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Old Mar 19, 2024 | 4:30 am
  #9  
Stewie Mac
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Originally Posted by NWIFlyer
Much depends on where the OP is sitting on the plane, whether they have status, whether their passport allows them to use the e-gates for a landside transfer. Ordinarily these things don't matter to most passengers, but here they potentially become crucial.

Best case scenario assuming exactly on-time at the gate, airside transfer: 6.22 off the plane, arrival gate close to the transfer buses (I think the best option here - immigration is less predictable and the walk is fairly long in the landside tunnel), arrive transfer bus at 6.27. Bus arrives at 6.30. Arrive T2 at 6.35. Transit security by 6.40. Clear security at 6.45. Gate by 6.55, so 15 minutes to spare before gate close.

Landside transfer: 6.22 off the plane, arrival gate close to immigration. 6.25 at immigration. 6.30 exit immigration. 6.35 exit T3. Walk landside to T2, using lifts at T2 to departures. Arrive T2 departures 6.45. At security 6.47. Clear security 6.50 (highly optimistically, even the priority lane isn't quick these days). Gate 6.55.

In reality, this ideal will not happen and there'll be another 10 minutes lost somewhere. It really, really wouldn't take much for this to go wrong.
But actually on those early morning TATLs, the best case scenario is a healthy tailwind and an arrival well before 6am, which makes the whole thing a lot more comfortable. Yes it's tight, but it's certainly possible, and if the OP checks latest weather he should get some idea of likely ETA and chances before he leaves JFK.

EDIT: I clearly don't know what I'm talking about, and bow to the greater recent experience of scottishpoet and NWIFlyer below. And for the avoidance of doubt, I think that while it's *possible*, the OP would be foolhardy to attempt this with any expectation of success....

Last edited by Stewie Mac; Mar 19, 2024 at 8:26 am
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