Renee.liber8ed

Hello,

My mother-in-law is going to be traveling through JFK next week. She will arrive at Terminal 1 and her connecting flight is departing from Terminal 4. Because she speaks limited English, I want to give her as many insights into the process as possible. Here are my questions:

1. The ticket is separately booked, so she will have to retrieve her luggage and go through customs and leave the secured area. (I think you have to do this no matter what from an International flight.) Can she still access AirTrain from "outside" of security?
2. I assume a 4 hour connection time will suffice. Is this adequate time under normal conditions?
3. Are there any free WiFi sites at JFK Terminal 1 or 4? Or even 30 minute gratis zones or a McDonalds that gives codes with purchase? (She won't get an American SIM until she reaches SFO and it would be handy to have a way to communicate.)

Thank you to anyone who can offer insight!

guv1976

1.A Google search indicates that there is free WiFi in all JFK terminals:

https://www.jfkairport.com/at-airport/wifi-instructions

2. JFK AirTrain is located landside. Your mother-in-law can take any train -- regardless of posted destination -- from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4. The Jamaica- and Howard Beach-bound trains will be a few minutes faster than the "All Terminals" AirTrain, but the time difference will not be significant, so to avoid confusion, she should just take the first train to arrive at T1.

3. Despite the fact that she is traveling on separate tickets, your mother-in-law's first airline might be able and willing to check her baggage through to her final destination. Although the baggage would still have to be claimed for Customs inspection at T1, if it is through-checked, your mother-in-law would then be able to drop the baggage at the re-check desk after Customs at T1, and not have to tote it over to T4 herself.

If you do a Google search, you can find images of JFK AirTrain signage, so that your mother-in-law knows what to look for after she clears Customs at T1.

And welcome to FlyerTalk!

LondonElite

As she is on separate tickets, she is not connecting. She just has two separate journeys. This is important because if she does not checkin/show up for boarding in time for flight two, that whole ticket will be cancelled. Consider a flight that arrives an hour late, and she is stuck in an immigration line for 90 minutes. Catching the next flight would be almost impossible given the terminal change and security. With limited English, that could be an issue.

It would help if you posted additional details, like airline and route.

owflyer

In the US on US carriers your flight/itinerary is not cancelled if you miss the outbound, as long as you show up within a reasonable amount of time of your initial flight you will be accommodated, albeit most likely on standby. This info is helpful when delays happen.

LondonElite

That’s not strictly true. She can be accommodated (flat tire style) but there is no requirement for the airline to do so.

guv1976

That depends very much on the airline. AA has a formal flat-tire policy; DL does not, but might be understanding if the passenger were delayed at Immigration/Customs on a different airline, and had allowed four hours for the transfer.

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airli...missed-flight/

Since the passenger would be transferring to T4, I'm guessing that the second flight will be on DL.

LondonElite

I know the different policies. I’m not trying to be a doom monger, but it important for people to understand the differences. It is better to be cautious than to throw poor advice that leads someone to believe they have flexibility where they do not.

owflyer

You stated "This is important because if she does not checkin/show up for boarding in time for flight two, that whole ticket will be cancelled."

That statement is blatantly false. The ticket may be cancelled, but never in the US in my experience.

LondonElite

Fair enough, it retains whatever value under the fare rules, which may not be much. There may be some credit towards another flight.

Toshbaf

https://upgradedpoints.com/getting-b...ls-JFK-airport

This article has airport maps and pictures as well as advice.

For the person who doesn't want too much information, exit Terminal 1 and take the AirTrain to Terminal 4.

For the person who tries to gain advantage and wants lots of information, consider taking the AirTrain from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. Terminal 2 security is often faster. There is a Delta shuttle bus between Terminal 2 and several parts of Terminal 4.