wr_schwab

I can sort of answer question 3...if the TSA's PreCheck hours site is accurate - https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/schedule, PreCheck is available from 10am-11am on a Thursday. It is not available before 10 or after 11. Seeing those hours was a surprise to me since I've never seen Precheck at T1 at JFK.

Please be advised that JAL does not participate in PreCheck so if AA can't issue the boarding pass for 8495 and JAL has to, it won't be available.

Gino Troian

Take the SkyTrain... Terminal 8 connects directly to Terminal 1. No TSA pre-check. There's a first/business class lane, but that too is extremely slow. Expect a 30 minute wait to get through security.

JDiver

We have merged your query into the existing GUIDE thread. Please consult the Wikipost at the top of the page for illustrated information that might be useful.

Moderator

ckd38

KeptiFI

Hey guys,

First post, long time reader...

I have a flight from Helsinki, Finland to JFK (Finnair) and then connection with AA to Miami from JFK.

There is 1 hour and 15 minutes between the flights. I do not believe this meets the MCT even? They are on the same ticket, though.
I wrote them on Twitter and they said it will be fine.

Do you think it's possible to make this connection? I believe I still have to go through immigration and also take my suitcase through customs, or?

Thanks!

Global321

You are right at the minimum connection time. It is 1 hour and 15 minutes (International to Domestic). Yes, you will clear customs, claim your bag and recheck it.

Right now it looks like you are on the last non-stop from JFK to MIA, leaving at 5:10pm. Should you run late, there is a connecting flight that leaves at 7 pm and arrives just after midnight. So you have an option, assuming it is available.

Looking at the flight for the past few weeks, the earliest it arrived was 3:34 and the latest 5:20. 10-15 minutes late seems to be the most common arrival time.

Without an expedited path such as Trusted Traveller, customs/Immigration at JFK can be hit or miss. While 30-40 minutes to clear, grab your bag and recheck is possible, unfortunately, so is 2 hours or more. Once you clear customs/immigration and grab your bag and redrop it, you will then need to go back through security. Again, without pre-check, the line can be long.

A few time savers:

• Do you have Trusted Traveller or other expedited program? If yes, your bags are the only real delay.
• Can you use ESTA / APC? This can save you a lot of time.
• Will you be getting off the plane quickly in business class or back of the bus in economy? Again, this could put you near the front of any line as the first one off or 100-200 people deep if you are the last.
• Can you not check a bag? This reduced another potential obstacle.
• Weather in New York? Expect a delay in your inbound. Could mean a delay in your flight to Miami, could not.

A few positives...

• Both Finnair and American use Terminal 8, so you will not have to switch terminals. That is a good thing.
• The MCT is 1 hour and 15 minutes. They would not give these flights this MCT if the vast majority of people could not make the connection.

Sorry to not be more helpful, but, it really depends on a lot of factors. In business class, with Trusted Traveller and no bags, you would make it without much issue on almost all days. Each barrier beyond that adds time and increases the likelihood of a misconnect. But, as I mentioned, there is a connecting flight at 7pm.

Hope this helps.

KeptiFI

Thank you so much for the detailed answer.

I am using ESTA, but I'm not enrolled in to the Trusted Traveller program.

I guess I just have to wish for the best that everything runs smoothly. I guess American airlines don't compensate travellers like they do in EU if delayed more than few hours?

Thanks again.

Global321

I believe you are still covered by EU. Take a look at Air France SA v Heinz-Gerke Folkerts and Luz-Tereza Folkerts

“…a passenger on directly connecting flights must be compensated when he has been delayed at departure for a period below the limits specified in the regulation, but has arrived at his final destination at least three hours later than the scheduled arrival time. That compensation is not conditional upon there having been a delay at departure.“

Of course, if your Finnair flight arrives on time or are only slightly delayed on Finnair and you misconnect, AA could argue (a) you had enough time and didn't move without delay to the departure area, (b) tell you to talk to Finnair or (c) simply not respond. But, that is another thread. Hopefully, you make your connection and it, therefore, does not apply.

KeptiFI

Got it, thanks!

Appreciate your help! :-)

cyborg

Deleted

LondonElite

Mountlodge

Hi,

I'll be on the AA105 LHR-JFK late arriving 1730 then the following morning on the AA15 to SFO departing 0700.
Q. Will I need to collect my luggage at JFK or will it go all the way through to SFO. I ask as I'm contemplating making the most of 13.5 hrs in New York and thinking about doing a night tour and pretty much making the most of New York overnight (Despite no longer being a spring chicken!!) rather than paying out for a hotel for the night.

According to Oneworld website AA Check-in opens 0400 so hopefully by the time I get through Security I can get some breakfast in the Flagship Lounge before my flight.
Only issue is if I have to collect my luggage then finding a 24hr baggage store in T8. I've checked Luggage Storage | JFK Airport and see only T4 has 24 hr storage access (not unless someone knows of somewhere in T8 that is 24hrs).

Thanks
ML

trooper

As JFK is your port of entry you'll need to collect your bags for Customs clearance.... whether you can then recheck them with AA I could not tell you....

Blumie

There is luggage storage at T8, though you’ll need to call for their hours of operation: +1-718-995-9292.

Also check out the sources listed in this article:
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/0...e-storage.html

Often1

This will all depend on whether AA tags your bags to JFK or to SFO. If the former, you will not be able to check them at JFK until the next morning. If the bags are tagged to SFO, you will be able to simply drop them with the AA bag drop post-CBP at JFK. As a rule, AA should refuse to tag the bags with an overnight connection, but you may be able to convince LHR staff to do so. You cannot count on the latter and won't know until check-in whether it will happen as the official answer is "no".