Any suggestions on what to do between flight?
 

We are arriving around 9pm NY time after traveling from Athens to JFK via Heathrow on BA . We will then fly out at 7:30am from JFK to SFO on AA. I doubt that once we clear customs and collect our bags that we will have too much time before we will need to get back to the AA terminal to check in for our morning flight. Doesn't seem to make sense to get a hotel room, but don't know how staying and trying to sleep in JFK will go over.

What are your thoughts? Any good spots in either terminal to hang out and sleep?

no suggestions but you have an interesting name!

LOL! Actually nanabee, I added it as one day during a break at work I couldn't remember my password so I rejoined with my name and just added the "at work" part. Namaka is my usual screen name and is the name my very Hawaiian Hula teacher gave to me.

There is no way I would spend the nihgt in the airport - unless in one of the club lounges - and I don;t beleive they stay open overnight.

After such long flights I would want to at least have 5 or 6 hours in a bed before beginning another long one.

There are a bunch of hotels near the airport - check tripadvisor for one that is reasonably pleasant and has a shuttle early enough in the am for your ongoing flight.

Fully agree with nytraveler about the need for 5-6 hours in a real bed.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

That's what I'm starting to think...but if we arrive on time at 9pm, how long will it take to get through customs/passport, etc and get our bags? We are US citizens returning back to US. I was thinking that it might take a couple of hours to get through all that and then if we went to a hotel, we would still have to take the Airtrain to where we would than call the hotel for the shuttle and by the time we check in and settle into the room, I'm guessing it could be close to midnight. On top of that, if our flight in the morning is at 7:30am, we would need to get up and catch the shuttle back to the terminal to get there by 6ish. I am not seeing more than a good 4-5 hours of sleep and for $189.00. Still sound like a good idea? Any other ideas?

That's what I'm starting to think...but if we arrive on time at 9pm, how long will it take to get through customs/passport, etc and get our bags? We are US citizens returning back to US. I was thinking that it might take a couple of hours to get through all that and then if we went to a hotel, we would still have to take the Airtrain to where we would than call the hotel for the shuttle and by the time we check in and settle into the room, I'm guessing it could be close to midnight. On top of that, if our flight in the morning is at 7:30am, we would need to get up and catch the shuttle back to the terminal to get there by 6ish. I am not seeing more than a good 4-5 hours of sleep and for $189.00. Still sound like a good idea? Any other ideas?

You should see what my hula teacher called me.

JFK is loacted in one of the more isolated areas on NYC. You also should consider how you feel when you arrive in San Francisco, if you do not sleep at all.

It is difficult to know how many customs officials will be on duty and how many other flights will be arriving to give an exact time. But we have come through customs at JFK countless times and the only time it took us longer than hour was when my wife declared a plant.

Aduchamp1...hmmm what does your hula teacher call you?

You make a great point about how I will feel when I arrive in SFO as I will have to make the drive home to Sacramento from there (about 1 1/2 hours). I do plan on sleeping on the flight which is a non stop for 6 hours; no problem with that but worth thinking about.

Starting to rethink and recently got a priority card cc with a bonus of 60,000 points so I can use some of them to get a night at one of the JFK hotels. I think the problem is solved!!

Thanks everyone, as usual you've helped me to work it out!

If your plane is on time and the luggage is not delayed you should be at the curb by 10 or 10:30 and the shuttle will pick you up there (Air Train doesn;t go to hotels). At a minimum you will get to sleep from midnight until 5 pm - perhaps longer.

A lot of the JFK hotels are not very nice. The Courtyard and the Hampton Inn is one of the better options if you have a choice. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html

Your dining options are generally limited to hotel food or delivery from a nearby place. There are no restaurants in safe walking distance of the airport hotels. Getting through the airport shouldn't take more than an hour.

So after posting here and seeing what all of your thoughts are we have changed up the plan a little bit. We were originally going to stay at the Marriott Fairfield Inn JFK when we arrived in NY (on June 14th) prior to catching our flight out to LHR on June 15th at 8:30pm. We were planning to spend the day seeing some sights. Oh and we are using points for this night.

I decided to also book a room at JFK when we arrived back in NY based on what everyone thought but the only rooms available at the Holiday Inn JFK were for one queen bed; certainly not big enough for the four of us.

I than decided to switch our Marriott night to the end and found a Crowne Plaza at Times Square for the night when we arrive in NY. It has pretty good reviews and seems to be right in the middle of it all.

With that said, I realize that we will have further to travel to get back to JFK for our flight to LHR at 8:30pm.

So what time do you think we should leave for the airport and what do you think will be the best way to get there with two kids and at least 3 good size bags. Taxi? Shuttle?

In NYC the shuttles are notoriously unreliable - so I wouldn;t even consider it.

If the kids are older and can haul luggage around you might do public transit - either subway or LIRR to Jamaica to the Air Train.

But if it were me i would get a car service (you don;t want to be out in the street with all that luggage looking for a cab). Call either Carmel or Dial 7 - tell them what you have and when your flight is. they will tell you when they should pick you up based on weathe , traffic, construction etc. Typically they ask you to check in 3 hours early for international flights and that would mean leaving the city around 4 pm to be safe. (SInce you'll be in rush hour.)