JFK change of planes

if you have checked bags, it doesn't matter where you sit. you have to collect luggage before customs, then turn bags back in--but it is an express drop right after customs. our last flight, it took a long time, like 45 minutes to get our bags and we barely made it. if you have carry-ons, no worries. I would be fine with 2hr 20 minutes. worst case, they will put you on the next flight, but you should be fine.

Thanks for the response. I assume customs at JFK is where Global Entry will express me through? My husband doesn't have Global Entry but I do, so could I check bags in my name, he can go through customs with carry on and I can wait for bag and do Global Entry? Hopefully that would get us through in most expeditious way if we can come through separate.

2 separate but interconnected issues - customs and bags. You can breeze through one and get stuck in the other. Also, have you checked to see if you need to change terminals for your ATL flight? That almost did me in at O'Hare.

Hope you have better luck than I did back in October. I had a 2 hr and 40 minute layover and needed all of it - Seriously, this is officially my least favorite airport so far. It seemed terribly crowded and unorganized; I'm pretty sure they had me going in and out of the same buildings at least twice. Will never do that one again if I have any other option. They could take a book from Atlanta's airport; it's huge, but very efficient and well organized. Happy Travels.

you still have to wait for bags--I don't think Global gets you quicker bags. customs is not that long in the middle of the day--that's only 10-15 minutes--it's the bags. I would go for it with 2.20 hours, just don't schedule any major events the next day, in case you don't make your flight. Also, there are a frequent delays in the afternoon in summer from/to JFK b/c of thunderstorms. Your INT flight will likely land on time, but other flights could be jammed up.

I did JFK on a Delta itinerary (FCO - JFK - PIT) back in October. I needed every bit of an hour and a half from the time I got off one plane until reaching the gate for the next, and I did NOT have checked baggage. I thought customs was disorganized. And honestly, I did one huge loop in the airport. My connecting flight was a few gates away in the same terminal where my FCO flight landed, but had to do customs and get through security. I had also upgraded to Comfort+, so I got into a much shorter security line that still took a while.

Overall, I think you would be OK as long as the baggage doesn't delay you too much. Though I would assume JFK - ATL is a common route, and if you miss one flight I am sure they will have the ability to get you on the next one.

Thanks for all the responses. We're Delta all the way through, so either T2 or T4, arriving JFK at 5 pm on a Sunday.

We are carrying on going over and if I plan well we can carry on coming back, too. Sounds like that will make life a lot easier!

Guess we won't be buying any knives at E Dehillerin this time, unless we ship them home. We brought home a 15 inch (yes, fifteen) chef's knife last time. It's not very practical but a good conversation piece!

Celeste, I'm the "Jean" going through Atlanta. Who knows, Delta may change our flights again and we'll both be racing through JFK. : ) I would definitely recommend carry-on during the way home for an additional reason. Two years ago our flights were all changed the morning we flew back from Rome to Seattle. We ended up being routed through JFK, and surprisingly (not) they had overbooked the flight from JFK to Seattle. We volunteered to stay overnight in JFK when the incentive was $1000/ea. and because we only had carry-on luggage, we were eligible. You might save some money on your trip! : )

Wow! I've never experienced an incentive that high and I think I'd be staying over, too! Thanks!

Beware the bumping incentive, it's often not money but a ticket with all kinds of restrictions and time constraints. Go for the green.

Our $1000 each incentive to be bumped to next day's flight were two AmEx cards. "Plastic" green that we enjoyed using! : )