JFK Traffic Delays

I'm sat in my limo from Stamford to JFK, heading for the VS046 back to blighty and the driver had thoughtfully provided a selection on the days papers. Finding the NYTimes to be usually great, but sometimes ponderous, I discarded the NYPost and perused USA Today (nice short stories, easy when the brain is tired). Front page story 'hellish flight delays at JFK' or something like that - the gist of which was to say that JFK has grown so much (in traffic) that air traffic are having trouble meeting schedules, mostly due to the flight patterns around New York and its many airports and especially so when inclement weather prevents the use of one of the main runways (apparently the approach conflicts with another to LGA or elsewhere). Oh boo sucks methinks, but then rationalises with the fact that there are always taxiing delays at JFK so nothing new (try La Guardia in the morning rush hour [:0]).

Arrived nice and early, chatted to the great staff and had some nibbles and drinks in the club house (btw UC oversold again and they were downgrading pax I was told, just like the VS003 on Monday, time for the extra seats methinks in UC and PE).

Boarded and captain says we push back on time but expect a 1 1/2 taxi to the runway. Oh good, I've just bought a new book, I can settle in to read it. During the taxi I chatted to a lovely crew member who said that on the bus to JFK they were told to expect a 4 hr delay [:0] [:0] [:0] ! And in the event it was 1 hr 10 mins ...

I think it's Newark next for me ...

[Nottingham Nick]

Link to story at USA Today.com

Nick

[Neil]

Don't I know about take off queues at JFK[n], when we were on our flight a couple of weeks ago now, the SCC member was telling us about how the bad the problems are, and he said that once they were the 91st a/c in the queue to take off[:0].

Whilst we were in NYC there was a piece on the news about the problems with queues at JFK and how JFK official line is that a lot of the delays are due to weather, the truth is actually that there is a major ATC shortage and they are something like 1,500 ATC down from 6 years ago, whilst the number of flights have increased.

Neil

[Darren Wheeler]

Oh well. Time to stock up on the reading material....

US Today - Buy a copy and watch the world disappear.

[ChuckC]

A rather prescient prediction?

Chuck-

[Scrooge]

Having gone through the JFK blues myself I avoid the airport at all costs now, it's a shame really because in many ways it reminds me og home every time I go through there.However it has gotten to the point where EWR is just a much better option for me even with the delays there.

I was talking to a friend of mine (actually a guy that used to work for me) who is now quite s senior guy at the LAS DL op's, after offering me buddy passes [y][oo] we got to talking about DL's various op's around the country, he explained that HE avoids JFK at all costs, preferring to fly into other airports then catch a train to New York.

Another one about to avoid JFK. On VS45 last Friday. An hour or so late taking off from LHR but arriving just about on time to JFK. Was already for the cold welcoming beer until hitting the arrivals hall. Immigration hall was completely full and the a/c couldn't cope. 3 hours in a hot sticky snake to get through immigration. Not my idea of fun! EWR definitely next time.

Darren

Oh goody!! How nice? Guess which airport features heavily during my next 8 flights?[:0]

A copy of War and Peace for me then;)

Originally posted by Scrooge
... he explained that HE avoids JFK at all costs, preferring to fly into other airports then catch a train to New York.

A good idea - I'm having regular meetings in Stamford, CT currently, and I see that the Acelor Express could pick me up at Newark and deposit me in comfort in Stamford in about an hour ... some of the train services around New York put our overpriced and undercomfortable UK services to shame [^].

PS thanks for the link Nick, lots more in there that I'd forgotten.

this is not so good for us as we are of to NY on 19th for four nights it looks like one will be spent on the airfield i wonder if i should spend £100 on a change to ewr ((

[Decker]

Just swapped my evening JFK today for an IAD - saves me a domestic transfer and a lot less chance of delay

[Scrooge]

Well with the way the weather is right now on the east coast..everything is delayed.

As an airport, I much prefer JFK to EWR (sorry Nick;)) but the latter is a lot more convenient in terms of time efficiency when delays set in, although far from immune to delays itself.

45.