Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Transiting at JFK Airport

Hi all,

I will be arriving on an AA international flight and transferring to a CX flight. As they are in different terminals, do I have to clear customs, collect bags, exit terminal, go to new terminal, re-checkin bags? Or do I not have to collect my bags... I am confused...

Yes, except that, if they 'through-check' the bags, you collect your bags and drop them off at a conveyor belt on the left hand side just before you exit into the main terminal. So you don't have to lug your baggage to the other terminal. If you have a tight connection your bags may not make it. The last time I did it they had 7 hours for the connection due to a delayed flight and they still didn't make it. Perhaps I was just unlucky.

The last time I did it they had 7 hours for the connection due to a delayed flight and they still didn't make it. Perhaps I was just unlucky.

I had a case where I had 12 hours for a connection and they still didn't make it. JFK baggage handling really is the pits.

If you've ever seen the people JFK uses as baggage handlers, you'd be amazed that your baggage ever makes it onto a plane!

I have a somewhat related question on NYC transit...

I need to go from HKG to JAX (Jacksonville, FL) - there's no one-stop transit on oneworld/CX. so, some options I'm thinking about:


1. HKG-JFK on CX then LGA-JAX on AA: but how's the transfer between JFK-LGA, good or bad ?
2. HKG-LAX/SFO on CX then connect twice on AA to go to JAX (e.g. via DFW): i.e. this option needs 3 flights instead of 2
3. another option is HKG-LAX on CX and LAX-JAX on DL: but this DL flight doesn't operate everyday and it's overnight LAX-JAX arriving in the morning, which isn't ideal
4. HKG-ORD-JAX on UA
5. HKG-EWR-JAX on CO

both options 4 and 5 seems more hassle-free...but I prefer oneworld/CX flights as much as possible...any suggestions / comments ? I'm somewhat inclined towards option 1 now, but that involves JFK-LGA transfer both ways...any one has experience with this ? e.g. how bad is the traffic usually, or would I be better off doing 2 same-airport transits with AA, or just forget about oneworld and do UA/CO instead ?

If you've ever seen the people JFK uses as baggage handlers, you'd be amazed that your baggage ever makes it onto a plane!

In all fairness, I recently took a RTW and of all the four airports I passed through (SIN, HKG, LHR and JFK), the wait for baggage was shortest at JFK (in fact, it took less time for my bag to come out at JFK and to find a taxi than it did just waiting for a taxi at midnight at Changi).

I have a somewhat related question on NYC transit...[LIST]
1. HKG-JFK on CX then LGA-JAX on AA: but how's the transfer between JFK-LGA, good or bad ?
2. HKG-LAX/SFO on CX then connect twice on AA to go to JAX (e.g. via DFW): i.e. this option needs 3 flights instead of 2...JFK-LGA transfer is via taxi (USD 25 and 30 min) or bus (circa USD 13 and an hour); not too bad -- I've done it a dozen times and have never regretted it (EWR to JFK is a nightmare, by comparison). But flights out of LGA are often late, fwiw, and clearing customs at JFK can vary from great to awful.

SFO has maybe the best customs clearance in the US (fast, courteous and most importantly predictable) and the airport is reasonably nice (but you transit in DFW or ORD if on AA to JAX). LAX is worse for customs than SFO but better for AA connections (also you could fly AA LAX-MIA-JAX, if there are MIA-JAX flights).

I have a somewhat related question on NYC transit...

I need to go from HKG to JAX (Jacksonville, FL) - there's no one-stop transit on oneworld/CX. so, some options I'm thinking about:


1. HKG-JFK on CX then LGA-JAX on AA: but how's the transfer between JFK-LGA, good or bad ?
2. HKG-LAX/SFO on CX then connect twice on AA to go to JAX (e.g. via DFW): i.e. this option needs 3 flights instead of 2
3. another option is HKG-LAX on CX and LAX-JAX on DL: but this DL flight doesn't operate everyday and it's overnight LAX-JAX arriving in the morning, which isn't ideal
4. HKG-ORD-JAX on UA
5. HKG-EWR-JAX on CO

both options 4 and 5 seems more hassle-free...but I prefer oneworld/CX flights as much as possible...any suggestions / comments ? I'm somewhat inclined towards option 1 now, but that involves JFK-LGA transfer both ways...any one has experience with this ? e.g. how bad is the traffic usually, or would I be better off doing 2 same-airport transits with AA, or just forget about oneworld and do UA/CO instead ?


