Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > American Airlines | AAdvantage
Reload this Page >

manhattan - LGA or JFK for overall experience (AC, lines, etc)?

manhattan - LGA or JFK for overall experience (AC, lines, etc)?

Old Sep 1, 23, 2:26 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: PDX
Programs: none, so sad
Posts: 2,491
manhattan - LGA or JFK for overall experience (AC, lines, etc)?

for an AA flight with AC access is there a consensus about which airport is a better option coming out of midtown Manhattan? We could cab it or take public transport, kind of adept now at the AirTrain to JFK but haven't been to LGA in about 30 years.
psychtobe is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 2:29 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,907
If you only have access to an Admirals Club (and not a more premium long-haul lounge by class of service or CK status), then LGA might be your best bet as it's much faster to access than going all the way to Kennedy.
enpremiere is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 2:30 pm
  #3  
S80
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: ORD/LHR
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 826
Originally Posted by psychtobe
for an AA flight with AC access is there a consensus about which airport is a better option coming out of midtown Manhattan? We could cab it or take public transport, kind of adept now at the AirTrain to JFK but haven't been to LGA in about 30 years.
The new LGA terminal is really nice, and the AC is very spacious and never gets crowded. Your only problem is it's LGA, so if there is a cloud in the sky then there are delays, whereas JFK keeps it together a bit better. As for which is better to get to, I'll leave that answer to a local.
S80 is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 2:53 pm
  #4  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 28,511
Originally Posted by psychtobe
for an AA flight with AC access is there a consensus about which airport is a better option coming out of midtown Manhattan?
Where in Midtown, and what day of the week/time of day?
guv1976 is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 3:44 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 104
Local here. Strong vote for LGA if you have a domestic flight (and AC, not international lounge). It's closer, newer, cleaner and security lines seem to be better organized.

If you have access to the new lounges at JFK, then it's a much better lounge experience, but the airport is further away from midtown, Terminal 8 is decrepit and TSA staff in my experience are angrier...
dvs7310, M60_to_LGA and _fx like this.
wwrjb is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 4:25 pm
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: PDX
Programs: none, so sad
Posts: 2,491
thanks,, LGA it is!

Saturday mid afternoon

C Park South. when I was a broke student I used to take the ?M60 out of Harlem to get to LGA. It looks like that can still work, or the Q70. or a cab
Antarius likes this.

Last edited by psychtobe; Sep 1, 23 at 7:29 pm
psychtobe is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 4:41 pm
  #7  
PHL
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 9,937
Originally Posted by wwrjb
Terminal 8 is decrepit and TSA staff in my experience are angrier...
Decrepit is not a term that comes to mind when describing T8. For being under 20 years old, I think it's pretty nice and spacious and modern by most standards. T7, on the other hand..... LGA has the winning hand in this game, though, with a brand new terminal.
seawolf, JJeffrey, scoonee and 3 others like this.
PHL is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 4:42 pm
  #8  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 26,854
Originally Posted by psychtobe
thabks, LGA it is!

Saturday mid afternoon

C Park South. when I was a broke student I used to take the ?M60 out of Harlem to get to LGA. It looks like that can still work, or the Q70. or a cab
Cab would be fine, not sure the going rate as the taxi fares were jacked up quite a bit recently. Probably $50-60+ with tip.
F train from 57th & 6th to Jackson Heights to Q70 a decent option too.
ijgordon is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 5:00 pm
  #9  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 28,511
Originally Posted by ijgordon
F train from 57th & 6th to Jackson Heights to Q70 a decent option too.
Yes, or the R from Fifth Avenue station. Might be a few minutes longer than the F, unless the F is running local in Queens on the OP's particular weekend.

Edited to add: Forget about taking the F from 57th and Sixth for the next several months! Details here:

https://new.mta.info/article/service...ting-august-28

("Service changes on the F and M lines starting August 28")

So the R from Fifth Avenue station (or 57th and Seventh, if more convenient) would be the way to go.

Last edited by guv1976; Sep 1, 23 at 5:21 pm
guv1976 is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 5:12 pm
  #10  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 10,582
Originally Posted by PHL
Decrepit is not a term that comes to mind when describing T8. For being under 20 years old, I think it's pretty nice and spacious and modern by most standards. T7, on the other hand..... LGA has the winning hand in this game, though, with a brand new terminal.
Agreed. It's still nice enough and spacious.

Old LGA was decrepit. Like so bad that it was worse than an airport I was at in Yemen that had been bombed. And I'm not kidding.

New LGA is a total 180. Its nice!
seawolf and zip10001 like this.
Antarius is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 5:18 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,120
Another vote for LGA! Much easier and faster to get to/from Midtown Manhattan.
donotblink is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 5:29 pm
  #12  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 28,511
Originally Posted by psychtobe

Saturday mid afternoon
Looks like the R train from Manhattan to Queens will be running every 10-14 minutes on a Saturday, mid-afternoon. (Average headway of 12 minutes.)

Trip time from Fifth Avenue station to Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue should be about 17 minutes.
guv1976 is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 5:38 pm
  #13  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,095
Originally Posted by psychtobe
thabks, LGA it is!

Saturday mid afternoon

C Park South. when I was a broke student I used to take the ?M60 out of Harlem to get to LGA. It looks like that can still work, or the Q70. or a cab
Subway to Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue (E, F, M, R) then Q70 (or Lyft/Uber instead of the Q70) is fastest.

[Edited to add: Id take the R from Central Park South. The station is just below ground and doesnt require a long trip just to get to the platform.]

Last edited by WeekendTraveler; Sep 2, 23 at 4:25 am
WeekendTraveler is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 6:30 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: AA GLD, AC
Posts: 4,032
Originally Posted by psychtobe
thabks, LGA it is!

Saturday mid afternoon

C Park South. when I was a broke student I used to take the ?M60 out of Harlem to get to LGA. It looks like that can still work, or the Q70. or a cab
​​​​​​
This is a correct statement.
M60_to_LGA is offline  
Old Sep 1, 23, 6:35 pm
  #15  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, LH Senator *Gold, AA EXP OWE Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,390
Another vote for LGA if you are using surface transportation. Beautiful new terminal.
But depending on your Manhattan location, fly Blade to/from either JFK or EWR and you don't have to worry about traffic.
https://www.blade.com/airport

Plus the views are hard to beat...

madmanshoney likes this.
SFO777 is online now  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.