JFK help

Just discovered that it might be Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. Don't know if this changes anything.

If his trip is a single booking with Delta he should not need to reclaim and re-check his luggage. It should be checked to Rome when he checks in for the 1st flight.

thanks. Do you know anything about terminal to terminal transportation?

Hi Jon, your son shouldn’t need to reclaim his luggage but he will probably have to go through security again. Tell him to keep moving to the next gate. Don’t take time to get something to eat, etc. We recently traveled CLE-JFK-CDG on Delta. We had to take a shuttle bus to the next terminal. We were then directed to walk outside, through the parking lot to reenter the airport. We were assured 3 times that we wouldn’t have to go through security again but of course we did. Spent 20 minutes on the shuttle and walking to the next terminal then another 30 min in line for security. What a mess.

Yes, every time I have changed terminals at JFK I have had to take the air train and go back through security. There may be some terminal-to-terminal combos that don’t require this but I haven’t seen them. The entrance to the air train is past security, so to board it you leave the secure area. Therefore you need to be rechecked to go to a new terminal. It’s a pain.

Luggage should go through, no need to collect.

He will have enough time if everything is on time and if he doesn’t delay. Get into the departing terminal before any eating/shopping. Basically keep moving until through security again.

First of all, what airline is actually operating his planes? If he is flying Delta from JFK to Rome, it will leave from Terminal 4. If he is flying Alitalia from JFK to Rome (on a Delta code share), it will leave from Terminal 1. Figure this out now.

Most, but not all, domestic flights on Delta into JFK arrive at Terminal 2. However, flights from LAX, SFO, and SEA arrive at Terminal 4.

If you need terminal information for another airline, here's the list. Again, you have to look for the airline actually operating the plane, not just the airline you booked through: https://www.jfkairport.com/flight/airlines

Here is the procedure:

When he checks in at his origin airport, he should make sure his checked bags are tagged FCO. This means that he will not see them again until Rome.

When he checks in (online or at the origin airport), he should get two boarding passes, one for the domestic flight and one for the flight to Rome.

At JFK, he will get off his first plane. There will be Delta personnel at his arrival gate; he should ask them for help RIGHT AWAY if he is unsure of how to proceed.

If he is transferring from Terminal 2 to Terminal 4, there is a shuttle bus he can take which will eliminate the need for him to go through security again. However, if his next flight is out of Terminal 1, he will have to take the Airtrain, and then will have to go through security again.

IMPORTANT: there are three Airtrains, and they go in two different directions! Again, he should ask (there are uniformed helpers in every Airtrain station) to make sure he is getting on the correct Airtrain for the fast way to Teminal 1. The fast way takes 5 minutes; the slow way is closer to 45 minutes! If he does realize he is on the wrong train (starting from Terminal 2, on the wrong trains the next stop will be Terminal 4, then Terminal 5), he should immediately get off, and take the train on the opposite side (starting from Terminal 2, on the right train the next stop will be Terminal 1, and he's all set).

Since there is no customs or immigration in this transfer, and since he will already have his boarding pass and will not need to claim or recheck luggage, the only possible hold-up is security. I agree with everyone else that he should not stop until he is at his new departure gate for his flight to Rome; there are bathrooms and food services there, if he has extra time at that point.

If he downloads the Delta app, this will not only allow him to check in easily before the flight, but also remind him when it's time to check in.

he is flying from Seattle and on Alitalia to Rome. Thanks very much

This is all very simple and easy, jon.

If he is on one itinerary as Delta and Alitalia are code shares, he should be able to check his luggage all the way through to Rome. Verify with the airline from which he bought the ticket (Delta or Alitalia).

Next, if he is arriving at T4 and departing at T2 at JFK, there is an airside shuttle that will take him to T2 thereby avoiding the need for the Airtrain and going through security.

jon

how did things work out?

I saw news reports of airport delays on the east coast because of t-storms

The delays actually helped him because his flight to JFK was delayed enough that he would have missed his connector to FCO if that flight wasn't delayed by the weather. Arrived safely in Rome only 45 minutes late. Thanks for asking!