Hi. Next Sunday we'll be travelling from Venice to Los Angeles via JFK. We'll be on the Delta flight from VCE to JFK and then Delta from JFK to LAX. We have a 2 hour layover at JFK before our flight to LAX. I'm worried about connecting in time, being that we are travelling w/ a cat, large dog and 2 children, have to go through customs and then change terminals and re-check our bags. Can anyone give me a heads up on what to expect when we get there and go through customs, so I can either stop worrying so much or fix the problem soon?

My husband says last time he did this flight, he had to take a bus from the Int'l terminal to Delta's domestic terminal. If you've done this, do you know if there's room for a dog kennel? How long does it take?

Thanks!
Cricket

Cricket I can't help but why not call Delta? Maybe they can arrange for you to get "fast track" treatment through passport control & customs. Also, since I've never transported pets internationally, find out where the animals will come out. Hard to believe after such a long flight they'd just come with the luggage. Good luck!

Don't know about the animals, but when we did a delta connecting flight thru JFK, just after customs, delta had a place for luggage that was going on a connecting flight, so there was no need to recheck them at the other terminal. Make sure you check the bags thru from Venice

Thanks for the quick replies! Jody, you didn't have to haul your bags around the airport to re-check them in? Last time I did this flight was a year and a half ago, and I think that I did, but it was a crazy trip and I can't recall exactly.

I concur with Jody re the re-check of luggage..it should be checked all the way through to LAX but if it isn't there may be an agent right THERE to help out. The place for re-check is just after Customs in the same terminal you arrive in.
As I recall you can also get a taxi (at a cost) between terminals so you don't have to wait for the shuttle...perhaps others can verify this. The dog I assume is traveling as "baggage" and s/he I assume could be checked through as well.

Cricket,

You will most certainly have to pick up your luggage at JFK and go through customs there (you will also clear immigration before picking up your luggage). However, the check-in agent in VCE should tag your luggage through to LAX and there will be a Delta counter just past customs where you just hand in your luggage again. However, I have no idea about the procedures for pets.

As far as I can recall, there is a pedestrian skybridge between the 2 DL terminals, no bus ride necessary. However, I find a 2 hour layover very close - you might end up missing your connection, which isn't too big a deal I guess, as there must be reasonably frequent service from JFK to LAX.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Thanks for the replies! I got in contact w/ Delta and they said that THEY will handle the pets all the way to LAX. Once we get on board at JFK they'll come on to let us know the pets are one. Whew! I think we'll be fine now. Customs sounds easier than I thought, so the only big hassle will be changing terminals and we can handle that.

Thanks!
Cricket

Great news about the pet!

Out of curiosity, I checked the Delta web site and not only are the 2 terminals indeed connected by a footbridge, it appears that terminal 2 (domestic only) is now only used for short haul Delta Connection flights, so you should not have to change terminals at all.

As a matter of fact, the flights I assume you will be taking (DL 155 & DL 151) arrived and left at the exact SAME gate (gate 10 in terminal 3) yesterday - they may have actually used the very same plane for both flights! So a 2 hour layover should be fine.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Good news on the gates. Hope that stays the same. I remember that last time I did that trip on the way OVER to Europe everything was very close. One good thing about the location of the gates is the proximity to the USO in the Delta terminal. We're active duty military and the USO has been a lifesaver for us being that they can hold our carseats and carry ons while we take the kids to the playroom next door or for a quick bite to eat.

Thanks Andre!

I hope by "next" Sunday you mean the 12th. If it's tomorrow the 5th, be aware of the blizzard now hitting the Northeast, crippling all air schedules.

Oops, I meant the 14th and the 7th.

I did this changeover a couple of months ago and it went so smoothly I decided to fly standby on an earlier flight to LAX (they go out nearly hourly). The baggage check in is directly outside the customs/imagration area. You will not miss it as all passengers are routed out this door.

TuckH,
I do mean a week from tomorrow. I noticed that the flight into NY was cancelled today and I'm guessing it probably will be tomorrow.

Thanks to all... I feel so much better now that I know what to expect. That's why I love this forum so much. I guess I can be a bit of a control freak at times. Nice to know what to expect before you're plopped into a stressful situation. My husband seems to like the opposite!