Glasgow/Edinburgh to New York
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Glasgow/Edinburgh to New York
Hi all, I hope you can offer me some advice or share your experiences with me. I'm taking my mum to NYC in August and I have a few options.
Preference is to fly from Glasgow but Edinburgh is doable.
I keep hearing adverts about flying Aer Lingus to do pre-clearance at Dublin but does the additional time this takes leave you with any net benefit from flying direct? Also how long do you need to allow for the transfer and pre-clearance? The times I see leave little transfer time so I'm not even sure it's feasible. It is good value though.
I flew EDI-JFK last year with AA and I wasn't particularly enamoured by the experience. Lack of individual IFE is fine for me as I can take a laptop but no such distraction for my mum, who isn't the best of passengers. Out of the direct options, is there one particular airline on this route that excels in terms of in-flight offering?
Im not necessarily looking for the cheapest option, just a good experience, so no Norwegian to the middle of nowhere or anything like that.
Thanks in advance.
Preference is to fly from Glasgow but Edinburgh is doable.
I keep hearing adverts about flying Aer Lingus to do pre-clearance at Dublin but does the additional time this takes leave you with any net benefit from flying direct? Also how long do you need to allow for the transfer and pre-clearance? The times I see leave little transfer time so I'm not even sure it's feasible. It is good value though.
I flew EDI-JFK last year with AA and I wasn't particularly enamoured by the experience. Lack of individual IFE is fine for me as I can take a laptop but no such distraction for my mum, who isn't the best of passengers. Out of the direct options, is there one particular airline on this route that excels in terms of in-flight offering?
Im not necessarily looking for the cheapest option, just a good experience, so no Norwegian to the middle of nowhere or anything like that.
Thanks in advance.
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Last year I flew EDI - New York JFK with Delta, and I was very impressed. Good on time service, modern cabin with complimentary drinks, meals and seat back entertainment.
Flew back with AA and the experience was not even remotely as good as it was with Delta in their very 'well travelled' 757.
The current 11am flight time is also ideal, as the airport is quiet, and you don't need to get up ridiculously early either.
Flew back with AA and the experience was not even remotely as good as it was with Delta in their very 'well travelled' 757.
The current 11am flight time is also ideal, as the airport is quiet, and you don't need to get up ridiculously early either.
If Aer Lingus are offering a good price it would be worth considering.
The US pre-clearance at Dublin saves a lot of time on arrival and the connecting time does allow for the transfer.
From Glasgow you also have United to Newark and Delta to JFK but I suspect their fares will be higher.
The US pre-clearance at Dublin saves a lot of time on arrival and the connecting time does allow for the transfer.
From Glasgow you also have United to Newark and Delta to JFK but I suspect their fares will be higher.
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[QUOTE]Im not necessarily looking for the cheapest option, just a good experience, so no Norwegian to the middle of nowhere or anything like that.[QUOTE]
Did you not read that bit.
Did you not read that bit.
[quote=Johnny F@rt Pants;9740983][QUOTE]Im not necessarily looking for the cheapest option, just a good experience, so no Norwegian to the middle of nowhere or anything like that.
Did you not read that bit.
No - missed that bit - however with UA ex GLA trading at £800+ for mid August, perhaps they should not be dismissed out of hand? And the added bonus is that passengers are normally allowed to leave Norwegian flights on their own two feet 
Did you not read that bit.
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did the route via Dublin couple of years ago and was very impressed outbound by the efficiency and speed of pre-clearance compared to some of the huge arrival waits stateside (over 3 hours last year in Orlando) . However, return NY to Dublin is a very short overnight flight and by the time there had been a couple of rounds of drinks, meal service, duty free, scratch cards and god knows what else there was stuff all time with the cabin quiet and lights dim for sleep. It is the ultimate red-eye as when you arrive knackered there can then be a fair bit of waiting in Dublin for the onward flight to your UK destination.
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Thanks for the input everyone.
Daysleeper: I'd be interested to hear how long you had to transfer in Dublin? Current flights I am looking at would arrive in Dublin at 09:30 and then leave for JFK at 10:50, leaving 1h 20m to transfer and pre-clear. I guess with the flight arriving domestically, if you haven't cleared US customs you ain't flying! This would get us in to JFK at 13:20 which gives us a lot of the Thursday at our disposal.
There is an alternative flight via Dublin which would leave 3h 30m to transfer and pre-clear but that doesn't arrive until 18:45 so I would probably rather just fly direct and take the hit at JFK. Aer Lingus also have an option which allows for 3h 30m in Dublin but that is in to Newark, and I know nothing about getting from Newark to Manhattan.
