JFK airport to hotel, evening show

[bear88]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 5:14pm

Apologies if this has been covered in search, but I couldn't find it. Further apologies that I've changed my question to JFK (see below):

I'm looking at a flight that would arrive in Newark at 4:25 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. My question - aside from suggestions of the best way to head into Manhattan - is whether it's realistic to travel to one's hotel, eat a quick meal, and make a 7 p.m. show? I assume 8 p.m. would work.

Edited to add, because Newark isn't working out: What about a flight that lands at JFK at 5 p.m.? On a Friday or Saturday, is it realistic to make an 8 p.m. show? Would it depend on luck, or should I not count on it?

Updated On: 4/8/19 at 05:14 PM

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 5:19pm

bear88 said: "Apologies if this has been covered in search, but I couldn't find it.

I'm looking at a flight that would arrive in Newark at 4:35 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.My question - aside from suggestions of the best way to head into Manhattan - is whether it's realistic to travel to one's hotel, eat a quick meal, and make a 7 p.m. show? I assume 8 p.m. would work, but am I being too optimistic about 7?"

I always fly into Newark, it's much quicker to get through security etc and into Manhattan than it is from JFK.

I have arrived at that time before and got to my hotel, checked in showered etc and made the 8PM show in plenty of time.

I don't think you'll be able to squeeze a meal in tho.

Most shows start at 8 on Wednesdays and Fridays. I think they start at 7 most other days so you probably wouldn't make it on a Tuesday.

[Comeback06]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 5:27pm

Take NJTransit to Penn Station.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 6:00pm

Impossible2 said: "bear88 said: "Apologies if this has been covered in search, but I couldn't find it.

I'm looking at a flight that would arrive in Newark at 4:35 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.My question - aside from suggestions of the best way to head into Manhattan - is whether it's realistic to travel to one's hotel, eat a quick meal, and make a 7 p.m. show? I assume 8 p.m. would work, but am I being too optimistic about 7?"

I always fly into Newark, it's much quicker to get through securityetc andinto Manhattan than it is from JFK.

I have arrived at that time before and got to my hotel, checked in showered etc and made the 8PM show in plenty of time.

I don't think you'll be able to squeeze a meal in tho.

Most shows start at 8 on Wednesdays and Fridays. I think they start at 7most other days so you probably wouldn't make it on a Tuesday."

Thanks. It sounds like 8 p.m. shows are realistic (Wednesdays or Fridays) - barring flight delays - unless we were trying to have a sit-down dinner.

Is that right?

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 6:31pm

bear88 said: "Impossible2 said: "bear88 said: "Apologies if this has been covered in search, but I couldn't find it.

I'm looking at a flight that would arrive in Newark at 4:35 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.My question - aside from suggestions of the best way to head into Manhattan - is whether it's realistic to travel to one's hotel, eat a quick meal, and make a 7 p.m. show? I assume 8 p.m. would work, but am I being too optimistic about 7?"

I always fly into Newark, it's much quicker to get through securityetc andinto Manhattan than it is from JFK.

I have arrived at that time before and got to my hotel, checked in showered etc and made the 8PM show in plenty of time.

I don't think you'll be able to squeeze a meal in tho.

Most shows start at 8 on Wednesdays and Fridays. I think they start at 7most other days so you probably wouldn't make it on a Tuesday."

Thanks. It sounds like 8 p.m. shows arerealistic (Wednesdays or Fridays)- barring flight delays - unless we weretrying to have a sit-down dinner.

Is that right?"

Pretty much. I have even got there at that time, done everything and got down to TKTS to buy tickets and still made it in plenty of time.

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 7:28pm

I was looking at that exact same arrival time for a couple of fall trips from the San Francisco Bay Area.  I had gotten used to flights that arrived into JFK between 3:00-3:50 PM, and was nervous about making an 8:00 PM curtain if I had to fly into EWR at 4:25 PM.  I used the CityMapper app to research arriving and using public transit.  My plan would have been to take the AirTrain to NJ Transit to Penn Station, and then hop onto the subway.  Travel time seemed to range between 80-90 minutes, and as the day wore on (such as, a late flight), then the transit time increased a bit. 

