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Looking at going to NY in Feb with kids.
I’ve got four options:
1. BA, via LHR (leave at 615, get to JFK for 1125)
2. Aer Lingus, via DUB (Leave at 0615, then leave DUB at 1300ish, arriving in JFK at 1600ish)
3. Aer Lingus, via DUB (Leave at 0820, then leave DUB at 1055ish, arriving in JFK at 1330ish)
4. Aer Lingus Direct to JFK (leave at 1235, arrive 1615)What would you choose?
The last few times, pre COVID, I went to NY, the immigration lines were HORRENDOUS, are they still the same?
If I went option 3, is an hour or so, enough time to clear Preclearance?
Direct would usually win all the time, but not if I’ve got to stand in line for 2-4 hours with 2 kids at the end….
Help!
Immigration at all aiports is a lottery, not just JFK. I’ve done JFK in 30 seconds and then 4 hours. Last time through ATL took 45 mins to clear and 1 hr to recheck my bag. Previous was less than a minute.
All depends on what flights arive at the same time or before you, and how many staff are on the desk. Complaints reported at IAD the other day where there was only 1 person manning immigration for at least 2 hours
Safest option is to go via Dub becase they’re likely to be less grumpy queuing before a flight rather than after it I would assume
For option 3, if they’ll sell you the ticket then that’s enough time (or they’ll put you on a later flight if it isn’t).
I can see arguments for any of options 1, 3 and 4, but DUB is not somewhere I’d want to spend 5 hours, so option 2 is definitely out for me.
Unless there was a Tier Point related reason requiring option 1 I’d go for option 3, to get to NYC with guaranteed easy exit from the airport, or option 4 if I wanted a lie in.
How old are the kids?
With the very young I’d stick to the direct flight as the faff of one plane then a wait then another maybe too much for them.
Older ones may just get board and fractious and grumpy.
Immigration is much improved these days at JFK with the use of kiosks etc and it’s not as bad as in the past.
3) looks OK though you’ll be quite tired out by evening time, whereas 4) looks quite leisurely. There aren’t lots of international flights into T5 from Europe so potentially immigration not too bad. But getting into the city then will be painful in a car whereas 1.30pm with no immigration will be slightly less painful. So I would be tempted by 3) and then their direct flight back
Thanks all.
Option 3 booked.
Kids aren’t ‘young’ – they are 13 and 10, so its the grumpiness I needed to avoid ha ha
We can’t fly direct back as we’re going to NYC for a couple of nights then flying up for a cold couple of nights in Toronto to see Niagara Falls!
Any tips for Toronto will be welcomed!
Thanks all
For Niagara Falls unless your doing it on the way to Toronto I’d do a DIY trip using the train from Union Station.IIRC the times give you a good chunk of time in Niagara seeing the falls themselves. The town is a bit tacky.
Since it will winter the maid of the mist won’t be running but there is a “behind the falls experience” that may appeal (and be open)
Foe the kids I’d suggest the CN Tower. If they are into sports then tours of the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays respective arenas, I’ll date myself and call them the Air Canada Centre and Skydome respectively as they’ve probably changed a dozen times since my last visit.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2015/08/12/review-embassy-suites-niagara-falls/
I concur with Rob’s review. Stayed there myself.
I hope you’re not flying back from Toronto via the US on a connecting flight. If you are, you have to pre clear the US border in Toronto, even though you may only be entering the US for 90 minutes.
I did it once. Never again.
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