TexasAggie

I am booking the flight for my younger sister's study abroad in Europe this summer. We always fly AA (and thus connect through Chicago), but she is using Houston as her base town and so we are looking at Continental. I have never flown through JFK so I wanted to ask those more experienced than I before booking her.

Right now I am considering a homebound flight that has her departing from Shannon and arriving at JFK in New York at 3:05pm on August 9th. Her connection to Houston takes off at 4:30pm. Is this enough time to clear customs?

jules4je7

No.

J62

As long as she and her bags are checked through to Houston, then yes.

I've arrived in various JFK terminals (1,4,8/9) and as US citizen never had a long wait getting through immigration, waiting for my bag, and zipping through customs.

Air Lingus arrives at terminal 4, and CO flys out of terminal 2. It's a 2min ride on the Air Train, or a total of about 10-15min from the time she'll exit customs to the time she's back in line at security at the next terminal.

I don't see the problem, assuming flights are on time. If the first flight is delayed, then all bets are off, but that's the same everywhere.

But I'm curious. Are you sure this isn't through Newark airport (EWR)? CO126 arr EWR from Shannon at 3:05pm, and CO51 departs EWR for IAH at 4:30.

If it is Newark, then you're in much better shape, as there are 2 later flights from EWR to IAH that she can get rebooked on if the Shannon flight is delayed.

Weadles

I agree with j62. We've never had a long wait at immigration or customs, so if her bags are checked through, I can't see why this would be a problem.

nytraveler

Very unlikely. At that time of the afternoon the airport is mobbed with european flights arriving. the flights are often late, there is sometimes not a gate to hook to (because other planes have been late) and you are heading to immigration with hundreds or thousands of other people. And the wait to get your luggage is often 30 to 45 minutes beyond that when a bunch of planes land at once.

NYC is the end of our trip and if we're out on the curb 1.5 hours after our flight is scheduled to land we're very surprised (and that doesn;t leave time for security/checking in for the ongoing flight).

(And this is experience from 60+ trips returning from europe.)

TexasAggie

Thank you all for your advice. She is 23 so an adult, but more like 16 when it comes to responsibility and confidence in doing things on her own.

I found an option allowing a 4 hour layover which seems like a safer choice.

kayd

If Shannon still has an outpost of the U.S. Immigration office, she will clear that hurdle before boarding the plane and bypass immigration on this end. She'll need only to claim her bag, breeze through customs, and drop the bag at the transit counter before proceeding to her departure gate.
Still, I'd think she's cutting it close if she has to change terminals at JFK. The place is a zoo at that time of day.

Weadles

We travel quite a bit to Europe and back from JFK, and have had completely different experiences than NY Traveler. I can only think of a few instances when we were significantly delayed on the inbound flight, and would have missed a connection that took place an hour and a half after landing. But if you're really worried, can you book her on a later flight or reroute her itinerary through Newark, as another poster suggested?

Anyway, good luck!

rkkwan

Neither DL or EI's SNN-JFK arrives 3:05pm. The OP is mistaken, as she probably mean CO the whole way via EWR.

CO 126 SNN-EWR does arrive 3:05pm to EWR. Since CO runs EWR-IAH about once every 1.5 hours, there's nothing to worry about. They will easily rebook her.

No change of terminal at EWR. Drop off bags after customs and go through security back into EWR Terminal C. There are three sets of security checkpoints, and I always advice people to use the two further away from the customs exit. Those two are less crowded in the afternoon hours.

jules4je7

Texas Aggie -- that's good to allow more time. I consider myself a city girl, but my few times through JFK have left me standing there for a few minutes to just gather my wits and stop thinking "OH! THE HUMANITY!"

It's an airport to rival all others for hustle and bustle, and if she's got to change terminals, she'll really need the extra time.

Jules

J62

rk and I agree here. Bet $1 this flight is thru EWR, not JFK.

TexasAggie

I just looked it up and yes, it is EWR, not JFK. All of her original flights that I were searching had her through JFK but when she changed her departure city it moved her to EWR.

Do you think more than 1.5 hours is still necessary at EWR?

rkkwan

No, just take the 1.5 hour connection at EWR. All my relatives and I have made dozens of international-EWR-IAH connection over the years and we've yet to miss a connection. [There were plenty of delays, but no misconnections.]

One time I even managed to get on stanby on an earlier flight when I had a scheduled 2 hour connection.

As I said, tonnes of flight EWR-IAH that CO can protect her on, in case she's late with her original. Absolutely no need to book a later flight.

TexasAggie

Thank you so much rkkwan, I really appreciate your advice