What is the shortest amount of time you would leave between flights, arriving at JFK on a Wednesday in April at 10:40 a.m. from Amsterdam (AA), and leaving from LGA to SFO (miles, students, cheap, no choice)? Right now, their flight from LGA to SFO is at 1:40 p.m. Carry-on luggage only.

Are they US citizens or green card holders?

US citizens.

I think they should make it. There's a bus that costs about 15 bucks.

Hi sf7307 - Sometimes international arrivals can be sluggish (waiting on line thru customs), but barring a flight delay, they should be fine. I would spring for a cab or car service to be safe. I'm not aware of a flat rate between airports in a yellow cab. Car service quotes are easy to obtain.

They're cheap, but we're not, so we'll spring for the cab or car service (after all, they're coming HOME!)

Thanks all.

I was thinking of my own when I made the recommendation!!!

CPG, since this is my thread, I figure I can go OT -- have you been out with your son to look at Stanford and Palo Alto? The reason our son is coming home from Uganda is to do the "admitted students" thing at the law schools to which he's been accepted.

The bus, NY Airport Service, charges $13pp one-way. So if there's more than one person (which sounds that's the case), it's not that much more to take a cab instead.

I would allow 1 hour to get through immigration at JFK. The question is, how bad is traffic at noon on a Wednesday? From the websites I've read, a taxi ride can range anywhere from 20 minutes to 60 minutes.

Thanks. So even if it takes an hour to get through immigration, and an hour to get from JFK to LGA, they'll still make the next flight unless their first flight is delayed. And yes, there are two of them.

sf - it's becoming a nightmare. Stanford is 3/10, UCLA is 3/6 and UCSD is 3/13 - 3/15 and there's one more in Ca that he didn't hear from yet. He heard from Stanford first and I had a brilliant idea to meet him in SF on 3/6 and spend a long w/end with him. I literally spent almost a day trying to make travel arrangements for him from RI - not easy - and the fares went up by the hour. Now, he may need to go to UCLA first. To complicate things, he's still in school with a heavy load and two TA jobs. I'm anxious, but he seems ok. Is your son going home first and then heading back east for the admitted student sessions?

I'm assuming that the flight AMS-JFK is a separate ticket from the LGA-SFO flight, correct?

To be on the safe side, I'd have them do Online check-in for their LGA-SFO flight before they depart AMS. If possible, have their BPs printed out, so if they're really running late, they can just go straight to the security lines and run to their gates.

this would be much better than waiting until they arrive at LGA to check in. I think most airlines have a cut-off time for flight check-in at 45 minutes prior to departure. So if they arrive at the check-in desk 44 mins prior to departure, they could be denied boarding. Not a problem if they have already checked-in with BPs in hand.

My son's was just as complicated, but now isn't. Now they're planning on coming home for a week, then to New York, New Haven and Boston, I think in that order. We might meet them in Boston for a few days if they end up apartment-hunting. Originally, the schedule was Boston, NY, San Francisco, NY, New Haven, Boston!

YK, I'm pretty sure it is separate tickets. I'll suggest to them that they print out their boarding passes while at AMS. Thanks for the suggestion.

Let me know if your son needs help/suggestion for apartment-hunting in Boston.

From those cities, I'm certain of at least one school - all I can say is WOW!

Thank you both. CPG, I didn't specify the schools because I hate to brag, but honestly, it's worth bragging about! Yes, he got into a lot of good schools!

You're not bragging; you're proud! - as you have every right to be. Is he leaning toward any one in particular? Have any offered scholarships?

email me at dmlove51 at hotmail and I'll be happy to share more!

I will, but it will be tomorrow. NYC ballet awaits!