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connecting at JKF

Birder49

Good morning, I would like to get your thoughts on our connection at JFK. So many of you have shared your experiences through JFK and it would be good to hear what you think.
On Oct 31 we are flying from Milan to JFK on ITA Airways (arriving at 5:25pm ) with a connection on Delta to Dulles (leaving at 7:55 pm) . When the flight was originally booked with Tauck we had a 4 hour layover. It has now changed to 2 1/2 hours. I understand that when we land at T1 we will go through customs, passport control, recheck our bags, etc and then take the airtrain to T4. We have not flown through JFK so we have no idea what to expect in terms of crowds, lines, etc. Plus we are not fast movers. What do you think?
We book our flights with Tauck because we are not experienced travelers and count on them to help us if there is a problem and I am assuming they would help us get a flight if we miss the Delta flight but wanted to hear from the experienced out there.
Thanks for your words of wisdom.

Comments

British

I think you will be fine, it is out of the main vacation time, so I doubt immigration will be that busy, so that should all help your progress through the airport.
Worse case scenario, they should be able to get you on another flight to Dulles, two major airports.

wanderingstar

You can request for handicap assistance in Milan to assist you with the transfer to Delta. If you both are unable to move fast this would be a great help to you. You will be taken much faster through customs, etc and then directly to the Delta gate. Good Luck!

MCD

Birder49 -- just yesterday I received word that my layover at JFK would change from over 2 1/2 hours to 1 hr and 35 minutes. I learned that the recommended time for an international transfer is 1 hr and 45 minutes (which is cutting it too close for me), and thus I was able to change my itinerary without charge. I would be comfortable with a 2 1/2 hour layover.

kfnknfzk

Birder49,

You should be just fine. I concur with wanderingstar to arrange for wheelchair assistance. I do this for my husband who can not run through airports anymore. The service is free (internationally and domestically) and efficient. You were smart to have Tauck book your travel since they will assist you should flights go awry. They will also assist in noting wheelchair assistance for your entire flight itinerary. Best wishes!

Birder49

Thank you everyone, You have reassured me that we will be ok. I forgot to mention that we have global entry which we have used at Dulles on prior trips and we are out of there in no time. Hopefully that is the case at JFK.
I have mentioned the wheelchair suggestion to my husband (who is the slow one) and we will let that idea grow in his head. :-)

British

We had that problem when my in-laws used to visit, When we suggested it, they said they were not decrepit but in reality, in their late eighties they were getting that way. Finally they agreed and never looked back. But I still see airport employees with wheelchairs waiting for passengers even when we travel economy and are not convinced those passengers who have booked them don’t have to wait until the end of de-planing. This can slow things down a lot.

chitraveler

I recently flew from Milan to JFK on ITA with a 2 hour connection on Delta to the west coast. Tauck booked the flight. We landed approximately on time at T1 at JFK. It took additional time to deplane due to the gate still being occupied. I was first off and through Global Entry quickly but had to wait a half hour for my bag. I rechecked it and headed to T4, B gates. I was told not to use the AirTrain as that is very busy that time of day. I walked to T2 and followed signs to get the Jitney (the bus) to gates A&B in T4. It was a considerable walk. I finally arrived at my B gate and was the last person to board the plane barely in time. If things go smoothly you will be fine, but a variety of delays could be problematic. Never a fan of JFK.

Birder49

Chitraveler, Thanks for the workaround ideas. There are so many variables these days. I had wondered about the ITA flight being late or the bags taking forever to show up. Not a lot of history on ITA yet unless I assume it hasnt changed from the Alitalia days.
What did you think of ITA?

Choc

If you do use the AirTran make sure you get the right train. There are 2. You want the All terminal line. You will have to go out side to access the AirTran. I personally would rather walk to T2 and take the Jittny to T4. Best to request assistance if you aren’t familiar with the process. It could all change if they close T2 by then. I am heading thru JFK next week with a 5/12 hr layover. Good luck

kfnknfzk

Speaking from experience, even if having to deplane last (business/first class), we are whisked through all checkpoints, use "employee only" elevators and always seem to arrive well ahead of the rest of the passengers at the carousel. If transiting to another flight, we always try to have enough time to relax a bit in the lounge. We have never had a problem being forgotten.

Birder49 - My husband was not happy the first time using the wheelchair service, but a ticket agent insisted after watching him being pushed and shoved around in line. Being proud and stoic (stubborn), he was concerned that people would think he was infirmed. After his first ride, he now loves it. It definitely saves time and helps to avoid falls.

chitraveler

Birder49, ITA appears to be old Alitalia jets painted blue. The old logos are still on the interior of the plane. The business class seats were a bit tired and some options on the monitors did not work. The flight attendants were quite personable and the food was Italian inspired and pretty decent for airplane food. There was a serious effort by the crew to get us to JFK on time. Our takeoff was delayed well over one hour but they made up the time in flight.
Have a great trip!

