V-Flyer

I've flown into and out of both on trips to HQ in New Jersey.

What are peoples thoughts on one over the other? I'm leaning towards Newark over JFK personally

Newark for me but my flight times from there were at quiet times so its a bit of a unfair comparison really ,preferred the JFK clubhouse though

Lots of depends ... for example time of day if into JFK immigration is good (i.e. fast) if early, horrid if late, do you get to use the clubhouse and where do you need to be.

Generally for me it's into Newark and out of JFK.

VS3 to JFK or VS17 to Newark for me.

Happy with either but JFK has a ring to it, rather like Heathrow over Gatwick.

If you're heading to New Jersey, Newark wins hands down for convenience. But of course it only has the two daily flights so that may be a drawback for some.

Personally I like the VS1 to EWR - departure around 4pm means a leisurely lunch in the clubhouse and arrival in NY in time for dinner. The VS17 with its 11pm arrival (body clock says 4am!) is too late to me - but others will disagree and I guess it's very handy if you're flying straight from work in London.

Heading back, though, I agree with others - the JFK clubhouse is great and the choice of 3 night flights is useful for planning your last day in NY.

Does anybody have any experience on immigration times at JFK on a flight as late as VS009 at 2000?

MoJoJo wrote:I've flown into and out of both on trips to HQ in New Jersey.

What are peoples thoughts on one over the other? I'm leaning towards Newark over JFK personally

I try and use EWR, but that's only because our NY office right by the end of the holland tunnel.

I've got to get to Oceanport so transfer wise and traffic dependant Newark is normally the better option but often price of seat will be the decider. JFK coming in hgher right now. Only get Clubhouse if flying UC although at this rate may make gold again

Like flying into EWR and out of JFK......the Clubhouse at JFK is better I think too.

Jon

Another vote for EWR in (vs1) and JFK out (any flight that is not an a330 if at the pointy end). Doing 1 and 46 next month.

keithdavies175 wrote:Does anybody have any experience on immigration times at JFK on a flight as late as VS009 at 2000?

We flew this route in PE back in April, and the immigration hall was totally empty except for the few UC passengers who beat us off the plane.

That said, it only takes a delayed inbound flight or for another flight to be late and the queue could be major. It really varies that much.

That's why up thread I mentioned the VS17. There aren't any other long haul arrivals at Newark at that time, so it's an excellent flight to avoid the scrummage.

My one and only experience of the 17 was great and would prob choose this again above all others ,even if you get some sleep on the plane I found that I still had a great nights sleep at the hotel and started the next day fresh without any jetlag

But it's a very late arrival into manhattan if that is your destination and hard on the jet lag unless you manage to sleep all the way there. Not. Always easy to get a cab at that time either.

Blacky1 wrote:My one and only experience of the 17 was great and would prob choose this again above all others ,even if you get some sleep on the plane I found that I still had a great nights sleep at the hotel and started the next day fresh without any jetlag

I find I always wake about 4am first night in so need to hit hay earlier. we are all wired a little different I guess

Didn't find getting a cab a problem,plenty outside the airport I found ,for me the problem with arriving late afternoon say on the 45 was that although I was tired it seemed to early to go to bed whereas with the 17 it seemed the right thing to do at that time of night and I woke up at a respectable time in the morning

For me JFK both ways, no question.

VS3 is usually the ideal for me on the outbound, leaves LHR early doors and you are in Manhattan in time for lunch Immigration is not bad, whether coming from the pointy end or if stuck behind the curtain, the day shift has more than double the amount of CBP desks open than the later arrivals so people are processed quickly in my experience.

VS46 on the return leaving from JFK would be my favourite, although I am amiable to the VS4 as well.... Customer service has always been great at JFK to me and despite my occasional disagreements with the TSA or self entitled lunatics that roam the halls, Clubhouse and staff are both top notch.

With the easy transfers into and from the city, JFK gets my vote y)

I had been on the verge of switching to EWR for the outbound, but my last handful of trips to JFK (always on the 9 on Sunday) have been very easy - no significant immigration delays, and around 30 mins into the city.

So as long as that keeps up, I'll stick with JFK both ways, the return is a given because of the clubhouse, even if it takes 90+ minutes to get there on a Friday afternoon!

If you're headed to ocean port NJ then EWR. No debate for me!

Re the VS 9 - can vary between 5-120 minutes! Mostly I find it is not a bad flight for immigration waits, though.

I'm with simonallardice in that our office is right next to the Holland Tunnel, which means I normally end up in a hotel around there so the 20 minutes car ride from EWR is great. Returning on Saturday the car ride took about 40 minutes, even with heavy traffic around the tunnel, whereas I've had a couple of taxi rides from hell out to JFK (I suspect it's because once you're on the Jersey side of the river it's a straight shot down 1/9 or the Turnpike compared to the number of different roads involved in the drive to Kennedy)

Plus I used to live in NJ, so I'm biased!

Oh dear :0 I'm quite concerned having read this thread. We are on the VS025 LHR-JFK and are due to land around 10.30 pm
will I have trouble getting a taxi that late at night ?| also does anybody have any experience of immigration queues at JFK this time.
Thanks

oliver08 wrote: will I have trouble getting a taxi that late at night ?| also does anybody have any experience of immigration queues at JFK this time.

No trouble with taxis that time of night whatsoever. There might be a mini queue but it tends to move quickly. Just follow the signs and ignore the touts

As to immigration.... there are a couple of TRs in the index, contrast this immigration wait of 8 minutes against this one of two hours

As always; you win some, you lose some 8D

The clubhouse at JFK is better than ewr. But arriving into ewr on 17 is usually very swift. The issues arise when 17 runs late. Once arrived into the terminal at 130am local time - there was ONE immigration officer on duty.

oliver08 wrote:Oh dear :0 I'm quite concerned having read this thread. We are on the VS025 LHR-JFK and are due to land around 10.30 pm
will I have trouble getting a taxi that late at night ?| also does anybody have any experience of immigration queues at JFK this time.
Thanks

I wouldn't worry too much about immigration queues at that time of night as there are few international arrivals at that time of night so things should go smoothly.

As Joey says there won't be any problems getting a taxi but you could prebook a car which is only slightly more $ than a yellow cab. Just ignore the touts. The line is marshalled and so orderly and moves quickly.

I use Carmel Limo and others have used Dial 7

tontybear wrote:
As Joey says there won't be any problems getting a taxi but you could prebook a car which is only slightly more $ than a yellow cab. Just ignore the touts. The line is marshalled and so orderly and moves quickly.

And the taxis are a fixed price into Manhattan. I don't know whether the price changes late night though.