also, we are doing online check in, but will have bags to check. Do we have to wait in line, or is there curbside checkin or a kiosk?

Thanks.

 

[ice cube]

Being I live close to HPN and have flown out more times than I can recall I can tell you that even though they want you there 2 hours early its not necessary no matter what anyone tells you.It is a very small airport and if you blink you missed it.Once you go thru security they will not let you back so if your interested in a meal go for it first.They have 2 places to eat upstairs.Otherwise you can get something near the gate.Not a meal but something you can put in your stomach.Coming down from CT is always a gamble so give yourself extra time for that.I would be more worried about the travel time to HPN then checking in at HPN.If for some reason the security line is long don't worry they come and get you if your flight is close in time.Remember its a small county airport not some international airport.As for the curbside they have a Jetblue door in the beginning of the terminal for curbside and it usaully open during the morning hours.Good luck and have a great time..

 

[TimeforMe]

I think the above poster answered all of your questions, but I wanted to reiterate that it totally unnecessary to get there two hours early. We are also flying out of HPN in May and I purposely went out of my way to fly out of there because it's so easy and convenient. You didn't mention where in CT you are, but we are in Fairfield and it's only about 30 minutes from us. Good luck!

 

[SalandJeff]

Thanks for your help. I did not think we needed 2 hours at the airport, but am concerned about the traffic so will leave early enough for an delays there. We leave in the morning...yeah!!!!!

 

[If U Had Wings]

The coffee shop at the airport has pretty good food, and is amazingly enough really affordable.

I don't know what day of the week you are traveling, but if it's a weekday keep in mind that the traffic traveling south towards New York can be absolutely horrific. A little bad weather can effect it just as bad. I had to pick up my parents at HPN a few weeks ago, and the weather was really rainy and windy. What is normally a hour drive max, took me three hours. As much as it stinks having to get to the airport so early, the drive can be so unexpected that I always like to live on the safe side. Especially if I'm traveling on the parkway. One little accident can shut the rode down for ages.

 

[jerseygirl81]

If you get there in plenty of time I would go upstairs to the coffee shop before you go through security, we got there early and its such a small airport with only 2 gates that after going thru security we had so much time to spare with just the little counter where they sell bagels and muffins and I believe a couple of sandwiches and drinks. Once you go thru security you're stuck there and security is so quick. It's a very nice low key airport so I agree the 2 hours is not needed but possibly the extra time for travel especially if its a weekday. Linda

 

[cg1200]

2 hours early and you will regret it. The terminal is really tiny. Terminal is really not an accurate word. It's more of a large room. Finding a seat can be a challenge because it is usually jammed. We usually aim to get there 1 hour prior to departure. We've never had a problem. If your flight is at 10am I would aim for 9am. The weekday traffic is worst from about 7:15am to 9:00am (I've been taking 684 to exit 3 for 15 years). 800AM is a local radio station out of Danbury that will give 684 traffic updates every 15 minutes starting at 6:00am. As you get closer to Danbury you can tune them in to see if there are any bad accidents to avoid. If youare taking the Merritt then all bets are off. That road can be a nightmare.

 

[airplanegod]

Yes, I live in CT to, and been to HPN before. Before you hit security, I belive on the second floor, there is a diner like restaraunt. Inside the actual terminal, there is only a small coffee bar. I love the airport, and good luck with JetBlue, they're my favorite airline.

 

[skelooch]

There is a curbside check-in ( it's actually just inside )for Jetblue but they only allow you to check one bag per passenger and I believe there's a $2-$3 charge, if you have more you have to wait in the inside line because you have to pay for the additional bags, I believe $30 for the 2nd bag.
If your checking any bags it doesn't save you anytime to do online check-in.

 

[SalandJeff]

Thanks everyone for all the great tips. We flew out on 4/13 and LOVE this airport. We did not hit any traffic, got dropped off, did the curbside for our bags, and stopped at the coffee shop. Our flight was at 1005 on a Tuesday, and there were plenty of spaces in the parking lot, but I would imagine this varies. Getting dropped off was much easier than stressing about parking.

I now hear that Jetblue will begin flying out of Bradley. In the future, we would use HPN again, but it's nice to have a choice to try to find a cheaper flight.