Bramspam

Hi
I am flying into jfk from the uk and out of la guardia. Originally I have 4 and half hours but both airlines have changed their flight times. I now land at 12.45 lunch at JFK and need to catch a flight from la guardia for 3.50. What are my chances or do you advise later flight ? Which means hanging in airport for 6 hours ��

abram

Taxi is quickest.
Consider the time it will take to deplane, get your luggage, go through customs and immigration, take a cab, and check in at least 90 minutes before your flight.

IMDonehere

Taxi. There is a shuttle, but the traffic on the Van Wyck, which every vehicle must take is usually bumper to bumper until the Long Island Expressway (LIE).

nytraveler

I would be hesitant to take that connection.

Is it a single ticket? If it is and you don;t make the second flight it's the airine's responsibility to get you onto the next possible fight (which may be the next day). But if you have 2 separate tickets and miss the connection you would be a no-show and have to buy another ticket at the walk up price.

If you land at 12:45 it can easily take you an hour to deplane and get to and through Immigration: 1:45. If you have to collect checked luggage and go through Customs: 2:15. Get in a cab and get to LGA: 3 pm. So you are already an hour short of the 2 hour recommended check in time.

I would go for a later connecting flight - but circumstances: one ticket or two separate ones, do you have checked luggage or not, how risk averse are you - will make a difference.

Dukey1

Just because an airline "recommends" you be at the airport two or even three hours prior to departure does not mean that if you aren't you WILL miss a flight. LOTS of people get to airports less than two hours prior to departure and make it onto airline fights.

I would be far more concerned about the amount of time it will take you to get between the two airorts than worrying about whether or not you will get to LGA with the "recommended" time to spare.

There has been talk about longer security lines at airports this summer and both the airlines and the government entity whih is directly responsible for those longer lines have recommended getting to airports two and three hours ahead.

You simply decrease your chances of mmissing a flight by doing so and sometimes what you end up doing is increase your chances of wandering around the airport and being tempted to but the ridiculously overpriced food and erchandize as you wait for that plane to board passengers.

nytraveler

When the airports have announced that security lines will be longer due to fewer TA agents and more passengers I would not want to arrive at LGA with only 50 minutes before flight time and have to check luggage and get through security and still make the fight.

doug_stallings

Normally, the trip between JFK and LGA by taxi takes about 15 minutes, but it can take 40 if there is traffic. You don't say if this is a weekday or a weekend, but that's a crucial difference. On a weekday, the trip is likely take longer.

There is no circumstance under which I would chance the connection you have described. Going through immigration and customs could take you up to an hour (on rare occasions more) if you are not US citizens. You might also have to wait in a longish line for a taxi (say 15 minutes). It's almost impossible to get out of JFK in less than an hour after landing an international flight.

Also, security lines at some LGA terminals can be extremely long. The last time I flew out of LGA (3 weeks ago), I had to wait in line for 50 minutes for security. I've heard reports that on some days lines have been over 90 minutes, but I think that is not typical. But lines are likely to be very long this summer.

If you insist on trying, then make sure you are checked in for both your flights before you leave the UK. You'll be more likely to make the connection if you don't have checked luggage (the wait to check luggage at LGA can also be long).

nytraveler

Fifteen minutes JFK to LGA is best possible time. I have done it landing at midnight or 6 am coming in from CA. Also MAY be possible early am on weekends or after about 10 pm except on holiday weekends..

But during most of the day (and when you will be there) you will run into traffic at least - possibly also construction or accident or Met game traffic.

It is possible that you will (barely) make this connection. But also quite likely that you won't.

DebitNM

Personally, I would rather wait 6 hours in airport than worry from now till my butt was actually in the seat on the second flight.