Originally Posted by
jerry90210
I am a US citizen. I am flying to the US from outside the US. Almost every flight I have flown from the US and back has been a direct flight and I always look for a good price and good time schedule. I do notice the direct flight prices now are very high. I usually fly with Delta or Jetblue or sometimes American. Basically whichever is the lowest cost. I have never seen flight prices this high.
Airfare like everything else recently has gone up. Demand has been through the roof for the airliens recently contributing to the higher fares.
Originally Posted by
jerry90210
Now if I do decide on doing a one stop flight, how long does the layover in the Us city should be no less than? For example a flight from Cancun back to a US city and then to the final US city... I seen some layover of 1.5 hours. Another is 3.5 hours etc. But are shorter layout giving you a bigger chance of missing your next flight? Of course if you do one stop flight, there is double the chance of delay and other issue like luggage lost?
The layover time you need is going to depend on where your conencting through, some airports are better than others about clearing customs. You won't be able to book an itinerary that doesn't meet the airlines published "minimum connection time", however whether that is a sensible connection time is a different question. I can't think of any US airports where 3.5 hours wouldn't be enough time to clear customs and make the next flight (assuming no unexpected delays), however at most 1.5 hours is probably cutting it close for an international arrival and doesn't leave any cushion if things are a little slower than usual. If you have specific flights/connection points in mind I'm sure people would be happy to give you their thoughts whether that is a sensible connection. If you miss the connecting flight, the airline will be able to rebook you on their next flight with available seats for no charge.
Originally Posted by
jerry90210
Also when you do a one stop flight, you do not need to get your checked luggage right from the first US city you stop at before you go on the connecting flight to your final city?
US airports are different from most other airports across the globe with how international arrivals are handled. If you are connecting to a US destination from an international flight, you will pick up your checked bag at the first port of arrival and take it with you through customs (you do immigration/customs are your first arrival point in the US). You will then recheck the bag to your final destination (usually at a desk located just past the customs exit area)