[en-druzhba]

Hey guys, later on I have to travel to Detroit, but what scares me is that I lane in JFK, and take off from LGA, I have 2.5 hours exactly to make the connection. Its a different airline so I assume they wont send my bags for me, whats the fastest way to LGA? I was thinking about getting my luggage and running like hell to a taxi... Any tips? And how soon do they usually stop boarding at LGA

[BipiewExifese]

That sucks man. But I guess they offer a shuttle service between the two airports? I'd just check their website for a contact telephone number and ask. Would be the easiest way.

[en-druzhba]

I would rather get something thats ready to go and fast, unless there is some sort of train that runs between them? I dont care about the cost, just the fastest route to LGA will do

[Irrampbroow]

Why not contact the airlines involved and get their recommendations - may give you a little more flexability for booking in and catching the second flight as well.
Alternatively, perhaps they'd be prepared to book you on slightly different flights to allow for travel and booking in/boarding?

[mpxricyNimb]

Wow, I would rebook that flight! A two and a half hour window at the SAME AIRPORT on different airlines would be ok but to get to a different airport I expect a high chance of some kind of problem. By the time you get OFF the plane and get your bags (JFK took the longest for me on my last trip) you'll probably burn 20 minutes, maybe more. With my experience with security check points it ranged from a five minute wait to a twenty minute wait. I would estimate just 40 minutes for the lowest safe amount of time to recover your bags and get past a new security check point. The drive looks like it could take anywhere from 25 minutes to 45 minutes depending on NORMAL traffic, if there are any problems or slow downs I could see that being an hour or more. If you're coming from an international location you might also have to clear customs once you hit JFK which will add time. I honestly wouldn't feel safe with 2.5 hours, I probably would try it if I had a four hour window but anything less and I would try to fly into a different city or even fly in the night before and kick it in the airport or a near by hotel for the night and then transfer to LGA in the morning.

If you want the absolute fastest way, I'm pretty sure they do have helicopter transfers between JFK and LGA which take 8 to 10 min and I think they'll expedite your bags at both locations so you don't really have to worry about waiting 20 minutes or more to claim your bags and then worry about rechecking them at LGA. I know one site charges about $495 for the helicopter transfer. Probably cheaper to pick a different flight or the hotel route. U.S. Helicopter is much cheaper (~$200) but they only do connections between JFK and EWR and that takes 40 minutes.

If you do go through with ground transportation, which I would highly recommend AGAINST at least book a black car service so they're waiting in baggage claim for you and ready to go. I recently used http://www.limony.net for town car service and they were great.

[en-druzhba]

I will contact that Limo service and see how fast they can get me there, I arrive from Bermuda and I estimate about 20 minutes to get my luggage, if the travel time is under 30 minutes, and its at 10:00am so rush hour should be over... I should make it, but I need to know when does LGA close thier boarding gate?

Its very expensive for me to change this ticket

New York Airport Service Express Bus
(718) 875-8200
Every 30 minutes
Travel Times :45 minutes

Taxi (Metered)
Go to Uniformed Taxi Dispatcher
On demand
Travel Time:30 minutes

Private Limousine/Van Service
Go to Ground Transportation Information Counter in Airport Baggage Claim Area
Prices vary On demand
Travel Time:30 minutes

[mpxricyNimb]

That 30 minutes is under good conditions. Also, will you need to clear customs once you land at JFK? Are you counting running time from gate to baggage claim, they can be far away from each other in these large airports. I said it took me about 20 minutes to get my bags AFTER I got to the baggage claim area, JFK was really slow getting those bags down there and I was coming from a domestic flight. I can't remember how long it took me to get from the gate to the baggage claim but probably five minutes or so. Also, I'm not sure how airlines calculate the arrival time. If it's when you land, you need to add about five to ten minutes to that before you actually get to the gate and they allow you to exit the aircraft. I also didn't see you add in time to check in at LGA and get your new boarding pass, I was lucky with all my flights (three different airports last month) and each one only took about five minutes to get issued a boarding pass but I could very well take 10 to 20 minutes. THEN you have the security check. I was shocked at JFK that it was almost empty and took only about five to ten minutes to get through, however I wouldn't expect that. Las Vegas took at least 20 minutes and that was at 4:30am. I personally don't know what LGA is like but I would leave 20 minutes for security there.

When you add all these things up it starts getting tight, and that's if everything runs on time. Not a single one of my flights left on time (five flights last month) with most being at least 10 minutes late or more however they all made time up in the air and landed on time. I would expect yours will leave late, now do you expect they'll make it up in the air? That's for you to risk.

You might be able to make the connection, I don't think they'll close the gate until the very last minute, although they might close it earlier if you're not checked in, IE issued a boarding pass. They also might bump you if you're cutting it so close. A lot of times they over sell the flight and if you check in with only ten minutes to go they might push someone else into your spot before that time and then you'll waste time trying to figure it all out. I'm also not sure when they start going down the standby list and issuing seats. Every flight I was on had at least a few standby people waiting for an open seats, I figure they wait till the last couple minutes but with them wanting you to be issued your boarding pass two hours or more before the flight they might start issuing standbys like ten minutes before the flight leaves or something.

I wouldn't book it like that and if I had too, I would stress out over that a lot. I did PSC to PDX, PDX to LAS, LAS to JFK, JFK to SEA, SEA to PSC over Christmas and right after New Years and everything went perfect for me, but I planned a lot and never left things that close.