I have become accustomed to pre-buying my evening show ticket before leaving home, getting to midtown from JFK via the AirTrain and E subway train, checking into my hotel by 5:00, unpacking, grabbing some items at Whole Foods for the mini-fridge, grabbing a bowl at Roast, taking a cat nap and a shower, and then walking over to a theater at 7:10 to arrive by 7:30 PM.  Can you tell I don't like to rush, especially after an almost 6-hour flight (and an early morning wake up)?.  Anyhow, I wouldn't have time for most of that routine with a 4:25 PM arrival, so I am going to try arriving a day early and not seeing a show that first night.  Maybe there will be some late cabaret show at 54 Below that I can attend.  I also worry about flight delays, and the later arrival doesn't leave much wiggle room (for me).

I may need to try EWR or another airline for a future trip if Alaska Airlines can't offer me an earlier arrival time into JFK, so I am interested in finding out how it works out for you, bear88.

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 9:27pm

I always fly into EWR with the flight landing around 5pm. I take the NJ transit to Penn Station and then subway - cab/Uber or walk to hotel depending on where I’m staying. Have never had a problem making my show that night although I think most are 8pm shows. Either way you’d make it as long as your flight lands in time.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/7/19 at 11:55pm

JFK recently closed one of its runways for renovations and will finish the work by November of this year...... so expect delays (or a few more mins sitting on tarmac) if flying to/from JFK.

https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/airports/jfk-runway-closure

 

[bear88]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 2:39am

So has anyone experienced delays due to the renovations?

I'm probably flying into JFK on a Saturday (in May) with my wife and adult daughter. Scheduled arrival is 5.

So are our chances of making an 8 p.m. show pretty good, iffy, or close to nonexistent? We're probably going to be staying near the theater district, so we'll be headed there.

Any suggestions? We've taken taxis in the past.

If we don't make it, there are plenty of other things for us to do. But it would be fun to catch a show that evening if possible.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 8:22am

It just closed a few days ago. I'd look at flightradar24 to see your flight's statistics the past few days to see whether it has arrived on time or delayed a bit (a lot of plane schedules pad their schedules to accommodate minor delays.) 

Either way good luck and I hope you make it to your show!

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 2:29pm

JFK has 4 active runways and all 4 are rarely used at the same time. So I think you'll likely be ok with 1 being down, especially on the weekend. I agree with Wick3 in that you should check FlightRadar24 for flight stats. The airline might have this data as well if you check their flight tracker. 

If you're coming in on a Saturday, I would do a taxi or a shuttle into the city. 

 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 3:03pm

bear88 said: "So has anyone experienced delays due to the renovations?

I'm probably flying into JFK on a Saturday (in May) with my wife and adult daughter. Scheduled arrival is 5.

So are our chances of making an 8 p.m. show pretty good, iffy, or close to nonexistent? We're probably going to be staying near the theater district, so we'll be headed there."

You shouldn't have any problems. Taxi or public transportation should give you enough time.

 

[bear88]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 3:04pm

And a new option!

Plane that arrives at LaGuardia at 5:40 p.m. Saturday. Is that better than 5 p.m. at JFK, or pretty much the same - at least in terms of catching an 8 p.m. show that night?

Once again, sorry for this annoying thread. But there are plenty of people here with lots of experience flying into New York and hoping to catch a show. Who better to ask?

[yesraccoons]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 3:43pm

I would say take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) from JFK to the city. It’s somewhat pricey but cheaper (and likely quicker) than a cab. I think you can make it!

[smokeline2]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 4:06pm

bear88 said: "And a new option!

Plane that arrives at LaGuardia at 5:40 p.m. Saturday. Is that better than 5 p.m. at JFK, or pretty much the same - at least in terms of catching an 8 p.m. show that night?

Once again, sorry for this annoying thread. But there are plenty of people here with lots of experience flying into New York and hoping to catch a show. Who better to ask?"

