How the best way to do travel.

[Danno 1,228]

Seems like everyone wants to route through NY.

NY has the worst (I think literally) flight delay/cancel rate.

Not only that but, they often require you to go from one Airport to another to get your connecting flight.... that would be out of the question. ( I did that myself last time returning home).

My fiancee routed through JFK with no problems. (So did I on a separate trip.)

I will admit, it's a pain in the @$$, but it's not such a pain that I'd avoid it if it saved me several hundred $$$$$$.

Did she have to go from say Lug to JFK, to catch her connection flight, thats the part that is a little crazy.

I notice some come into a third airport in north Jersey, that might be the way to go.

[shikarnov 7]

My fiancee routed through JFK with no problems. (So did I on a separate trip.)

I will admit, it's a pain in the @$$, but it's not such a pain that I'd avoid it if it saved me several hundred $$$$$$.

I've flown to Moscow from JFK at least 10 times in the past few years (usually with Delta), plus a few more to other European cities, and only once had a minor 30 minute delay because of ice on the plane. I have no idea how JFK is domestically, but I've been fairly impressed by the lack of problems internationally.

Z

[slim 1,514]

The "pain in the @$$" that I refer to is how it's sometimes necessary to change terminals via a fairly large system of buses and trains that's not exactly "foreigner friendly." (Or American friendly for that matter.)

It's not exactly hard and for anyone able to navigate their way around a large city it would be no problem. However, it's not "easy" or convenient to the point where someone with no English speaking/reading would be able to easily navigate it in a time-sensitive manner.

I have faith that the average Russian immigrant would be able to navigate it just fine without help, even with children and luggage in tow. However, if it were a cost issue where I could route through another airport closer to home for a similar price, I'd avoid JFK also. But, usually the cost of JFK is more than worth trying to "guess" which train to get on.

[Danno 1,228]

My fiancee routed through JFK with no problems. (So did I on a separate trip.)

I will admit, it's a pain in the @$$, but it's not such a pain that I'd avoid it if it saved me several hundred $$$$$$.

I've flown to Moscow from JFK at least 10 times in the past few years (usually with Delta), plus a few more to other European cities, and only once had a minor 30 minute delay because of ice on the plane. I have no idea how JFK is domestically, but I've been fairly impressed by the lack of problems internationally.

Z

I had heard on the radio that JFK was I think the worst as for are delays.

Is there a better record for internationally? I don't know.

Last time I lost a day when on my way to ST.Pet due to a delay there.

KNowing their track record would not make me avoid it at any cost... but if I had an easy second choice I would avoid NY.

[shikarnov 7]

I understand you better now. Being that I use JFK exclusively for international travel, I haven't had the experience you've had there.

Food for thought -- I've found that Atlanta (from which Delta also has direct flights to Moscow) has a very simple intra-airport train network. I've even found, on occasion, that it was sometimes cheaper to fly there and then grab a northbound connection than it was direct to JFK and then busses/taxis.

The way you describe JFK is how I'd describe Frankfurt's airport. I swore I'd end up trapped in that airport forever, like Tom Hanks in that movie, the name of which I can't remember... Luckily I fared a bit better

Z

[Danno 1,228]

The "pain in the @$$" that I refer to is how it's sometimes necessary to change terminals via a fairly large system of buses and trains that's not exactly "foreigner friendly." (Or American friendly for that matter.)

It's not exactly hard and for anyone able to navigate their way around a large city it would be no problem. However, it's not "easy" or convenient to the point where someone with no English speaking/reading would be able to easily navigate it in a time-sensitive manner.

I have faith that the average Russian immigrant would be able to navigate it just fine without help, even with children and luggage in tow. However, if it were a cost issue where I could route through another airport closer to home for a similar price, I'd avoid JFK also. But, usually the cost of JFK is more than worth trying to "guess" which train to get on.

Yeah, I forgot all about that terminal train, I am not so good with those myself, however if there were enough time between flights, I think she could get to the right place by asking those in uniform.

We speak 90% English so, I think she could follow directions from strangers... although she does have this trait where she goes along-with the conversation ... as if she understands and then I realize she doesnt. That little bluff will not work well when getting directions.