JFK terminal 5 to terminal 2 - will I make my connection?
Mar 24, 2019, 4:59 pm
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2019
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JFK terminal 5 to terminal 2 - will I make my connection?
Hi everyone,
This will be my first time traveling through JFK and I need some help making my connecting flight on time. I normally leave myself a 2 hour window between flights, but unfortunately I made the mistake of booking the earlier connection flight that leaves me with only 70 mins between flights... I do not have any checked bags. I need some advice on the fastest way to get from my domestic flight from Honolulu, HI arriving at JFK terminal 5 to my connecting flight at JFK terminal 2. My flight from HNL arrives at terminal 5 at 6:50am and my connecting flight from terminal 2 departs at 8:10am. From what I've read, the AirTrain seems to be the fastest way between terminals but I would have to wait through almost all the terminal stops ( 5 > 7 > 8 > 1 > 2 ) and then go through TSA. Any idea how long it might take me to get from terminal 5 to 2? Do I have any chance of making this connection? Is there a faster route than the AirTrain's inner loop? Help!
This will be my first time traveling through JFK and I need some help making my connecting flight on time. I normally leave myself a 2 hour window between flights, but unfortunately I made the mistake of booking the earlier connection flight that leaves me with only 70 mins between flights... I do not have any checked bags. I need some advice on the fastest way to get from my domestic flight from Honolulu, HI arriving at JFK terminal 5 to my connecting flight at JFK terminal 2. My flight from HNL arrives at terminal 5 at 6:50am and my connecting flight from terminal 2 departs at 8:10am. From what I've read, the AirTrain seems to be the fastest way between terminals but I would have to wait through almost all the terminal stops ( 5 > 7 > 8 > 1 > 2 ) and then go through TSA. Any idea how long it might take me to get from terminal 5 to 2? Do I have any chance of making this connection? Is there a faster route than the AirTrain's inner loop? Help!
Mar 24, 2019, 5:45 pm
#2
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Welcome to FlyerTalk!
The AirTrain Inner Loop route will be the fastest; please note that it runs counter-clockwise, so it will be T5 > T4 >T2. Please note that Delta's gates can change so please confirm that your flight will be actually leaving from T2 (the gate will begin with "C") and not T4 (the gate will begin with "B"). Just be sure to get on the Inner Loop train and not a Howard Beach or Jamaica train; the ride from T5 to T2 should be 5 minutes. The T2 entrance is not connected to the AirTrain station, so you will need to take the stairs or elevator down from the platform to street level, walk a few minutes to T2, and then clear TSA there. The good news is that T2 is pretty small so the lines shouldn't be that long.
I think you should be ok making the connection, especially if the HA flight is a little early, as it normally is. I'd guess it would take about 40-45 minutes from the time you left the gate in T5 to arrive at your departing gate at T2; less if you have PreCheck.
The AirTrain Inner Loop route will be the fastest; please note that it runs counter-clockwise, so it will be T5 > T4 >T2. Please note that Delta's gates can change so please confirm that your flight will be actually leaving from T2 (the gate will begin with "C") and not T4 (the gate will begin with "B"). Just be sure to get on the Inner Loop train and not a Howard Beach or Jamaica train; the ride from T5 to T2 should be 5 minutes. The T2 entrance is not connected to the AirTrain station, so you will need to take the stairs or elevator down from the platform to street level, walk a few minutes to T2, and then clear TSA there. The good news is that T2 is pretty small so the lines shouldn't be that long.
I think you should be ok making the connection, especially if the HA flight is a little early, as it normally is. I'd guess it would take about 40-45 minutes from the time you left the gate in T5 to arrive at your departing gate at T2; less if you have PreCheck.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Mar 25, 2019 at 9:21 am
Mar 24, 2019, 9:54 pm
#3
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No, JFK will always make you miss your connection. If they don't delay you by closing the immigration gate in front of you for no reason and making you wait half an hour, they will lose your luggage on transfer,or misdirect you to the wrong security queue, or change the departure gate with no time for you to get to it.
Mar 24, 2019, 10:45 pm
#4
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What FlyHawaiian stated is spot on. It shouldn't be a problem making your connecting flight. Most important thing is to ensure you don't take the wrong train and headed the opposite direction. From T5 to T2, around 3-5 minutes. But if you end up taking the wrong train, could end up being around 10 minutes or so. Once you get off the train, it's about another 5 minute walk to T2. Only variable and bottleneck issue I see will be clearing TSA. Best of luck.
Mar 25, 2019, 9:33 am
#5
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What FlyHawaiian stated is spot on. It shouldn't be a problem making your connecting flight. Most important thing is to ensure you don't take the wrong train and headed the opposite direction. From T5 to T2, around 3-5 minutes. But if you end up taking the wrong train, could end up being around 10 minutes or so. Once you get off the train, it's about another 5 minute walk to T2. Only variable and bottleneck issue I see will be clearing TSA. Best of luck.