There's too many variables when going to NYC! I should just have taken her somewhere easy, like Dublin! :P
Daysleeper: I'd be interested to hear how long you had to transfer in Dublin? Current flights I am looking at would arrive in Dublin at 09:30 and then leave for JFK at 10:50, leaving 1h 20m to transfer and pre-clear. I guess with the flight arriving domestically, if you haven't cleared US customs you ain't flying! This would get us in to JFK at 13:20 which gives us a lot of the Thursday at our disposal.
There is an alternative flight via Dublin which would leave 3h 30m to transfer and pre-clear but that doesn't arrive until 18:45 so I would probably rather just fly direct and take the hit at JFK. Aer Lingus also have an option which allows for 3h 30m in Dublin but that is in to Newark, and I know nothing about getting from Newark to Manhattan.
There's too many variables when going to NYC! I should just have taken her somewhere easy, like Dublin! :P
Newark is actually easier than JFK! Airtrain from the airport to Penn Station in midtown costs $12.
80 mins to preclear is cutting it a little fine I would have thought. First wave of EI flights going out from 11-12. Wouldn't advise it to be honest.
80 mins to preclear is cutting it a little fine I would have thought. First wave of EI flights going out from 11-12. Wouldn't advise it to be honest.
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You'll be fine with 80 minutes at DUB for pre-clear. They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't doable. They don't like to have loads of misconnecting passengers to deal with and as DUB frequently advertises itself as a transit point to the USA specifically because of pre-clear, it's safe to say they know what they are doing.
I did it with about 90 minutes, EDI-ORD, a few days before thanksgiving 2016, on a staff ticket and was held up for at least 20 minutes at the transfer desk waiting for them to issue me a boarding pass for the ORD flight and I still had time to have a snack before boarding my ORD flight. After you clear transfer security you join the pre-clear line. If you've previously entered the USA on an ESTA with the same passport you are directed to self service kiosks. If not then you join a line. It moved a little slow, but they regularly go around shouting out the flights that are due to close soon and take those people to the front of the line. I only waited in this area for about 30-40 minutes, even with my delay and my wait for security, I still made it through pre-clear before the ORD flight was being shouted out. It's then a short walk to the gates. The USCBP staff in DUB are actually pretty polite too.
If DUB offers good value and suits your needs then I'd strongly suggest going that way. Knowing you've got it all behind you and all you have to do is pick up your bag and leave the terminal in NY will help you feel more relaxed on the flight.
I did it with about 90 minutes, EDI-ORD, a few days before thanksgiving 2016, on a staff ticket and was held up for at least 20 minutes at the transfer desk waiting for them to issue me a boarding pass for the ORD flight and I still had time to have a snack before boarding my ORD flight. After you clear transfer security you join the pre-clear line. If you've previously entered the USA on an ESTA with the same passport you are directed to self service kiosks. If not then you join a line. It moved a little slow, but they regularly go around shouting out the flights that are due to close soon and take those people to the front of the line. I only waited in this area for about 30-40 minutes, even with my delay and my wait for security, I still made it through pre-clear before the ORD flight was being shouted out. It's then a short walk to the gates. The USCBP staff in DUB are actually pretty polite too.
If DUB offers good value and suits your needs then I'd strongly suggest going that way. Knowing you've got it all behind you and all you have to do is pick up your bag and leave the terminal in NY will help you feel more relaxed on the flight.
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I would think that it would be tight to be honest. We did pre-clearance last summer in DUB and I bet we were 40 minutes minimum. What edi local says is true, they wouldn't sell it if it wasn't doable, but theres no margins built into it, thats for sure.
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Daysleeper: I'd be interested to hear how long you had to transfer in Dublin?
You'll be fine with 80 minutes at DUB for pre-clear. They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't doable. They don't like to have loads of misconnecting passengers to deal with and as DUB frequently advertises itself as a transit point to the USA specifically because of pre-clear, it's safe to say they know what they are doing.
I did it with about 90 minutes, EDI-ORD, a few days before thanksgiving 2016, on a staff ticket and was held up for at least 20 minutes at the transfer desk waiting for them to issue me a boarding pass for the ORD flight and I still had time to have a snack before boarding my ORD flight. After you clear transfer security you join the pre-clear line. If you've previously entered the USA on an ESTA with the same passport you are directed to self service kiosks. If not then you join a line. It moved a little slow, but they regularly go around shouting out the flights that are due to close soon and take those people to the front of the line. I only waited in this area for about 30-40 minutes, even with my delay and my wait for security, I still made it through pre-clear before the ORD flight was being shouted out. It's then a short walk to the gates. The USCBP staff in DUB are actually pretty polite too.
