Carry On only? Do I need to check in at the counter?

You are going to need to check in to obtain a boarding pass to show the TSA along with your passport so either this airline allows you to check in on its app in advance or you have to do it at the ticket counter at JFK. Curious, which terminal at JFK?

If you’re unable to check in on-line the night before your flight, you will need to swing by the airline counter to have them check your passport and give you your boarding pass. I’ve had it both ways - sometimes they check my passport at the gate, other times it says I can’t check in on-line and they want to see my passport at the airline ticket counter.

@Continental, @Jean,

Thanks for the info, both of you! Neos Air doesn't have an app but they'll let me check in online 48 hours before my flight. I don't know what terminal number it is right now. So basically, if I can check in online and get my boarding pass, I should just go straight to TSA right?

I'm flying into JFK at 3:45pm and my flight to Milan is 5pm. It used to be 6pm but they changed it. I was just hoping I could go straight to TSA without going to the counter as I'm cutting it close!

zombiedude if you have a boarding pass I don't see a potential problem.

When you check in online I think you will get a message directing you to check in with staff if you need to. I do think your passport will need to be checked by Neos Air, so might be prudent to just do it.

@BigMikeWestByGodVirginia, thank you, that's what I'm thinking too.

@SJS, thank you, I'll keep that in mind. I'll check in online 48 hours before the flight and see if they'll tell me to check in at the counter.

Boarding closes 30 minutes before the flight’s scheduled departure time.
If you are late, we will not wait for you, we will unload your luggage and you will lose the right to board.
& this :The check-in desks for the long distance flights open 3 hours before the scheduled departure and close exactly 60 minutes before it.

https://us.neosair.com/en/before_the_flight/at_check-in/showing_at_check_in

I'm flying into JFK at 3:45pm and my flight to Milan is 5pm

It looks like you have 45 minutes from your scheduled arrival to be sitting on your departing plane

Hopefully you can find a way to get to JFK earlier.

Thank you for that info, @Joe32F

I really wish the airline wouldn't have changed the flight from 6pm to 5pm. Fingers crossed my flight into JFK is on time or early.

You're not starting at JFK. You're flying into JFK.

What airline are you flying into JFK?

Do you have TSA Precheck?

I'm guessing you are flying on 2 separate tickets? So you are not protected if you miss your flight.

Neos flies out ofTerminal 1. It is for international flights only. That means you have to catch the airtrain between terminals. That is outside security.

You are going to have to walk from your arriving plane to the airtrain, take the airtrain to terminal 1, go through security, and then walk to your Neos flight in 45 minutes to be onboard 30 minutes before departure.

I wouldn't take that bet with odds in my favor.

My suggestion is to get an earlier flight into JFK. Or be ready to buy a new ticket to Italy.

Fingers crossed my flight into JFK is on time or early.

Just hoping your flight arrives early is, ( umm ... how to put this gently?) not really a plan.

I once had a flight that arrived at DFW 35-45 minutes early ( unusual tailwind) but as it was so early there was no gate available and we sat out on a remote apron for most of the time and pulled into the gate 5-10 minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time.

@Frank II, @Joe32F,
Thanks for the practical advice; it's really helpful.

As luck would have it, I got an email this morning saying my flight into JFK had been moved to a later time. I reached out to the airline, told them this wouldn't work for me, and was able to move to an earlier flight affording me 2 and a half hours before my flight to Milan.

Thanks for all the advice everyone!