If I am booking two separate tickets and one is Dublin to JFK on aer lingus arriving at 6:30PM and the connection (separate ticket) is Delta from JFK to LAX at 9PM is that even possible? I can do jet blue at 9:30 but the tickets are $50 more so I would really rather do the Delta flight but I am afraid it wont be enough time. There will be no checked baggage.
Posted by
Milwaukie, Oregon
1056 posts
If you are taking only carry on luggage, this will still be tight but should be doable. You will make it through Customs OK but I believe Air Lingus is in a different terminal than Delta. You will need to change terminals, which can take quite awhile. If it were me I'd do the Jet Blue ticket and eat the cost. If you don't make it, Delta has no requirement to get you another ticket since you didn't arrive to JFK via Delta. My husband and I have a similar situation coming up this fall, with the exception that both flights are Delta, but with a semi-tight connection at JFK. We elected to take the 5.5 hour layover and be secure that we won't miss a flight.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
My understanding is that if the domestic JFK-LAX ticket is a nonrefundable ticket, you would have as problem if you miss the flight. If your Aer Lingus flight is delayed e.g. an Iceland volcano, its your problem. If you book Dublin to LAX on one ticket its the ticket sellers obligation to get you to LAX. That said 2.5 hours should be adequate IF the incoming is close to on time given that Dublin is a preclearance airport.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Since you will do preclearance in Dublin, your arrival in JFK will be like a domestic arrival - no customs or passport control. So, all you have to do is make your way from Terminal 5 (where Aer Lingus arrives) to Terminal 4 (where Delta flights to LAX depart). As long as your incoming flight is not unduly delayed, you should be fine, particularly since you won't have to wait for luggage to arrive from Aer Lingus, or to wait check in luggage for your Delta flight.
I'm not sure if there's a walkway, but you can take the AirTrain from T5 to T4 (free). You want the one that loops around the airport to all terminals, not a "Jamaica train" or a "Howard Beach train." If you aren't sure, ASK FIRST before getting on. On the correct AirTrain, it will only be one stop, so it's fast. On the wrong train, you'll get there - eventually - but you don't have time to waste.
Posted by
OP
Fullerton, Ca, USA
87 posts
I decided to do the Jet Blue tickets and what a nice surprise..they were cheaper than the last time I looked and were $60 less than the Delta flight! Happy Friday!