[en-druzhba]

That 30 minutes is under good conditions. Also, will you need to clear customs once you land at JFK? Are you counting running time from gate to baggage claim, they can be far away from each other in these large airports. I said it took me about 20 minutes to get my bags AFTER I got to the baggage claim area, JFK was really slow getting those bags down there and I was coming from a domestic flight. I can't remember how long it took me to get from the gate to the baggage claim but probably five minutes or so. Also, I'm not sure how airlines calculate the arrival time. If it's when you land, you need to add about five to ten minutes to that before you actually get to the gate and they allow you to exit the aircraft. I also didn't see you add in time to check in at LGA and get your new boarding pass, I was lucky with all my flights (three different airports last month) and each one only took about five minutes to get issued a boarding pass but I could very well take 10 to 20 minutes. THEN you have the security check. I was shocked at JFK that it was almost empty and took only about five to ten minutes to get through, however I wouldn't expect that. Las Vegas took at least 20 minutes and that was at 4:30am. I personally don't know what LGA is like but I would leave 20 minutes for security there.

When you add all these things up it starts getting tight, and that's if everything runs on time. Not a single one of my flights left on time (five flights last month) with most being at least 10 minutes late or more however they all made time up in the air and landed on time. I would expect yours will leave late, now do you expect they'll make it up in the air? That's for you to risk.

You might be able to make the connection, I don't think they'll close the gate until the very last minute, although they might close it earlier if you're not checked in, IE issued a boarding pass. They also might bump you if you're cutting it so close. A lot of times they over sell the flight and if you check in with only ten minutes to go they might push someone else into your spot before that time and then you'll waste time trying to figure it all out. I'm also not sure when they start going down the standby list and issuing seats. Every flight I was on had at least a few standby people waiting for an open seats, I figure they wait till the last couple minutes but with them wanting you to be issued your boarding pass two hours or more before the flight they might start issuing standbys like ten minutes before the flight leaves or something.

I wouldn't book it like that and if I had too, I would stress out over that a lot. I did PSC to PDX, PDX to LAS, LAS to JFK, JFK to SEA, SEA to PSC over Christmas and right after New Years and everything went perfect for me, but I planned a lot and never left things that close.

My main problem is that I cant really change it now, thats what I get for using YTB, something new and not proven to me yet... I cant even get anyone at North West right now, I will update you in a little while, I have to get to work soon

[en-druzhba]

I spoke to someone at the airport, and they said I have 1.5 hours to get to the desk at LGA, assuming I can get my bags within 45 minutes, I should be ok...

[bactrimtab]

And to think that even after all that trouble, the best case scenario at the end of the day is... your in Detroit.

[mpxricyNimb]

I spoke to someone at the airport, and they said I have 1.5 hours to get to the desk at LGA, assuming I can get my bags within 45 minutes, I should be ok...

And that your flight lands on time, if it's 20 minutes late things could go wrong. I would at least print out all the closest flights out of LGA on the same airline so you can quickly rebook if you need to. I would also print out some partner flights or at least some major ones like American or something so you can request being put on another flight that goes out just 30 minutes later or something.

[Kiariitf]

And to think that even after all that trouble, the best case scenario at the end of the day is... your in Detroit.

Word...word...

[vipluka]

And to think that even after all that trouble, the best case scenario at the end of the day is... your in Detroit.

That would be close to a worst case scenario to me.

Seriously though, flying to JFK, then only having 2.5 hours until takeoff at LaGuardia is messed up. LaGuardia services flights from Bermuda.

[Indessasp]

And to think that even after all that trouble, the best case scenario at the end of the day is... your in Detroit.

Yes, he should just stay in NYC IMO.

[adariseediups]

You could just about make it, but it will be tight.

Assuming your plane lands bang on time, it'll take you 45 mins to get your bags and get through immigration, minimum. Allow an hour - then grab a taxi.

There is an expressway between the airports, and because it links Brooklyn with Queens, unless you go between 8 and 10am or 4 and 7 pm, it should only take 20 mins as there is no Manhattan based traffic. It's a fast road. That leaves you an hour, which for an internal flight is just about enough.

Good luck!

[mymnduccete]

Yes, he should just stay in NYC IMO.

Agreed. Detroit sucks, hopefully you are staying somewhere in the suburbs as it is 30x nicer there.

[en-druzhba]

I was finally able to get a flight from JFK to Detroit, avoiding the ground transport to LGA. It cost me another 250 bucks but what the hell, cant put a price on peace of mind

Atleast now my bags will me transferred for me, I can relax

[lungumnentibe]

You did the right thing, airports in the US are mad. I had a 2 hour window when my international flight landed at LAX to get onto an AA flight to Chicago from LAX. After 16 hours of flying it was just crazy trying to work out how the US check-in system works.

I had time left over, but I was glad I had the 2 hours as it was hard enough trying to figure out where I had to transfer to get to AA domestic flights. Not to mention the crazy baggage check-in and security scans.

You could have possibly made that Detroit connection, however you might have missed the baggage check-in time limit.

[JasminBerkova]

[rofl]Even people in other countries think the same about Detroit. It's not that bad....

[HcMkOKiz]

You could just about make it, but it will be tight.

Assuming your plane lands bang on time, it'll take you 45 mins to get your bags and get through immigration, minimum. Allow an hour - then grab a taxi.

There is an expressway between the airports, and because it links Brooklyn with Queens, unless you go between 8 and 10am or 4 and 7 pm, it should only take 20 mins as there is no Manhattan based traffic. It's a fast road. That leaves you an hour, which for an internal flight is just about enough.

Good luck!

I was pretty much gonna say the same thing.

The airports aren't THAT far apart but it will be a little tight!

Good luck.