Originally Posted by
JJeffrey
While the total travel time may be close going via JFK requires catching the 6am SFO-JFK flight, which makes for a long travel day coming from the west coast, lie flat or not.
ORD let's you grab the 8am SFO-ORD, not that much better but 2 hours is still 2 hours.
Personal preference but I'd probably go ORD; Shorter domestic connecting leg, slightly longer overnight TATL segment, and 2 extra hours of sleep the night before.
And for the reasons you stated, I'd take JFK. I'd want first flight out of SFO on whatever route - the last thing I'd want is my inbound plane delayed on the SFO segment. Although I rarely transit ORD anymore, I've historically had far more issues @ ORD than @ JFK.
And depending on how one is getting to SFO and from where ... I'm usually in a car and it takes 25 minutes to the terminal from my home across the Bay Bridge before 5am. After, I need to add an hour of cushion just to be sure I'll probably make it.