If DUB offers good value and suits your needs then I'd strongly suggest going that way. Knowing you've got it all behind you and all you have to do is pick up your bag and leave the terminal in NY will help you feel more relaxed on the flight.
I did it with about 90 minutes, EDI-ORD, a few days before thanksgiving 2016, on a staff ticket and was held up for at least 20 minutes at the transfer desk waiting for them to issue me a boarding pass for the ORD flight and I still had time to have a snack before boarding my ORD flight. After you clear transfer security you join the pre-clear line. If you've previously entered the USA on an ESTA with the same passport you are directed to self service kiosks. If not then you join a line. It moved a little slow, but they regularly go around shouting out the flights that are due to close soon and take those people to the front of the line. I only waited in this area for about 30-40 minutes, even with my delay and my wait for security, I still made it through pre-clear before the ORD flight was being shouted out. It's then a short walk to the gates. The USCBP staff in DUB are actually pretty polite too.
If DUB offers good value and suits your needs then I'd strongly suggest going that way. Knowing you've got it all behind you and all you have to do is pick up your bag and leave the terminal in NY will help you feel more relaxed on the flight.
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Hi Gar,
I fly regularly to the US both via DUB and direct. If you are travelling on an ESTA + Visa Waiver, then I would allow 90 minutes to transit Dublin. Quite a few flights depart around the same time and you can hit it unlucky with the queue.
If cost really is not a problem and you can face a bit of administrative hoop-la, including a trip down to London, you can sign up for Global Entry which makes transit through US immigration painless, especially at the main airports:
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-t...united-kingdom
You need to check when they are doing enrollments in London as they only offer a few windows each year.
I fly regularly to the US both via DUB and direct. If you are travelling on an ESTA + Visa Waiver, then I would allow 90 minutes to transit Dublin. Quite a few flights depart around the same time and you can hit it unlucky with the queue.
If cost really is not a problem and you can face a bit of administrative hoop-la, including a trip down to London, you can sign up for Global Entry which makes transit through US immigration painless, especially at the main airports:
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-t...united-kingdom
You need to check when they are doing enrollments in London as they only offer a few windows each year.
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My two cents. If price is ok for you, I would recommend pre-clearance in Dublin.
You haven't said how old your mother is, or if she's in great health, but going on the fact you're 30 I would assume she's probably in her 60's. The immigration arrivals hall at JFK has to be one of the worst places in the Western hemisphere. Any option you have to avoid it would be beneficial to the traveller, particularly one of age, who may not like standing in a hot, humid, cramped room with hundreds of other passengers all equally frustrated at how long it's taken to get your passport stamped.
(I apologise in advance if my presumptions are incorrect. I mean no offence to anyone)
You haven't said how old your mother is, or if she's in great health, but going on the fact you're 30 I would assume she's probably in her 60's. The immigration arrivals hall at JFK has to be one of the worst places in the Western hemisphere. Any option you have to avoid it would be beneficial to the traveller, particularly one of age, who may not like standing in a hot, humid, cramped room with hundreds of other passengers all equally frustrated at how long it's taken to get your passport stamped.
(I apologise in advance if my presumptions are incorrect. I mean no offence to anyone)
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Very true ExGrunt. It's been a long time since I flew into Dulles. I found the buses a novelty the first time, but I agree they do get tiresome after a number of trips. I still hate JFK arrivals, but will agree that IAD is right up there.
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A wealth of information here folks - thank you all very much.
I'm currently swaying towards going for it with Aer Lingus and hoping for the best with 80 mins to transfer. Hopefully the Aer Lingus staff will do all they can to help us through the whole process! I remember the excitement of landing at JFK being quickly eroded by waiting at customs so I'd like to try and avoid that. Of course, if we miss the connection...
My mum turned 60 last week - nobody offended! - so this is her present (going to see Billy Joel at MSG hence need to go in August). She is in good health but would always welcome a solution that reduces the time she needs to spend without a cigarette!
I'm currently swaying towards going for it with Aer Lingus and hoping for the best with 80 mins to transfer. Hopefully the Aer Lingus staff will do all they can to help us through the whole process! I remember the excitement of landing at JFK being quickly eroded by waiting at customs so I'd like to try and avoid that. Of course, if we miss the connection...
My mum turned 60 last week - nobody offended! - so this is her present (going to see Billy Joel at MSG hence need to go in August). She is in good health but would always welcome a solution that reduces the time she needs to spend without a cigarette!