bobbye7

i'm a very inexperienced airplane traveler planning to visit my daughter who recently moved to westchester just north of the city. i have also never been to new york in all my 67 years! since i get very nervous about new airports, getting lost, etc. my first inclination is to fly into white plains where it'll be easier for my daughter to pick me up. she says this is nonsense, the connections there are lousy and i could just take a cab or bus from kennedy or la guardia to grand central where she would meet me. does that sound like the best plan? is it too difficult to drop off/pick up someone at these airports?
also, coming home, i may have to take the train into grand central then a bus or cab to the airport.
all this sounds very intimidating to me. any suggestions, observations, would be much appreciated.

connecticut_lady

We fly in and out of Westchester airport (HPN) and find it convenient to do so. Can you fly directly to White Plains or would you have to change planes at another airport? Your daughter is correct...connections can be difficult.

It is not difficult to pick up/ drop off at the airport although parking can be a problem certain times of the day. The size of the waiting areas both outside security and inside close to the gates makes it very crowded especially if there are delays. Last time I was there it looked as though they were making changes and maybe things are better now.

hills27

Even if have to change planes, you'll probably be more at ease flying into White Plains, which is a tiny airport and not at all intimidating.

mclaurie

I think if it's not a lot more expensive or a lot more complicated, flying into Westchester does sound easier UNLESS it's not for your daughter. Maybe she doesn't have a car? Or maybe she doesn't feel comfortable driving there? If she's urging you to fly into one of the main airports and meet her at Grand Central, maybe there's a reason (from her end). La Guardia is really close to Manhattan and if you can get a nonstop flight into it, you could then take a taxi (~$35) to Grand Central or an Express bus ($12/person) to a stop right near Grand Central. There are also van services that go between the airports and Westchester that would eliminate having to go into Manhattan. Scroll down this page to the bottom where it says "between LGA and the suburbs" until you see Westchester.
http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTrave...portation.html

J62

If you are intimidated by airports then flying into LaGuardia and taking a cab to Grand Central will be hard for you.

LaGuardia is somewhat of a zoo, so I would never, never recommend you take a bus to GC.

If she is picking you up by car then LaGuardia is ok, but it can still be confusing and hard to meet up with someone. This is true even if both have cell phones.

I would not recommend flying into JFK then taking cab to GC. By the time you do that, then get to your daughter's in Westchester you'll have spent more time than connecting.

From where are you flying? Westchester has good connections to Chicago, Atlanta, and numerous East Coast cities.

bobbye7

I'm flying from Lexington, KY. Delta has a non-stop flight to LGA that is around $250. The flights to HPN are nearly $400. They have at least one layover in Chicago and total travel time is at least 5 hours.
My daughter does have a car. Don't know why she suggested meeting me at Grand Central.

djkbooks

I'd much prefer a non-stop flight to LGA than a change of planes in Chicago! (I've done both airports by myself with bags.)

suze

I am a fairly experienced traveler and still find the NYC airports & going thru Grand Central very intimidating!

In your shoes, I would pay the higher fare, take the layover, and land in a smaller airport.

Is you daughter maybe not understanding (what you've so clearly said to us here) about you being afraid of the plan as she proposed it?

hills27

At least half of that fare difference will be eaten up by cabs and trains.

I've flown from Chicago to White Plains on American several times. It's an easy flight.

hills27

The alternative is to have a car service pick you up from and take you to La Guardia. But that can add up.

suze

My thought as hills27 has already touched on~ you do need to add the cost of the other various more complicated ground transportation to the lower airfare, to make an fair comparison of total price of the trip.

Same with the total journey time. You need to add the transfers, etc. on for time as well as expense.

mclaurie

Is the airport the problem or the flying? I did a search on kayak.com for flights and looked at airports near both Lexington and NYC. There are some nonstop flights that are cheapest between SDF (Standiford Field ) and LGA on US Airways and American, but I have no idea how far that is for you. I think La Guardia while congested, is a relatively small airport for NYC, certainly MUCH smaller than JFK or EWR. I personally would rather be on a nonstop flight and minimize air time and problems with connecting flights. The flights are relatively inexpensive (less than $250 roudtrip). Spend the extra money and find a car service that will pick you up at the airport and drive you to your daughter's door. Either let her find one or start contacting the cos. in the link I gave you above.

nytraveler

Agree with Mclaurie. It seems most convenient to take a direct flight to LGA - which IS small for a NYC airport. If your daughter dosn;t have a car - or feel comfortable picking you up there - then do take one of the shuttle services to her house in Westchester.

It makes little sense to trek all the way from LGA into Manhattan to Grand Central to meet her - then turn around and trek right back out of the city to wherever she lives in Westchester - and it would eat up a couple of extra hours versus a shuttle/car service to her house.

gail

Is it possible she wants you to meet her at Grand Central to take public transportation from there to wherever final destination is? Does she work in NYC and that is why she wants to meet you there, perhaps after work?

You sound a little annoyed that dtr will not meet you at airport. I would plan to take a cab (not bus) to GC - but make sure you have a set polace to meet at GC - it is a big place as well.

You will not get lost. Go to ground transportation level at LGA and get in the cab line. I guarantee all the cabs have been to Grand Central before.

Do you have a cell phone? Does your dtr? This will solve any problems of missing each other at wherever you decide to meet.

ellenem

You mentioned flying on Delta to LGA--Delta has its own terminal and is a good deal less confusing than the main terminal that is shared by many airlines. It should be pretty straightforward to take a taxi or even the express bus to Grand Central Terminal from there. The express bus stops right across 42nd St from Grand Central.

bobbye7

finally made up my feeble mind! i'll be flying directly into and out of LGA. daughter is picking me up. tentatively we plan to take the train from westchester into the city monday (columbus day), spend some time there then i'll take a cab to the airport. problem is, what to do with luggage? grand central doesn't have lockers. any ideas on this?

ellenem

Two bloks away, the main libraqry and 42nd & Fifth, now called the Humnities and Social Sciences Library, has two free checkrooms.

Hours are 11-6 on Mondays, though I would check ahead since it may be considered a holiday.

http://www.nypl.org/hours/

checkroom info:
http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/visit/checkroom.html

Some department stores have checkrooms.

nyer

ellenem(and bobbye7),The NY Public Library idea will not work. The website you list says "Luggage of any size is not permitted in the Library, and the checkroom will not accept such items"

ellenem

oops

suze

The luggage is a problem. I'm not sure what you can do, since you won't be based out of a hotel (which would hold it for you).