Hi
We're staying in Manhattan for 3 nights, but, the next day, we have a 9:30am flight to Chicago, from JFK. Would you chance getting there on time from Manhattan in the morning, or would you leave your Manhattan hotel late evening (ie not sleep there) and stay a night in a JFK hotel? More expensive, of course, but less stressful? Thanks for thoughts.

I think it's 6 of one half dozen of the other. Do whichever feels comfortable for you. I'd probably just get up obscenely early and head to the airport because I wouldn't want to sacrifice the previous evening changing hotels.

9:30 for a domestic flight isn't terribly early, at least not early enough to warrant getting a hotel close to JFK.

It's only 15miles to the airport, so even at a snails pace the entire way you have time to get there. If you left the hotel at 6:30am you would be way early for your flight. If you checkin online beforehand and only have carryon you have even more time.

wliwl and J62, of course, you both speak perfect sense! Especially as a decent hotel at JFK would set us back around $300 (3 of us).
I will have my laptop, so will be able to check in beforehand, but we do have luggage, so would need to check that in. We are flying with JetBlue and they state you must do this at least 30 minutes prior to take-off time, which, as you say, should give us plenty of time. Just panicking ...
Thanks!

There's absolutely no reason to stress or panic about getting to JFK for a 9:30 flight. When I leave for the airport very early (i.e., about 6 or 6:30), it often takes only 20 minutes (occasionally less) for me to reach the airport from my apartment in Murray Hill. Add 10 minutes from Midtown. There's very little traffic at that time of the morning, even in Manhattan. It would be a huge waste of money to stay in one of the inferior airport hotels.

My advice: Set up a car service to pick you up at a specified time in the morning.

The only time I would alter this advice is if you are traveling this coming weekend. That's a whole different story.

Because of the Pope's visit.

I agree with Doug. My flights out of JFK are always before 8 a.m. and I take a car service from Midtown approximately 1 hour prior to my check-in time...to be on the safe side.

Thanks folks - yes, I had considered a car service. Would 7:00am be adequate time?

(I didn't know the Pope was visiting NYC!)

I personally would leave earlier than 7:00 - but I've NEVER missed a flight either. Ha ha.

What time does your airline require you to be at the gate?

wliwl, flight is 9:30 and the only stipulation I can find on JetBlue's site (on my e-tickets there is nothing) is that the luggage must be checked in at least 30 mins before flight. I shall check-in (the people!) online. So, I guess if we get there by 8, then that *should* be plenty of time?

I've never missed a flight either, and don't want to start now - LOL. The trouble is, if we have to leave much earlier than 7, then that means either
(a) early to bed the night before (in NYC?!)
or
(b) I won't sleep because I'll be afraid of oversleeping! Therefore I'll be real tired and won't be able to enjoy our first day in Chicago. The reason I chose the early flight was so that we'd have more time to enjoy the city!

I've never flown internally in the US before - and, for international flights, you need to be checked in at least 2 hours before the flight (more generally 3 hours), thus my confusion.

Actually, the flight time when I booked was 9:45. This is now 9:30 - I only found out by accident, and JetBlue didn't email me to inform me of change of time.

I would think that if you are there by 8:00 you should be good to go.

Here is the only thing I found on the Jet Blue web site:

"If you are not checking bags, you may check in up to 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure and must be in the gate area at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure."

I have to say though, for me, showing up at the gate with only 10 minutes to spare makes me nervous. Sometimes it is unavoidable of course, but the Jet Blue terminal can be a zoo at JFK.

It's not so much getting to the airport, rather, it's getting through security that can take some time. I would think arriving at the airport between 8 and 8:30 would give you plenty of time, though (even with horrendous security lines at SFO and Gatwick, I've never actually stood in one for more than 45 minutes).

Look at it this way. At the hour you need to leave Manhattan, an hour to get there is MAXIMUM. Even from a JFK hotel, you'd need to allow 15 to 30 minutes for their shuttle or to get a taxi. So all you're "saving" by staying at JFK is at most 45 minutes. Forget about it!

By the way, when we did a daytime flight to London from JFK departing at 8AM, they insisted we be there at 6 AM. We got a taxi from midtown at 5 AM, and arrived at JFK in about 20 minutes tops -- we flew there and there was NO traffic. We were through check-in and security in about 15 minutes. So we had over 2 and a half hours at the gate (thank goodness for the Admiral's Club).

But always better safe, than sorry.

9:30 is a very reasonable time to fly our of JFK. In fact, if we had such a flight, we would stay in NYC for the nigth and just leave from there to go to the airport (we live in new england).
I'm very cautious about having enough time to get to the aiport and i think leaving at 7 gives you plenty of time. In fact, my DH probably wouldn't want to leave till at least 7:30.

I would wait and go to JFK in the morning rather than pay for two separate hotels for the night (if you're not paying for the hotel in Manhattan that night you will have to be out of the room by noon).

And frankly - it's faster getting to the airport early in the am than in the evening. Plus why waste time on an extra check in and out and pack/unpack -- even if only partial?

Ditto the above. Stay in Manhattan and order a car service for 7AM. If that worries you, book it for 6:45 am.

I don't know why you would lose sleep about that.