1hr transit time enough for JFK?

[jjpb3]

As this thread took a left turn somewhere in the Kalahari Bush - I've moved it to

http://www.sqtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2980

as it's really got nothing to do with JFK and a 1 hour transit anymore. Budding Bushmen - please continue your discussion there

Very witty way (including the re-titling) to do some housekeeping.

uglymale, do let us know how your trip went, particularly your transfer experience from SQ to a domestic flight at JFK.

[SQflyergirl]

As this thread took a left turn somewhere in the Kalahari Bush - I've moved it to

http://www.sqtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2980

as it's really got nothing to do with JFK and a 1 hour transit anymore. Budding Bushmen - please continue your discussion there

[cawhite]

Agree too. Once you have tried Jetblue, you wouldn't want to go back to anything else (in coach class I mean). I love their blue corn chips!

Not just the blue corn chips, but how many other airlines give economy pax a choice of snacks? The IFE, though...

If you've ever hunted hyena with a knife or a spear, you'll know they're quite fast over the sorts of distances involved at JFK. Over longer distances, their endurance is poor, making it possible to hunt them down and kill them.

<cue Jim Fowler>

[The High Flyer]

Agree. David Neeleman did a fantastic job with this.

Agree too. Once you have tried Jetblue, you wouldn't want to go back to anything else (in coach class I mean). I love their blue corn chips!

[SQflyergirl]

JetBlue. The IFE, inflight service (if any - I'm not sure what they do on their shorter hops) & metal will beat AA/AE and DL hands down.

Agree. David Neeleman did a fantastic job with this.

[cawhite]

AA, Delta or JetBlue... any preferences?

JetBlue. The IFE, inflight service (if any - I'm not sure what they do on their shorter hops) & metal will beat AA/AE and DL hands down.

If the flight is on an A320, the first 9 or 10 rows (or so - the seat map will show you) have higher pitch, with the exit rows the most of all. On their EMB190s the higher pitch is in the back half of the plane, starting with the exit rows.

[Savage25]

AA, Delta or JetBlue... any preferences?

JetBlue, AA, Delta in that order.

[uglymale]

AA, Delta or JetBlue... any preferences?

[Chad Smith]

Having recently connected from SQ to DL (Freedom Air) at JFK and done it using AirTrain, I can attest to Savage25 warning about knowing what you are doing while making the connection. In my case, after clearing customs effortlessly, and finding AirTrain (good signage), once on the train, we went around to the other terminals. Expecting to arrive at terminal one after terminal 9 (American), we were told Howard Beach was the next stop.

After spending 5 minutes or so leaving the terminal area, we got at the stop, I made my way upstairs to a train headed back, and two stops later we were at terminal 2. It seemed like hours, but I was at at DL check in 35 minutes after getting my luggage! Besides the connection, I was most worried about the 45 minute check in rule for domestic luggage at JFK.
All the worrying was for nothing, as my flight to Albany, NY took a MX delay!

[Savage25]

If everything goes well, you'll be fine. I've made connections from SQ26 arriving at T4 at 10.50am to NW flights leaving at 12.15pm from T4 at least three times and a DL flight leaving from T3 at 12.15pm. This was after collecting checked baggage and with separate tickets on all occasions, and I had time to visit the WorldClub/Crown Room Club before the flight on all occasions. Arrival immigration for foreigners is a breeze at that time (caveat: I was in C so ahead of the masses) and the Airtrain between terminals is pretty quick.

Having said that, I probably wouldn't do it if you weren't familiar with JFK. I remember I was extremely worried the first time I did it. All it needs is one minor delay and you're screwed.

[zvezda]

zvezda, what do you mean?

these bookings were given to me by my agent, and apparently they are e-tickets. when i log into SQ website, i can see my SQ flight as well as my connecting flight which is operated by US Airways. I am now considering a United flight.

Are your flights into and out of JFK part of the same e-ticket or are they two separate e-tickets?

[fimo]

i definitely did not intend any offense in my previous statements and apologise if it seemed that way.

admittedly, the only US airport I have traveled in/out from is SFO, so I have lots to learn.

No apologies necessary! Not offended, just that US airports are a completely different breed compared to the RoW (except LHR). As bad as they are, major US airports like JFK, LAX do face quite a challenge with sheer traffic volume.

[uglymale]

I'm not much of a fan of US travel, but I wouldn't slam major US airports that way. It's really more the immigration process and the sheer size of JFK that you have to consider.

i definitely did not intend any offense in my previous statements and apologise if it seemed that way.

admittedly, the only US airport I have traveled in/out from is SFO, so I have lots to learn.

[fimo]

zvezda, what do you mean?

these bookings were given to me by my agent, and apparently they are e-tickets. when i log into SQ website, i can see my SQ flight as well as my connecting flight which is operated by US Airways. I am now considering a United flight.

If your international flight and domestic flights are purchased as separate tickets and not linked, then the airline carrying you on your domestic leg will not rebook you on a later flight if your arriving flight is delayed.

From what you describe, you should be fine.

[fimo]

or maybe i'm too used to ultra-efficient airports..

I'm not much of a fan of US travel, but I wouldn't slam major US airports that way. It's really more the immigration process and the sheer size of JFK that you have to consider.

As zveda mentioned, all international flights into the US require that you pass through immigration first before connecting to an onward domestic flight. This alone can take an hour if several planes arrive at the same time. If you happen to arrive after a flight full of pax from more sensitive countries - things slow down as the officers scrutinise visas and ask more questions. It took me 90mins to get out of EWR when my flight arrived just after 3 others. And then another followed after mine.

As for size, a single terminal in JFK can be as big as a whole airport for some cities. If you've never gone through JFK just orientating yourself and figuring out where the shuttle trains can take a bit of time.

And because you must go through the immigration/custom process, this also means you have to take your bags through customs then dump them again for the transfer to your next flight. So even if the immigration lines are short you can't run straight to your gate as you have to wait for your checked bags too. Though somebody please correct me if that's changed because on the last couple of trips to the US I didn't check anything in, though I remember hearing the announcements reminding all passengers to collect their bags.