Since JFK is a popular port and the weather in NE could be less than ideal in the winter, I think some parents may know something about hotels near JFK international airport.
If you stuck at JFK due to a cancelled flight and need to stay overnight near JFK. Which nearby hotel will you stay, assuming that your flight will be changed to the next day, possibly in the morning? Assume that the convenience factor may be more important than the cost here. Is there a hotel inside or next to JFK so that you do not need to get out of the airport to get to a hotel attached to the airport?
When I was stuck there due to a cancelled flight the airline didn’t give us a choice about where to stay, but they provided accommodations. It was several years ago and I don’t recall which hotel it was, but there was a shuttle from/to the airport.
Thanks. Your post reminds me of one time when we stuxh at the Atlanta airport, and the airline company did provide us a free lodging and a meal at the hotel.
However, I do not know under what condition the airline company will provide this.
I remember many years ago, I learned that if your child goes our of state for college, it is better to be very familiar with nearby hotels near any airports your child may be stuck (except the airport in your home city.)
If JFK is a connecting airport, and u get stuck, then the airline is obligated to put u up in a hotel. If it’s the origination airport, then u are on your own.
Where are you trying to visit? Maybe I can suggest an alternative airport for u.
Actually, once when our flight from our originating city (HNL) was cancelled, we were given the option of transportation and one night’s stay at Waikiki Marriott or round trip taxi fare for our flight (taxi to go home and one to return the next day). H wanted to go home, so we chose that option.
We do not have a concrete plan to fly from/to JFK yet. But since many people living on the west coast fly to JFK, and we may do so in the future, we want to learn more about hotels near JFK.
Somehow I think JFK may be one of the large and old airports. It is not surprising that there is no attached hotel like many other airports, e.g., both DFW (Dallas, TX) and BDL (Hartford, CT) have an attached hotel which we can walk to without exiting the airport.
I am not familiar with Boston’s Logan(?) airport either, regarding whether they have a hotel which is attached to the terminal building of the airport.
If you do miss a flight, the airlines may be able to recommend a place to stay at a good, reduced rate, even if they won’t pay. They did that for me once when I missed a connection in Dallas Fort Worth. There was a free shuttle to and from the airport.
I’d not worry or plan these contingencies until I had a better idea of the cities I was flying from and to, as well as time of year and dates. Flight schedules change, hotels open and close for renovations, etc. In my many decades of flying, I’ve only had to stay at an airport hotel twice–snowed in at Billings MT in 1980 and the missed connection at DFW in 2008 or so. Airlines really do their best not to cancel flights and considering the huge # of passengers moved daily do pretty well.
When airlines know bad weather is coming they sometimes give a time window with no penalties to switch your flight. I left DC the day before Sandy hit with no penalty, as did many other folks. This has also happened in other severe weather occasions.
Many major airports have nearby hotels w free shuttles, rather than hotels right on the airport premises.
JFK is an “older” airport, but there has been a lot of new construction, e.g., Terminal 4 for Delta. Newer is not better-- I HATE that terminal so much. It is soooooo looong. Better wear comfortable shoes bcs u will need them!
The only public transportation advantage I see JFK having over LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is that JFK does have the Sky Train link to Jamaica Station where u can connect to the LIRR to get to NY Penn Station.
If u are traveling to a school north of the City, then consider using BDL. BDL has cheap Southwest Airlines flights.
For a school south of the City, consider using EWR. EWR has nonstop flights to the West Coast from SFO & LAX on United.
Both BDL & EWR have plenty of options for airport hotels. Bottom line is if u can avoid JFK, then I personally would. Plus, it’s a hassle to deal w NYC traffic if u pick up a rental car there-- ugh, this is the voice of painful experience speaking…
This has been the case for our family for the past almost 8 years. We basically have never been using any other airports than BDL because of the reasons you mentioned. I think we as parents have been flied into/out of BDL 7 times (well…I take it back: It was only 5 times for me and 7 times for my wife.) But for my child, there could have been almost 30 times (15 times during the four college years and maybe almost 10 times in his gap year alone, and the rest were for the grad years!)
So our family members are very familiar with BDL but not at all with any other airports in NE.
But right now we live on the other coast. During the winter (esp. this year), the choice of a direct flight between the west coast (N. Calfornia) and JFK could be desirable during winter season.
So we are motivated in learning a little bit about JFK now.
Re: Southwest: My wife has been flying Southwest so frequently that her accumulated miles could give three members in our family a free vacation (the flight parts) during our last Christmas season! We love to fly Southwest.
Where is that required? The impression I get from reading various sources is that airlines are not obligated to buy you a hotel room for an overnight after a missed connection, although they may do so for their frequent flyer elites.
Airlines are not legally obliged to put u up in a hotel if u miss your connecting flight. But for major airlines, that has been the common practice if the airline is unable to rebook u on another flight the same day. And the airlines don’t just do this for freq flyer elites.
Yes, the time we were stranded in Billings in 1980 due to blizzard, while they waited for another plane to land and add passengers to our plane, they didn’t care about anyone’s stausvand gave everyone hotel vouchers BUT no transportation from the airport to the hotel. A lucky few of us caught a ride from the rental car agent as she closed up and went home due to the airport closing.
I think the reason for your being stranded matters to the airline. Don’t think they are technically required to help in many instances other than mechanical issues of their airline, but not positive.
Just a single data point: (and a very recent one): Someone we know flied out of JFK as the departing airport in the evening. The flight was cancelled relatively late and there is no other flight. The airline provides a free hotel room. Not sure whether he is a frequent flier for this airline. (But he did fly a lot both demestically and internationally. So it is possible he is indeed a frequent flier.) The airline company is Delta.
The drive distance between his home and the airport is about 2 hours, if this matters. He successfully checked in online 7-8 hours before the scheduled flight so he did not know the flight was cancelled before he left home.
Was this a connecting flight or an originating flight?
When you make your reservation, ensure that you get text (or email or phone) notifications of changes to the schedule. That way you’ll know if there is a delay.
You can also check status of connecting flights online. I like to know where the planes are coming from, so if there is bad weather I know whether my plane is already in position.
But you’re worrying too much about potential issues that likely won’t materialize.
If a flight is cancelled due to weather, your chance of getting a hotel around any airport is probably pretty slim. On the other hand, it is very easy to take a public transportation or taxi to NYC or nearby town. The best way to search for hotels around an airport is to just do such search “hotels around JFK.”(70 popped up) They will list number of miles to JFK and whether they provide shuttle or not. You know which hotel chain you like. I would say most people wouldn’t know airport hotels as well because we would only stay there if we have an early or late departure.
Right. If you really are in a position where you need a quick, nearby hotel, you’re pretty much going to take what’s available that moment. You aren’t going to be picky, since you’re just looking for a safe and clean place to lay your head.