Birder49

You are all a wealth of information. Thank you so much!
I am worrying about things that will probably change again and again before Oct 15 but I need to be prepared. This trip involves 5 flights (3 going and 2 returning) and so far every one of them has changed in some way except the ITA flight from Milan to JFK.
As far as getting assitance with a wheel chair, I think we will decide on the outboard trip. We have a 4 hour layover then and can get the lay of the land and see how my husband does. Kfnknfzk, I understand about stubborn. When I read your posts I am always in awe of your husbands travels. Good for him!
Chitraveler, that is about what I expected with ITA's fleet. We could not get seats together in premium economy so I figure the flight must be pretty full. And we booked this back in July.
Choc, thanks for the heads up on the AirTran.

AlanS

We returned from J&E on Turkish Air at the end of March. We arrived at T-1, went through Global Entry quickly, picked up and rechecked our bags (we were surprised and pleased that Delta has added a small, but convenient check-in desk right there at the passenger exit end of T-1. Since our Delta flight departed from T2, the Delta folks told us it was much quicker and easier to walk to T-2 (instead of taking the PlaneTrain). We we exited T-1, turned right, walked about 200' on a sidewalk, around a construction barrier, then entered T-2 before security. It was a short and easy walk. (FYI, the PlaneTrain station at T-2 is closed but the T-1 station is open)

Not that it matters, since you will be on an international arrival, but since last October, ITA has been a member of the Skyteam Alliance (Delta/AF/KLM)

Current and future NTO (New Terminal One) construction may affect access to T-2 and possibly the Delta jitney from T-2 to T-4, so I would check this out again just before your tour. Right now the T-2 Jitney stop is at the base of T-2 after security right near, but on the opposite side of where you will enter the terminal if you walk from T-1. The Jitney has two stops, one at the tip and one at the base of T-4.

2.5 hours should give you plenty of time to make your connection.

sevenseas

I think it may be unclear as to where your JFK to IAD flight is leaving from. Reading your post as a NYer with JFK as my primary airport, Terminal 4 seems odd to me for a short "commuter" flight from JFK to IAD. Perhaps something will change now due to Construction at T2, with a shift to T4 taking place, but those short flights have typically left from T2, not T4. Interestingly if you look at current flights from JFK to IAD on the Delta booking site, they do show departure scheduled from T4, but recent history through Flight Aware shows those very flight numbers as historically actually leaving from T2 (C Gates) as recently as today. You need to be prepared either way, especially with possible changes due to construction, but do take note of this departure historical reality. If you do end up departing from T4, and if you end up getting over to T4 via AirTrain rather than the Jitney, note that the commuter flights often leave from the very far end of T4, around Gate B54 in the visual provided by Alan, which is a long way from security area as you can see in the visual. If it is one of those far gates, you may very well want the wheelchair assistance, or request the golf cart type transport available in T4. Enjoy your travels.

Birder49

Alan and Sevenseas, Thanks for the map and information on the commuter flights from JFK. I cannot find where I got the idea that the Delta flight to Dulles leaves from T4 but it looks like I should hope that it will leave from T2. According to Google flights that is the last direct flight of the day from JFK to Dulles. All this is a new experience for us as we usually have direct flights to and from Europe from Dulles. It seems to make a difference.

Patrice

I check the JFK site every 5/6 days looking for updates with more specific terminal/gate/transit/transfer information. I will be going the opposite direction September 29 through JFK - domestic to international - T4 to T1. Arriving JFK from Chicago T4 on Republic (a Delta Connection partner) then departing T1 Air France (also a Skyteam partner) to CDG Paris. My original direct flight booked using Tauck Air in November is cancelled. If my flight arrives JFK on time, the connection is 2 hours 11 minutes. In another thread Alan provided useful information regarding the ongoing (years) construction at JFK. When I look at my Air France app, all the information, including current seat assignments, is correct. When I attempt to enter the flight numbers in my favorite Flight Aware tracking app, it shows the AF flight number 6884 doesn't exist and the Delta #5723 as going PIT to DTW!

AlanS

Patrice,
12:01PM
. . . . I will be going the opposite direction September 29 through JFK - domestic to international - T4 to T1. . .

At least you won't need to retrieve and re-check your bags, so transfer should be easier.

Flight numbers can change especially if there is a seasonal route changeover. The airlines will sometimes reuse flight numbers for a completely different route. I have seen that a number of times for domestic flights on Delta. Sometimes when I look far out, the flight numbers will be different. Sometimes, for reasons I have yet to fathom, Air France flights initially show up on the Delta website with their AF flight #. A few months later it will change to the Delta #. FlightAware doesn't always show the latest changes. I will sometimes use a mix of FlightAware, Delta, Google Flights, etc. to double check when there is a discrepancy.

As far as arrival and departure terminal, what you see on FlightAware is history and a forecast. The best you can get is a "best guess" because for one reason or another gates and terminals can change, even on the day of the flight. You just need to hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Study the airport maps to become familiar with the layout and inter-terminal transportation. The airlines may or should know from where and when their connecting passengers are arriving, but if you are running late, after de-planing, you can always stop at the desk and ask the agent to alert the desk agents at your next flight that you have landed and will be there ASAP. They are under no obligation to hold the plane, but it is easier and less expensive for them if they do, especially if you are only delayed by a few minutes.

Patrice

Alan - great information & tips! Thank you.