OP: are both of your flights on a single ticket? If so, you have a connection, and should be protected in the event of irregular operations. If not, then you don't have a connection -- you just have two separately-ticketed flights -- and you would be at Delta's mercy if you miss your Delta flight.
Mar 25, 2019, 10:25 am
#6
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If the OP gets on the wrong AirTrain, it will take a lot longer than ten minutes to get from T5 to T2. The "wrong" train will go all the way to Jamaica or Howard Beach (without serving T2), before reversing direction and returning to the airport.
OP: are both of your flights on a single ticket? If so, you have a connection, and should be protected in the event of irregular operations. If not, then you don't have a connection -- you just have two separately-ticketed flights -- and you would be at Delta's mercy if you miss your Delta flight.
OP: are both of your flights on a single ticket? If so, you have a connection, and should be protected in the event of irregular operations. If not, then you don't have a connection -- you just have two separately-ticketed flights -- and you would be at Delta's mercy if you miss your Delta flight.
Mar 25, 2019, 12:03 pm
#8
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A few thoughts:
First, it's easy to figure out the correct train to get on. The signage and the announcements will indicate whether a train is going to Howard Beach, Jamaica Station or All Terminals. You want the All Terminals train.
Second, notwithstanding how easy it is to get on the correct train, many people get on the wrong train. If you do, it's not that big of a deal. If the train you are on stops at the Federal Circle station, you will know you are on the wrong train. If so, just hop off there and get on a train heading in the opposite direction. (At Federal Circle, you have to take the escalator up or down a level -- I can't remember which -- to get back on a train going back to the terminals.) This is extraordinarily unlikely, as I suspect you are smart enough only to board an All Terminals train, but if you make a mistake it's easily rectified.
Finally, the issue of whether your'e on one ticket or two is entirely irrelevant to whether you'll make your flight, but becomes relevant if you miss your flight.
First, it's easy to figure out the correct train to get on. The signage and the announcements will indicate whether a train is going to Howard Beach, Jamaica Station or All Terminals. You want the All Terminals train.
Second, notwithstanding how easy it is to get on the correct train, many people get on the wrong train. If you do, it's not that big of a deal. If the train you are on stops at the Federal Circle station, you will know you are on the wrong train. If so, just hop off there and get on a train heading in the opposite direction. (At Federal Circle, you have to take the escalator up or down a level -- I can't remember which -- to get back on a train going back to the terminals.) This is extraordinarily unlikely, as I suspect you are smart enough only to board an All Terminals train, but if you make a mistake it's easily rectified.
Finally, the issue of whether your'e on one ticket or two is entirely irrelevant to whether you'll make your flight, but becomes relevant if you miss your flight.
Mar 25, 2019, 3:50 pm
#9
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The All Terminals inner loop train sometimes doesn't seem to run, in which case you'd have to backtrack on the Howard Beach/Jamaica trains, although as Blumie said, you can get off at Federal Circle, which is a few minutes past T8; you don't need to go all the way to the end. This would probably add 15 minutes to the journey vs. the inner loop. It might actually be faster to walk from T5 to T2, though I'm not entirely sure how feasible that is (esp. T5 to T4). You could also walk to T4, clear security there and take a jitney to T2, but again subject to pedestrian accessibility between T5 and T4.
Not sure if there's a good place that would have live updates regarding any AirTrain irregularities, like Twitter or the Port Authority website.
Not sure if there's a good place that would have live updates regarding any AirTrain irregularities, like Twitter or the Port Authority website.
Mar 26, 2019, 7:37 am
#10
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If the OP gets on the wrong AirTrain, it will take a lot longer than ten minutes to get from T5 to T2. The "wrong" train will go all the way to Jamaica or Howard Beach (without serving T2), before reversing direction and returning to the airport.
OP: are both of your flights on a single ticket? If so, you have a connection, and should be protected in the event of irregular operations. If not, then you don't have a connection -- you just have two separately-ticketed flights -- and you would be at Delta's mercy if you miss your Delta flight.
OP: are both of your flights on a single ticket? If so, you have a connection, and should be protected in the event of irregular operations. If not, then you don't have a connection -- you just have two separately-ticketed flights -- and you would be at Delta's mercy if you miss your Delta flight.
Mar 26, 2019, 7:55 pm
#11
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OK, so you don’t have a connection. You might make the next flight (in all probability you will if everything is on time), but if your flight from HNL is late then you‘ll be on the hook for a walk-up fare.
Mar 27, 2019, 10:40 am
#13
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That’s what I’m hoping for, obviously it would be great if I make my Delta flight but maybe standby will be an option if I do end up missing my 8:00 am flight. It is the last flight in my journey home and I don’t have checked bags to worry about. Wish me luck!