Regarding option 1, if you are doing a same day tranfer, I assume you are flying in on CX830 arriving at JFK at about 2:00 PM. The other CX flights arrive in the evening, too late to catch a connection.

First of all, I do not think you will be able to check your bags through from JFK. You will have to carry them from JFK to LGA. I am not 100% sure of this. I live in New York, so I have never done this transit.

You will need to take a bus or taxi from JFK to LGA. By the time you get your luggage and clear customs, you will be getting into rush hour. The Van Wyck Expressway is one of the worst in New York city. A trip that would take less than 30 minutes without traffic can easily be 1 hour or more.
Then you have to re-check your bags and go through security at LGA, which tends to get backed up later in the day. Late day or evening flights from LGA are rarely on time.

If you choose this option, do not book a flight that leaves LGA much before 7:00 PM. That leaves 5 hours - 6 would probably be smarter.

Personally, I would do #4 or #5.

Have you thought about JFK-JAX on Jetblue? Sure, they don't give you OW miles, but the plane is quite comfortable as far as Y go.

Regarding option 1, if you are doing a same day tranfer, I assume you are flying in on CX830 arriving at JFK at about 2:00 PM. The other CX flights arrive in the evening, too late to catch a connection.

First of all, I do not think you will be able to check your bags through from JFK. You will have to carry them from JFK to LGA. I am not 100% sure of this. I live in New York, so I have never done this transit.

You will need to take a bus or taxi from JFK to LGA. By the time you get your luggage and clear customs, you will be getting into rush hour. The Van Wyck Expressway is one of the worst in New York city. A trip that would take less than 30 minutes without traffic can easily be 1 hour or more.
Then you have to re-check your bags and go through security at LGA, which tends to get backed up later in the day. Late day or evening flights from LGA are rarely on time.

If you choose this option, do not book a flight that leaves LGA much before 7:00 PM. That leaves 5 hours - 6 would probably be smarter.

Personally, I would do #4 or #5.

thanks a lot everyone. it seems CX 830 actually is arriving ~1 pm instead of 2 pm ? and, I'll only have hand luggage and no check-in luggage, and I have the APEC business traveler card which hopefully can help me go through immigrations slightly more quickly...would it thus be early enough to avoid the rush hour traffic ?

thanks.

thanks a lot everyone. it seems CX 830 actually is arriving ~1 pm instead of 2 pm ? and, I'll only have hand luggage and no check-in luggage, and I have the APEC business traveler card which hopefully can help me go through immigrations slightly more quickly...would it thus be early enough to avoid the rush hour traffic ?

thanks.

Does the APEC business traveler card actually work when clearing Customs/Immigration in the US? If so, where can I get more information on it? It might help me out in Asia too, especially on my trips into Mainland China.

thanks a lot everyone. it seems CX 830 actually is arriving ~1 pm instead of 2 pm ? and, I'll only have hand luggage and no check-in luggage, and I have the APEC business traveler card which hopefully can help me go through immigrations slightly more quickly...would it thus be early enough to avoid the rush hour traffic ?

thanks.

Unfortunately, ABTC cannot be used for US entry for a while:
http://www.apec.org/apec/business_resources/apec_business_travel0.html

Unfortunately, ABTC cannot be used for US entry for a while:
http://www.apec.org/apec/business_resources/apec_business_travel0.html

but it does say in this link..."The U.S. currently recognizes the ABTC for expedited visa interview scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates, and facilitates immigration processing through airline crew lanes upon arrival at U.S. international airports" ? of course, you'll still need to fill out the green form, or the white form + having a valid visa.

that's what I have been using in LAX and SFO in the past few months and I hope it's something similar in JFK - i.e. I can use the crew line and it's in general quite a bit faster.

but it does say in this link..."The U.S. currently recognizes the ABTC for expedited visa interview scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates, and facilitates immigration processing through airline crew lanes upon arrival at U.S. international airports" ? of course, you'll still need to fill out the green form, or the white form + having a valid visa.

that's what I have been using in LAX and SFO in the past few months and I hope it's something similar in JFK - i.e. I can use the crew line and it's in general quite a bit faster.

I stand corrected. I thought I saw an APEC card sign some time ago in SFO, but I did not notice it now anymore.