I don’t love the idea of flying from O’Hare to JFK on Delta to connect to a Virgin Atlantic flight, but I really do like Virgin Atlantic for transatlantic flights.
Flight is ORD to JFK to MAN and then the reverse.
How much of a nightmare is JFK these days? For the return flight, I don’t have Global Entry to get through passport control and customs back in the USA but I do have the mobile passport app.
I already know to expect to pay $25 for a jack and coke at JFK bars.
I just flew through JFK to connect to Europe. On Delta both arriving and departing JFK. It was all one terminal, so just a bit of a walk. Delta’s facility at JFK is huge; on par with United’s at ORD. But more spread out = more walking since the airplanes are on average larger.
I know Virgin is in the same alliance as Delta and they should be in the same terminal. That’s really the key question you need to answer with 30 seconds of Googling. Within one terminal it’s just a matter of walking. Between terminals you need to exit security, ride a train that was under construction last I was there, reprocess through TSA, etc. The difference between 20 minutes vs. an hour and 20 minutes.
I did not pass through JFK on the way back to the USA so can’t speak to the customs situation there now.
Since you mention going to the UK, you need to get your electronic “visa” to enter the UK. This is a new requirement for 2025. It’s pretty painless and is good for several years:
A quick check of JFK’s website shows that Virgin Atlantic flies out of Terminal 4, same as Delta.
I went through JFK on Delta about a year ago, returning from Rome and connecting to Toronto. With Nexus and no checked bags it took us about 30 minutes. Most of that time was spent getting through security to our gate. As mentioned, T4 is big,