1hr transit time enough for JFK?

[uglymale]

Hi guys,

Need some help from you frequent fliers out there!

The SQ flight to EWR was fully booked and I have never transited through JFK before.

I will arrive SIN-FRA-JFK at 11 AM (Terminal 4) and I have to catch a connecting to PIT at 12:05 PM (Terminal 7).

Is this sufficient time? What is the transit process like?

Thanks!

[SQflyergirl]

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

I'd say no chance.

Having said that, arrival into T4 at that time of the morning tends to be not that busy, but be warned - the terminals are spread out far and wide.

[Snaffled]

If absolutely everything goes perfectly with arrival, immigration and your bags then you MAY have a chance... but I have never gone through JFK that fast... I wouldn't take the chance.

[jjpb3]

You're playing with fire. Change to a later flight to PIT.

[zvezda]

If you have a diplomatic passport and can run through airports like OJ Simpson in the old car rental adverts, then you might make it if you're very, very lucky. Two is hours is very risky for mere mortals because arriving aircraft often sit on the taxiway for an hour waiting for a gate. The immigration queue is often an hour for US passport holder and two hours for foreigners.

Without a diplomatic passport, your only chance would be an arrival at least 30 minutes early due to unusually favorable winds, miraculously taxi directly to a gate, be among the first few off the aircraft, run faster than a hyena through the terminal, find a shorter queue than I've seen during my last 20 arrivals, not make any wrong turns taking the airtrain to the US terminal, already have your boarding pass printed in SIN or FRA, and find there is no queue for security. If any one of those things don't go right, then you will miss your flight if it departs ontime.

[uglymale]

thanks for all your input guys... i'll have to contact my agent to reschedule. may have to fly outside star alliance though.

[uglymale]

do you all have a suggested buffer time?

does a transit usually take that long? i thought it usually just meant taking a train to another terminal without going through immigration/security checks again.

or maybe i'm too used to ultra-efficient airports..

[zvezda]

do you all have a suggested buffer time?

does a transit usually take that long? i thought it usually just meant taking a train to another terminal without going through immigration/security checks again.

or maybe i'm too used to ultra-efficient airports..

You definitely have to go through immigration and security again at all US airports, even if your departing flight leaves from the same terminal -- which yours does not. At JFK, I suggest 2.5 to 4 hours for connection time depending on how much risk you're willing to accept.

[uglymale]

You definitely have to go through immigration and security again at all US airports, even if your departing flight leaves from the same terminal -- which yours does not. At JFK, I suggest 2.5 to 4 hours for connection time depending on how much risk you're willing to accept.

thank you zvezda, you've been a great help.

[zvezda]

thank you zvezda, you've been a great help.

Another consideration is whether or not these flights are part of the same ticket. If they are, US must accommodate you if you miss the connection. If not, you're on your own.

[uglymale]

Another consideration is whether or not these flights are part of the same ticket. If they are, US must accommodate you if you miss the connection. If not, you're on your own.

zvezda, what do you mean?

these bookings were given to me by my agent, and apparently they are e-tickets. when i log into SQ website, i can see my SQ flight as well as my connecting flight which is operated by US Airways. I am now considering a United flight.

[fimo]

or maybe i'm too used to ultra-efficient airports..

I'm not much of a fan of US travel, but I wouldn't slam major US airports that way. It's really more the immigration process and the sheer size of JFK that you have to consider.

As zveda mentioned, all international flights into the US require that you pass through immigration first before connecting to an onward domestic flight. This alone can take an hour if several planes arrive at the same time. If you happen to arrive after a flight full of pax from more sensitive countries - things slow down as the officers scrutinise visas and ask more questions. It took me 90mins to get out of EWR when my flight arrived just after 3 others. And then another followed after mine.

As for size, a single terminal in JFK can be as big as a whole airport for some cities. If you've never gone through JFK just orientating yourself and figuring out where the shuttle trains can take a bit of time.

And because you must go through the immigration/custom process, this also means you have to take your bags through customs then dump them again for the transfer to your next flight. So even if the immigration lines are short you can't run straight to your gate as you have to wait for your checked bags too. Though somebody please correct me if that's changed because on the last couple of trips to the US I didn't check anything in, though I remember hearing the announcements reminding all passengers to collect their bags.

[fimo]

zvezda, what do you mean?

these bookings were given to me by my agent, and apparently they are e-tickets. when i log into SQ website, i can see my SQ flight as well as my connecting flight which is operated by US Airways. I am now considering a United flight.

If your international flight and domestic flights are purchased as separate tickets and not linked, then the airline carrying you on your domestic leg will not rebook you on a later flight if your arriving flight is delayed.

From what you describe, you should be fine.

[uglymale]

I'm not much of a fan of US travel, but I wouldn't slam major US airports that way. It's really more the immigration process and the sheer size of JFK that you have to consider.

i definitely did not intend any offense in my previous statements and apologise if it seemed that way.

admittedly, the only US airport I have traveled in/out from is SFO, so I have lots to learn.

[fimo]

i definitely did not intend any offense in my previous statements and apologise if it seemed that way.

admittedly, the only US airport I have traveled in/out from is SFO, so I have lots to learn.

No apologies necessary! Not offended, just that US airports are a completely different breed compared to the RoW (except LHR). As bad as they are, major US airports like JFK, LAX do face quite a challenge with sheer traffic volume.