JFK Transit times

[jase05]

Hoping to garner some knowledge from those with experience on the transit time required if arriving Internationally into JFK and connecting to a domestic flight.
I can negotiate most airports in the EU and Asia blindfolded but this is my first visit to Trumpland and after any advice or tips. At this stage it more than likely looks like we will take the long way round and will arrive on QR or EY and grab a domestic connection. I’ve read that immigration can take forever and that there is no access between terminals other than a airtrain so how long should I allow as an absolute minimum. I have also seen mentioned that if travelling with EY they take care of all the US formalities in AUH which allows me to enter the US as a domestic passenger which saves plenty of time when I arrive in the US is this correct?

 

[Hvr]

Will JFK be your first US port? If so factor in immigration and customs.

What time of day are you arriving? Departing? Where from and to?

Four hours would be the absolute minimum I would ever consider but if there are potential complicating factors then it might be longer.

If it's one ticket you'll be protected but if the next flight to that destination isn't until the next day then you're going to be paying for a hotel somewhere nearby.

Having said that I have gone from plane door through immigration and customs, to taxi in seven minutes. but it was perfect timing with flight arrival time etc.

 

[jase05]

Will JFK be your first US port? If so factor in immigration and customs.

What time of day are you arriving? Departing? Where from and to?

Four hours would be the absolute minimum I would ever consider but if there are potential complicating factors then it might be longer.

If it's one ticket you'll be protected but if the next flight to that destination isn't until the next day then you're going to be paying for a hotel somewhere nearby.

Having said that I have gone from plane door through immigration and customs, to taxi in seven minutes. but it was perfect timing with flight arrival time etc.

Sorry, yes JFK would be my first US Port.
QR arrives at 1500 on a Sunday and EY arrives at 1650 on the Sunday, looking to connect with any airline to DEN if possible same day

 

[I love to travel]

EY do US immigration in AUH so you are correct there. I agree with a 4 hour minimum if on EK.

What time of year? Summer storms can throw the East Coast into havoc as does winter snow. Lots of holding can and does happen.

TBH with those arrival times on a Sunday I would just spend the night at an airport hotel and grab an early morning flight. My new strategy for the US is to fly before midday as the delays just seem to get worse as the day goes on and there seems to be more and more bad days..

 

[RooFlyer]

Have a look here for immigration wait times (assuming not done at the departure end); select the airport, terminal and time of day etc.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - CBP Airport Wait Times (AWT)

CBP Airport Wait Times

awt.cbp.gov

But remember, you have to add customs, then re-doing security for your onwards flight, maybe moving between terminals, plus be at the gate 1/2 hr before departure.

 

[jase05]

EY do US immigration in AUH so you are correct there. I agree with a 4 hour minimum if on EK.

What time of year? Summer storms can throw the East Coast into havoc as does winter snow. Lots of holding can and does happen.

TBH with those arrival times on a Sunday I would just spend the night at an airport hotel and grab an early morning flight. My new strategy for the US is to fly before midday as the delays just seem to get worse as the day goes on and there seems to be more and more bad days..

Early October.
I might just play it safe and get a hotel close to the airport and crash. Don’t really want to head into the city as I’m spending a few days there before we plan to depart

 

[offshore171]

Early October.
I might just play it safe and get a hotel close to the airport and crash. Don’t really want to head into the city as I’m spending a few days there before we plan to depart

Early Oct is Atlantic hurricane season, so there can be weather impacts.

Laying up at the JFK Airport Hilton is a good option, especially with late afternoon arrivals. I’ve done this several times enroute to/from Bermuda.

 

[I love to travel]

Hampton inn is next door to Hilton and a bit cheaper. You can eat at the Hilton. For shuttles read up on how to get them (free airtrain to Federal Circle) but yell out if you need clarification.

 

[jase05]

Thanks heaps for the info everyone and will definitely take your advice onboard. Probably a fair chance I will have hit the wall by then as I will be coming from MNL or CGK with only a few of hours stop over in either DOH or AUH

 

[Flashback]

What cabin are you flying in? i.e. how quickly will you be off the plane.

FWIW, in October last year we had a 2 hour connection (arriving BA 7 at T7 and departing AA J at T8) and still had about 45 minutes in the lounge even with the change of terminals. We didn't have any luggage to have to re-check though. Arriving around midday it was pretty quiet.

 

[jase05]

What cabin are you flying in? i.e. how quickly will you be off the plane.

FWIW, in October last year we had a 2 hour connection (arriving BA 7 at T7 and departing AA J at T8) and still had about 45 minutes in the lounge even with the change of terminals. We didn't have any luggage to have to re-check though. Arriving around midday it was pretty quiet.

Flying J with either QR or EY.

 

[craven morehead]

Most importantly, will you be doing a TR ?

 

[Flashback]

Who is the domestic connection onto? Which terminal does that depart from? QR arrives into T7 I think (possibly moving to T8?? Not sure when); so if connecting onto AA then 3 hours should be plenty especially as you're coming in on J.

 

[I love to travel]

Only direct flights to Denver from JFK are on delta and jetblue T 4 and 5 respectively.

 

[Flashback]

Only direct flights to Denver from JFK are on delta and jetblue T 4 and 5 respectively.

Still easy enough, only adds a few more minutes on. Make sure you jump on the AirTrain in the right direction otherwise you'll need to go the whole loop again. Fortunately on my last transit we got the right direction (by accident as almost ran for the other one, which was taking the loop in the other direction).

 

[I love to travel]

Still easy enough, only adds a few more minutes on. Make sure you jump on the AirTrain in the right direction otherwise you'll need to go the whole loop again. Fortunately on my last transit we got the right direction (by accident as almost ran for the other one, which was taking the loop in the other direction).

Yes but we are talking gate to gate including recheck of luggage. Delta terminal is huge, I am a very quick walker and from clearing security to gate it was a 15 min walkwith no carry on.

 

[jase05]

Most importantly, will you be doing a TR ?

I promise I will this time, I always tell myself to do one and never get around to it but I will try to do a daily update to make it easier

 

[craven morehead]

I promise I will this time, I always tell myself to do one and never get around to it but I will try to do a daily update to make it easier

Excellent !! I try to do 15-20 minutes a day where possible just to keep on top of it. I know it doesn't suit everyone to try and keep it in real or close to real time.

 

[jase05]

Who is the domestic connection onto? Which terminal does that depart from? QR arrives into T7 I think (possibly moving to T8?? Not sure when); so if connecting onto AA then 3 hours should be plenty especially as you're coming in on J.

QR arrives 1500
EY arrives 1650
Not familiar with which terminal either uses.
Was looking at a DL connection which departs at 2015 to DEN from terminal 4 I believe.
That would give me a touch over 5hrs with QR or a less desirable 3 and a bit hours with EY although I can do the US pre clearance at AUH which saves some time?????

I do have another option as playing around a bit I can see QR will let me do a open jaw CGK-DOH-LAX/JFK-DOH-CGK for only about $500 more and 16 hours in a QSuite sounds appealing.
This would arrive in LAX at 1405 and flights to DEN are about 2hrs shorter and $300 cheaper than JFK so I’ve e got some pondering to do.

 

[jase05]

Excellent !! I try to do 15-20 minutes a day where possible just to keep on top of it. I know it doesn't suit everyone to try and keep it in real or close to real time.

Yeah when I did our last big one to Europe I started a TR and was doing it daily for a couple of days and then things went by the wayside and by time I got home over a month later I had about 1500 photos and everything else in my head but I’ve decided I’m going to do a diary from now on