ASTravels

I'm travelling with 2 kids (walking, no strollers) and have to catch a flight from JFK to YYZ.. tickets were bought separately, so bags will have to re-checked in at JFK. My international flight arrives at JFK Terminal 8 at 420pm and I have 2 options for my next onward flight to YYZ:

Option 1. Have 3.25 hours layover and take a 7.40pm international American flight which is at Terminal 8. So get checked baggage from International arrivals, clear customs, get to international departures, check-in with bags at American, do security and make way to the boarding gates).

Is this enough time to make it with checked bags from Terminal 8 international arrivals to Terminal 8 international departures?
Is it basically going from one level of Terminal 8 to another?

Option 2: Have a 4.5hr layover and take an international 8.55pm Delta flight at Terminal 4 (clear customs, baggage, take AirTrain from terminal 8 to terminal 4, re-checkin bags, get boarding passes, security, and get to gates). I'm guessing there is ALOT of walking from Terminal 8 arrivals to get to AirTrain and then to Terminal 4.

Can you take luggage carts on AirTrain since I will have 3 checked bags+2kids?


Struggling to figure out which of the options is better, stay within Terminal 8 with 3.25hr layover OR change terminals with a 4.5hr layover?? All with 3 checked baggage and 2kids in tow!

(Main issue is tickets are booked separately, so airlines won’t acknowledge any potential delays/missed flights)

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. You did omit one fairly important detail -- where are you arriving from? Because some international airports do pre-clearance Immigration and Customs for US-bound flights so essentially you'd be arriving as on a domestic flight. Also - do you have TSA Pre ✅ or Clear? That would speed up security.

But assuming it isn't one of the pre-clearance departure airports -- I really don't see much difference between the two options. More time but more distance involved with the Delta option vs. less time but also less faffing about with the AA flight.

If your incoming flight is on time both options would be easy. If your incoming flight is significantly delayed, possibly neither would be enough time.

J62

What airline is your first flight? Since its into T8 its likely AA or a partner. You may (or may not) be able to check your bags all the way to YYZ . It doesnt hurt to call AA and see if they can somehow link or merge itineraries, or at least ask at checkin.

I would just stay in T8, and unless your incoming flight is seriously delayed you have more than enough time.

check in online 24 hrs ahead, then the only critical times are bag drop by the cutoff (likely 45 min or 1hr before departure), and be at the gate before they close the doors.

I believe flights to canada are treated like domestic departures, save for a passport check when boarding. Your flight to YYZ will depart from the same area as any other AA flight.

ASTravels

Thanks so much for your responses folks! Oops, arriving from Auckland with Qantas.. yeah it's feeling that it'll work out IF all things line up ok that day with no flight/security delays!