Advice - SFO to ATH with SWU - Stop in ORD or JFK?
Aug 6, 2025 | 8:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 28
Advice - SFO to ATH with SWU - Stop in ORD or JFK?
EP flying to ATH next week. SWU will instantly clear on the long legs but not the domestic. I can stop in either ORD or JFK. Duration and flight times are about the same for both and each has 2.5 hour layover.
JFK
-772
-only seat 7A available (close to galley and lav)
-J is currently almost empty SFO-JFK so SWU more likely to clear
ORD
-788
-Only a seat in row 4 available and its marked rear facing on the map
-Maybe 50-50 odds of clearing into first on the SFO-ORD leg
Im leaning towards ORD since the 787 is a more comfortable cabin experience and thinking JFK might be more prone to weather and systems issues this time of year. But JFK premium lounge and lie flat on the domestic leg are tempting. Any thoughts?
JFK
-772
-only seat 7A available (close to galley and lav)
-J is currently almost empty SFO-JFK so SWU more likely to clear
ORD
-788
-Only a seat in row 4 available and its marked rear facing on the map
-Maybe 50-50 odds of clearing into first on the SFO-ORD leg
Im leaning towards ORD since the 787 is a more comfortable cabin experience and thinking JFK might be more prone to weather and systems issues this time of year. But JFK premium lounge and lie flat on the domestic leg are tempting. Any thoughts?
Aug 6, 2025 | 8:51 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Weather in both cities looks decent for next week - ORD is better at recovering from bad weather. However JFK has more options for backup flights.
I would do JFK due to the better chance of upgrade on the domestic segment, and especially because that leg is lay-flat.
I would do JFK due to the better chance of upgrade on the domestic segment, and especially because that leg is lay-flat.
Aug 6, 2025 | 9:11 am
#5
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One more for JFK.
The flight time from ORD isn't meaningfully longer to get much additional sleep. Take the lay flats on both legs. Also Soho > ORD FL.
The flight time from ORD isn't meaningfully longer to get much additional sleep. Take the lay flats on both legs. Also Soho > ORD FL.
Aug 6, 2025 | 9:14 am
#6
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While the total travel time may be close going via JFK requires catching the 6am SFO-JFK flight, which makes for a long travel day coming from the west coast, lie flat or not.
ORD let's you grab the 8am SFO-ORD, not that much better but 2 hours is still 2 hours.
Personal preference but I'd probably go ORD; Shorter domestic connecting leg, slightly longer overnight TATL segment, and 2 extra hours of sleep the night before.
ORD let's you grab the 8am SFO-ORD, not that much better but 2 hours is still 2 hours.
Personal preference but I'd probably go ORD; Shorter domestic connecting leg, slightly longer overnight TATL segment, and 2 extra hours of sleep the night before.
Aug 6, 2025 | 9:42 am
#7
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While the total travel time may be close going via JFK requires catching the 6am SFO-JFK flight, which makes for a long travel day coming from the west coast, lie flat or not.
ORD let's you grab the 8am SFO-ORD, not that much better but 2 hours is still 2 hours.
Personal preference but I'd probably go ORD; Shorter domestic connecting leg, slightly longer overnight TATL segment, and 2 extra hours of sleep the night before.
ORD let's you grab the 8am SFO-ORD, not that much better but 2 hours is still 2 hours.
Personal preference but I'd probably go ORD; Shorter domestic connecting leg, slightly longer overnight TATL segment, and 2 extra hours of sleep the night before.
And depending on how one is getting to SFO and from where ... I'm usually in a car and it takes 25 minutes to the terminal from my home across the Bay Bridge before 5am. After, I need to add an hour of cushion just to be sure I'll probably make it.
Aug 6, 2025 | 9:51 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2010
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I agree with JJeffrey. I'd put this as a personal preference depending on how much you like 6am flights.
The options are not much different, pros/cons on both sides. I would say the lounge situation is a wash. I like the ORD FL and don't think the lounge service is much different even though you have Soho access. Sure the design of Soho is better than AA FLs but the FL is good enough to meet the bar on that point
The options are not much different, pros/cons on both sides. I would say the lounge situation is a wash. I like the ORD FL and don't think the lounge service is much different even though you have Soho access. Sure the design of Soho is better than AA FLs but the FL is good enough to meet the bar on that point
Aug 6, 2025 | 11:14 am
#10
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Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 28
Thanks all. Lots of good points and after considering them all it really feels like a toss up so I just booked JFK - tiebreaker was that getting out on the first flight of the day and connecting in a place with better options for recovery if things go wrong was appealing
Aug 6, 2025 | 11:47 am
#12
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Normally I'd go for the longest TATL you can lock in, but given your onward domestic flight would be on a premium service route that seems decently likely to clear, I'd roll the dice and go JFK here.
772 and 788 will have same mixed bag of seats.
Soho and Greenwich lounges were underwhelming though... for me that will not factor into future decisions.
772 and 788 will have same mixed bag of seats.
Soho and Greenwich lounges were underwhelming though... for me that will not factor into future decisions.
Aug 6, 2025 | 12:04 pm
#13
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And for the reasons you stated, I'd take JFK. I'd want first flight out of SFO on whatever route - the last thing I'd want is my inbound plane delayed on the SFO segment. Although I rarely transit ORD anymore, I've historically had far more issues @ ORD than @ JFK.
And depending on how one is getting to SFO and from where ... I'm usually in a car and it takes 25 minutes to the terminal from my home across the Bay Bridge before 5am. After, I need to add an hour of cushion just to be sure I'll probably make it.
And depending on how one is getting to SFO and from where ... I'm usually in a car and it takes 25 minutes to the terminal from my home across the Bay Bridge before 5am. After, I need to add an hour of cushion just to be sure I'll probably make it.
Aug 6, 2025 | 1:03 pm
#14
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Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 28
One thing about SFO, they have cancelled a slew of flights either the first morning or last afternoon flight on this route all month, so I wouldn't even consider first flight from SFO safe as any weather/ATC management on the east coast/JFK SFO is one of the first routes axed.
Aug 6, 2025 | 1:27 pm
#15
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AA 234 has been canceled only twice in the last couple of months, from what i can tell. Not sure if those were WX or something else though.