I am by no means a frequent flier and I wondered if anyone has experience with flights that require you to change airports. Specifically, I have a flight that comes from Chicago to Newark airport and my connecting flight is out of JFK. I have been to the airport websites and they show a dozen or so ways of getting from one to the other, I would love advice from someone who knows the area or who has done it before. What is the best way of getting from Newark to JFK with all our luggage and how much of a pain in the ass is this going to be? We have almost 6 hours to switch so time is not a problem. Are we talking ‘no problem, you zip on over on the bus’ or ‘Dear God avoid doing this at all costs’ kind of thing? Also, if we have to spend the majority of time at one airport over the other, which is better to hang out at?
Maybe I should add that we arrive in Newark at 11:00 am on a Friday and our flight out of JFK is at 5:20, if time of day makes a difference in how to travel.
Not that it can’t be done, but there is no convenient nor cheap way to do so. It’s a bus to the PATH (Jersey mass transit) to the subway (NYC mass transit) to AirTran (link to JFK). While lugging luggage. Only AirTran is luggage-friendly. Cabs would be quite expensive. If I were you, I’d complain to the travel agent / website for being a bonehead and get a flight Chicage to JFK (only about a million of those per day).
This link will show you all the alternatives. The Airporter shuttle looks like the best. Do not take the route described above (bus to subway to bus).
At that time of day it shouldn’t be a big deal. Don’t worry about which airport is the best to hang out in. They both suck. Get to JFK as early as possible. You don’t have as much extra time as you think.
The Airporter looks like a decent deal. I wasn’t aware of that.
Just to be clear, I was not advocating the mass transit route. I’d rather lie to Jack Bauer about some terrorist plot before I tried that myself. It’s ugly, and even midday, negotiating luggage through mass transit will be a hassle.
Ask yourself this:
Assuming you can change the flight, does the change cost more than $22? If so, how much? Is the premium worth the trouble?
That’s better. That would be no buses. You never want to get on a bus with luggage (IMNSHO, you never want to get on a NJ or NYC bus if there is any other possible transportation, but I digress)
LIRR is less hassle and will have more room for luggage, but quicker and cheaper would be to catch the E subway uptown from Penn Station. It will also take you to Jamaica (Sutphin Blvd) where you can transfer to the AirTran.
I booked the flight myself through American Airlines after checking all available from all the usual travel online sites. (Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.) This was cheaper by about $200, unless I wanted to spend the night in Newark (I don’t.) When I booked it initially I had to switch on the flight back home too, but I just got a message from American that they changed it so I don’t have to anymore. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they will switch the outgoing flight too.
I don’t know why it is set up that way, at the time it was the only way they were configuring it. It sucks because now I see other flights without the switch that weren’t showing up before. But of course our tickets are non-refundable, I guess that is the price I pay for booking online myself, it really is a crapshoot on price and everything.
kanicbird’s suggestion is the way I was leaning towards, like D_Odds says I am wary of buses with our luggage. Do you think it is worth it just to pay $50 for 2 of us to take the Airporter and say screw mass transit all together or do you think kanicbird’s way is good enough?
I will pay a little extra for less hassle, we are going to have a lot of luggage (flying international and helping my sister move back home.) But of course it’s nice to save some money if it’s not a big deal either way. Thanks for all your help guys, it is nice to talk to people who know the system.
If you have a lot of luggage, I would strongly recommend taking the direct bus, rather than the Airtrain to NJT Rail to LIRR to Airtrain route. You may save a little money with the fractured rail route, but you will have to schlep up and down a lot of stairs and through crowded train terminals.
I wouldn’t be worried about the bus with luggage. It is a shuttle service between the airports, rather than a public bus with people getting on and off.
If it were me, I’d drop the 50 bucks. The last time I used NYC public transport to save myself the money, I ended up seriously wishing I hadn’t - by the time I got to the airport I was tired, sore, and grumpy.
I’d first try calling the airline and see if they’ll switch you at no (or even minimal) cost. They called and did it on your return trip, it’s worth seeing if they;ll do it on the trip out.
You have plenty of time for the rail method, but the costs of 4 rail systems add up. I think the JKF rail train costs $5, assuming Newark’s is the same your up to $10. Penn to Jamacia via the LIRR is $4.75, and lets assume the NJT will be another $5, so that’s about $20 per person for the trip, compaired to the $25/person that you can get the direct bus, for an extra $5 /p i think it is worth it to just take that instead.
I side with kanicbird and Billdo. Spend the money and take the shuttle. Luggage and mass transit do not mix! NJ Path is not luggage friendly; LIRR can handle some but not lots.
Ok, you guys have convinced me. I am going to see if American can switch our flight, if not, we will just take the shuttle. Thanks everyone, you probably saved us a headache.
Actually, The airtrain from Newark goes to the Penn Station in New Jersey, which is in Newark I think? So you can’t take the E, because that goes through Penn Station in the city. The bus sounds cool, plus you’ll get to relax and check out the city. I am not so sure that it goes through Manhattan though. But it ain’t easy. Getting to the Airport in New York is usually a hassle of some kind (either financially or time-wise) and has to be considered as a part of the cost.
Different Penn Stations. The PATH will connect the NJ Penn Station to the NY Penn Station, although you would have to change trains. The E is available at the NY Penn Station, and will take one to Supthin Blvd for the JFK Air Tran. Alternately, one could take the PATH from the NJ Penn Station to the World Trade Center and switch to the E train there.
Going by train would be:
Newark to Penn Station (AirTran)
Penn Station to Journal Square (NJ PATH - switch)
Journal Square to 33rd Street, Penn Station (NJ PATH)
Penn Station to Jamaica Ave/Sutphin Blvd (LIRR or E)
Jamaica Ave to JFK (AirTran)
or
Newark to Penn Station (AirTran)
Penn Station to World Trade Center (NJ PATH)
World Trade Center to Jamaica Ave/Sutphin Blvd (E)
Jamaica Ave to JFK (AirTran)
Christ what a nightmare! I used to think going to the beach sucked! But that is obviously the worst I’ve ever seen. Actally though, since there are only two of them, a taxi isn’t out of the question. Its a question of either 60 +tolls and then 44. Depends on what the convenience of a taxi is worth to them. I think for many people its certainly worth 26 exta dollars. I’m amazed that there is a shuttle bus, meaning that there is a market for people who get screwed in a similar way.
This is all a bit academic, but Newark Airtrain actually goes to the middle of the Meadowlands swamp, where it connects to the real NJ Transit trains (and Amtrak, for some reason). So it goes to Penn Station in Newark, AND then proceeds to Penn Station in NYC. There is no need to take the PATH.