Connecting at JFK to an international flight on a separate ticket?

[morkus64]

Does anyone here have experience connecting to/from an international flight at JFK when you get to JFK on a separate ticket? I got our tickets to/from europe cheaply from JFK because they were waaaaaaay cheaper than flying from ABQ. Now I've got to figure out getting to and from JFK.

I assume I need to get there, leave the secured area, get my bag and go through check-in normally? If by some chance I manage to get a Delta flight (partnered with Alitalia, my Europe airline) what are the chances that they'll let me combine my separate tickets? Would that let me go through international checkin at ABQ and not have to worry about anything at JFK? Either way, how long do you all think I need to have at JFK on departure?

What about getting back? Again, I assume the same, get off the plane, get my bags, re check-in routine. Is there a way around that so I can go through customs at ABQ?

TIA!

 

[dullard]

I know nothing about ABQ, but the general rule is that the last US airport you are in is your international airport. Meaning, all flights before that are considered to be domestic flights. You even don't follow that misunderstood "2-hour before international flights" guideline at your first airport or two in the US. You need the minimum of 2 hours at your LAST US airport, which is JFK. That is true regardless of how you buy your tickets.

When you fly back, the FIRST US airport is your international airport where you go through customs. This is true regardless of how many other airports you might fly to later, even if some are international airports. Meaning, you go through customs at JFK whether you bought your ticket in one go or in multiple purchases.

So basically, give yourself a minimum of 1 hour at ABQ and 2 hours at JFK (before and after the flight). Since you are on different tickets, I would pad that to maybe 4 hours at JFK because now since two tickets means you are liable for delayed flights causing you to miss your next flight. You'd have to talk to the specific airlines to see if they'll let you combine it into one ticket - I have no idea what they'll say.

 

[morkus64]

Thanks dullard - I didn't realize that. So, if I'm continuing on to ABQ, I come in, go through customs, collect my bags, and then re-check, go through security again, etc.? If I'm on a connecting ticket, I go through customs, but then presumably the airline sends my luggage along and I can just stay in the secured area?

 

[dullard]

When you come back to JFK, you will collect your bags, go through customs/security, and then recheck your bags regardless of how you bought your tickets. You must be with your bags to go through customs/security.

The difference is that if it was all on one ticket, then your bags will have an ABQ tag and right after customs/security you can just drop them off.

With two tickets, you might have your bags tagged for JFK (not ABQ) and you might have to go back to the domestic counter in JFK to check them in for an ABQ tag. But you'll have to talk to Alitalia to see if they can just tag it directly to ABQ to save you that step.

 

[dullard]

There are a few rare exceptions, like I think Montreal has a US customs inside it. So, then you wouldn't need JFK customs. But that is not very common and you probably aren't flying through there anyways.

 

[who?]

U.S. customs operates in Dublin Ireland so if you fly back from there it pulls up to a domestic gate.

 

[JoeBleed]

I think it's been explained pretty well thus far. Interesting to hear about the US customs in Dublin. in 2014 i flew back from Belgium. I thought it was odd that even through i went through security in Belgium, i had to go through TSA security at the international airport when i first landed in the US. I can't remember which airport it was though. I also forget if we had to do the TSA screening before or after we picked up any bags to go through customs. I think before. I mention this only because i still hate, and think it's stupid, to have to take my shoes off. The rest of it really doesn't seem that much different than before 9/11 flying. well, the body scanners are new.

Though when i went to Romania in 1999 or 2000, i did something a bit similar to you. except while my stops were on the same itinerary, i had to change airports in NJ/NY. I would imagine your process, though you are flying into the same airport you will be departing from, will still have to check in as if you just got dropped off at JFK. Because of this, you'll have to show your passport there, not at ABQ. If your flights were all on the same itinerary, you would, in my experience, show your passport at your first airport.

Hope you have a good trip. Oh, check to see if your arrival and departure flight will happen to be in the same, or close by terminal. If not, the bigger airports usually have some kind of shuttle running regular to move your around. Important to keep that in mind when work out time/scheduling.

 

[morkus64]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

It's looking like it might actually be cheaper / better to fly into LGA and transfer to JFK, since I'll wind up in NYC waaay before my flight anyway. Any advice on transferring?

 

[Brainonska511]

It's looking like it might actually be cheaper / better to fly into LGA and transfer to JFK, since I'll wind up in NYC waaay before my flight anyway. Any advice on transferring?

I'm pretty sure, excluding Denver, there are no long direct flights (the artificial limit is set at something between 1500-2000 miles for direct flights) to LGA from ABQ. And transferring from LGA to JFK is a bit of a pain in the ass, as you'll either have to contend with traffic on the highways or a long public-transit transfer.

 

[JoeBleed]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

It's looking like it might actually be cheaper / better to fly into LGA and transfer to JFK, since I'll wind up in NYC waaay before my flight anyway. Any advice on transferring?

quick search found this: http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-airport-connections.html

when i did it, i used a taxi for the somewhat scenic rout and to be alone. cab driver was cool and interesting to talk to. it was only around $20 back in 99/2000. not sure what it would be now.

Edit: as it doesn't seem like you've actually bought tickets yet, just wanted to make you aware of this: https://www.google.com/flights/ i used it for my Belgium trip in 2014. worked well, prices seemed ok to me. but check it with other sites you may already be looking for. I just stumbled across that link when searching for airport codes.