Last BA flight to NYC
#16
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, CX Gold (OW Sapphire), Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 1,476
Global Entry is great - when they approve you for it. My papers have been in since last August, and I'm still waiting for the approval, before I can go for the face to face interview ….
#17
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,712
I decided last year that next time I travel in for business, I will go into EWR, clear immigration much quicker, get the train to Penn and a cab from there. I'll be into midtown faster and my client will pay less than the $75 cab fare from JFK.
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London
Programs: plenty - ggl, ccr, etc, etc.
Posts: 1,704
Ewr can, at the wrong time in the wrong terminal, be worse than JFK. And the train to Penn does not run to a regularly spaced timetable, so you may wish to pick your schedule with great care. As others have said, if it really matters go via Dublin, or do the Lcy-jfk ba001.
#19
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: BA Exec Club
Posts: 575
Ewr can, at the wrong time in the wrong terminal, be worse than JFK. And the train to Penn does not run to a regularly spaced timetable, so you may wish to pick your schedule with great care. As others have said, if it really matters go via Dublin, or do the Lcy-jfk ba001.
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,714
Similar wisdom goes for eastbound travel -- a US national arriving at T3 or T5 can get hung up at border entry for ages, and staffing levels do not seem coupled in any way to incoming flight volume, no matter how predictable. But I can get my passport done in a few minutes at DUB and march right out of LHR T2.
#21
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Based out of MAN; LON/NYC regular
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum Amb, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 214
Most US (and Australia, Canada, Japan, NZ, South Korea & Singapore) nationals arriving in the UK are now able to use the electronic gates along with UK/EU/EEA passport holders, so the eastbound travel issues in to the UK should be significantly eased
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g...more-countries
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g...more-countries
#22
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Class, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,720
Similar wisdom goes for eastbound travel -- a US national arriving at T3 or T5 can get hung up at border entry for ages, and staffing levels do not seem coupled in any way to incoming flight volume, no matter how predictable. But I can get my passport done in a few minutes at DUB and march right out of LHR T2.
#23
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: New York City
Programs: JGC
Posts: 445
US Immigration at JFK is terrible. They won't do anything about it because it's not like people will stop coming to JFK. When I was a student / on a US work visa I regularly waited 1-2 hours every time to re-enter. I remember sprinting off flights (was never in J back then ) to try to make it to the immigration line as fast as possible, and still waiting for an hour. Global Entry has been a godsend.
#24
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In the sticks
Programs: VS FC Gold, BA EC Gold, Amex Centurion, EK Gold, ex-G-ATVK driver
Posts: 1,786
But then theres always the additional element of surprise for LHR when theres no gate available, and then when youre finally parked, it takes 20 minutes to find someone to operate just one of the three air bridges.
#25
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JFK / LGA.. EWR is not part of NYC!
Programs: Brand loyalty is for suckers
Posts: 1,041
Reminds me a bit of flying into/out of MBJ or CUN on vacation and waiting 1-2 hours to clear immigration. I can complain, sure, but what alternative do I have? You can roll the dice with EWR, but you may end up just as bad, or worse.
If you fly more than once a year, you should have GE (it's free with a dozen different credit cards). If you're not eligible.. sorry! But you have no recourse.
If you fly more than once a year, you should have GE (it's free with a dozen different credit cards). If you're not eligible.. sorry! But you have no recourse.
#27
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 189
Most US (and Australia, Canada, Japan, NZ, South Korea & Singapore) nationals arriving in the UK are now able to use the electronic gates along with UK/EU/EEA passport holders, so the eastbound travel issues in to the UK should be significantly eased
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g...more-countries
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g...more-countries
Also, I think CBP are rolling out automated machines similar to GE. There were a lot of them when I flew back through Boston. Maybe they'll come to JFK soon?
2 worst immigration experiences I've ever had were Munich during Oktoberfest and Belize City. Terrible.
#28
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Based out of MAN; LON/NYC regular
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum Amb, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 214
I've got GE but I've travelled through ORD with companions who don't have it and the immigration process there is significantly better because ESTA holders who've visited the US before can use those kiosks along with US nationals and then just have a short chat with the CBP. The last couple of trips I think it was 5-10 minutes difference between GE based immigration and ESTA kiosk.
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: FB, GGL, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 85
Have you ever considered getting Global Entry? Like you, we got frustrated by frequent delays at immigration so my family all applied for GE. It is a long process to complete but now weve completed it weve never had to wait at immigration when arriving in the US. I highly recommend the programme.
Outbound from NYC the T7 Concorde Lounge is pretty much one of the best lounges I have used in the US and would always try and go that way.
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: FB, GGL, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 85