I'd stick with JFK. LGA may be closer to midtown, but there's no public transportation option that doesn't involve a bus and the roads are a mess from construction. If you fly into terminal C or D, you have to take a 10 minute shuttle bus ride to get to the cab stand. Plus, LGA tends to have more delays in my (admittedly anecdotal) experience. If it were landing at the same time it might be worth it, but not 40 minutes later.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 4:23pm

From Kennedy I always take the subway into the city unless I have a ton of luggage. The MTA itself can be annoyingly unreliable these days, but I still think it's more reliable than gambling on traffic, especially on a Friday night. Bonus that the entire trip is $7.75 ($5.00 for the AirTrain + $2.75 for a Subway ride) which is way, WAY less than any car-based transportation will cost. 

Taking the E train from JFK (JFK-->AirTrain-->Subway E train) will take you directly into Times Square, and will take about an hour. So if you're scheduled to land at 5:00, an 8:00 show should be no problem, even if the train for some reason gets stalled. That also should give you time to eat something. Maybe not a luxurious sit-down meal, but certainly some good fast casual. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 5:55pm

Flying into LaGuardia would probably still get you into the city for an 8pm show, but with little-to-no time to spare.

Keep in mind, if you plan on taking the subway (E line) or the LIRR, you need to first take the Air Train from JFK to Jamaica. LIRR will take you to Penn Station directly, whereas with the E you can get off at Times Square, which is obviously closer to the theaters. 

 

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 5:59pm

If you don’t want the subway, you can also take the Long Island Railroad into Penn Station. They depart every 20 min or so from Jamaica. It leaves from the same AirTrain station as the E train and will be faster though you’d still need to either walk or subway up the one stop to Times Square. A one way off peak ticket on the LIRR on a Saturday will be $4.25. Add that to the $5 AirTrain plus the subway up to Times Square.

Definitely do JFK over LGA if you are time pressed

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 6:07pm

Will you have luggage to wait for?  I hope not.  I travel light with a carryon and a backpack, and I can usually make it to my hotel on 57th in less than 75 minutes from JFK.  I've kept detailed notes on my phone as to the times I've landed (SJC or SFO to JFK), boarded the AirTrain, loaded my Metrocard, walked onto the subway, and arrived at my hotel.  Landing at JFK at 5:00 would be fine for an 8:00 PM show if the flight is on time or not too late.  Most times, I find that the plane will arrive 15-30 minutes early.

However, I arrive on weekdays when I know that the subway is running on a normal schedule.  Weekends, they are constantly doing maintenance and the trains are not always running as regularly.  Also, if you don't already have AirTrain/Metrocards, you will need to stand in line at the machines and purchase them, which is usually quite a scene with many tourists trying to figure it out.  Whenever I leave NY, I make sure that I have enough money loaded onto my Metrocard so that I don't have to stop and load it when I get off of the AirTrain.  

I just learned that you can buy a 10-trip AirTrain card that is good for up to 4 people.  It is 50% off the normal price of each one-way trip.  What a deal!  Anyhow, you could buy one and use it for the 3 of you.  Read up on it online to make sure, but that is what I determined from my research.  I bought one for my next trip to see how it works.  It's only $25 for one and if you are headed back to JFK on your way home, you would use up 6 one-way trips which would normally be $30.  So, even if you never use the card again, you will have saved $5.  I think there is a way to share pay-as-you-go Metrocards for the subway, too, but I haven't researched that much since I travel alone.  But I highly recommend a 7-day subway pass for each of you if you will be using the subway a lot.

Since there are three of you, maybe you just want to take a taxi or rideshare to avoid all of this, but sometimes the taxi line can be long outside.

I use the free app, CityMapper, constantly, and it has never once let me down.  When you land, you can enter where you want to go, and it will list all the available options, including walking (ha ha), Uber, Lyft, public transit, taxi, buses...and it lists the prices, too, and what direction you need to walk.  Seriously, it is a great app for navigating!

Have fun!  Figuring out this part of it is part of the fun!

 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 6:10pm

I always find JFK to be a complete nightmare, though I come in internationally so it may be easier for those flying domestic. Last time I came over though the line for US residents was about 4 times longer than the one for International flyers.

Personally I think if you made it in that time, it'd be by the grace of God.