Flying from Glasgow to NYC

[longhaullaura]

Have posted this in Travel but thought it would be wise to post here too!

Haven't flown anywhere longhaul this century but we've got some PPI back and have decided to splash out and go to NYC for a week in the Easter holiday (2 teens and 2 adults).

We're flying from Glasgow and have looked at flights with BA via LHR and Aer Lingus via Dublin. The BA ones are coming out at about £2400 for all 4 of us and Aer Lingus are coming out at £3500. But when I go on Skyscanner I can find deals from online companies that are more like £1800 and they're virtually the same flights (mainly BA). But I am really suspicious. One I am looking at is called Travel UP and their package is coming out at £1800.

I'm holding flights with BA at the moment for £2400 and have another day before I need to commit to booking them. Am I right to be distrustful? Has anyone used these cheaper online only companies?

Another question I have is about the gap between connecting flights. The ones I am holding with BA have us landing in LHR at 13.40 Terminal 5 and then our flight to JFK leaves from Terminal 5 at 16.15. Is that long enough? What happens if our London flight is delayed?

On the cheaper Travel Up fare of £1800 our flight lands at Terminal 5 at 13.40, the connecting flight is at 17.00 but it's from Terminal 3.

I'm just wondering which is the best scenario of the above - less time but not having to change Terminal (direct through BA) or slightly more time (3hrs 20mins) but having to get to Terminal 3 from Terminal 5.

I am so used to just flying in Europe on cheap as chips tickets ie. £300 for all 4 of us that I'm finding this all a bit daunting (and expensive!)

Can anyone give me some advice please?

I might be horribly out of date, but I'm fairly sure United fly direct Glasgow-Newark? We flew 2.5 years ago that way, might avoid your worries with connections.

Hi, did you look at Norwegian air from Edinburgh to Stewart airport. That flight is direct, then you can take a bus from Stewart airport to Manhattan. Bus takes about 90 minutes.

And I use skyscanner for flights but always book direct with the airline.

Yes, flights directly to Newark from Glasgow are still going. Have you also checked KLM via Schipol?

Can you travel to Edinburgh. Norwegian from Edinburgh to NYC (not sure which airport) is usually a really cheap option.

We've connected many times and had very short transfer times - 30 to 45 minutes at times. Bit stressful but manageable (different terminals at Amsterdam, Atlanta, etc, so large scale airports). For first long haul flight I'd recommend direct tho. United and Norwegian do direct flights from Edinburgh. United go to Newark airport and it is then easy and cheap to use the train into manhattan. Have you tried Manchester too?

I prefer Newark, easier to get into the City via public transport. JFK is a bloody pain on the train.

United have stopped flying to New York direct from Glasgow this winter - 1st time they've done it in the 19 years it's been going. Typical! They resume in early May I think.

Haven't looked at KLM. Will do that now thanks.

I don't understand how the online flight companies are offering the exact same flights so much more cheaply then I can get them with BA. Do BA sell off a certain amount of cheap seats to these companies and sell the others directly at a premium?

Yes, I saw that United had stopped their Glasgow to EWR flights.

I think BA are supposed to have some kind of price match promise, if you find the exact same fares cheaper.

Your connecting times are fine as your bags will be checked all the way through and you should get boarding passes for both flights when you check in.

Be aware of assuming your bags will be checked all the way through. As part of security when traveling to USA random bags are selected not to be checked all the way through we fell foul of this when going to Las Vegas and missed out connecting flight.

I think Jet2 gonto NY too, if you’re on a budget.

Really don't want to have to fly from Edinburgh if we can help it. Such a pain that United have stopped their Glasgow flights. You'd think they would have the sense to reinstate them in time for the Easter Holidays.

I've often found with Travel Up etc that they show cheaper fares, but when you click through to book the price goes up. As far as I'm aware they are legit companies. I think the broker companies wouldn't show them if they were dodgy.

The advantage of flying in via Dublin is that you clear immigration there so you are out of the NYC airport much more quickly.

We fly Glasgow-London Heathrow and then Heathrow-Houston with far less stopover time. It's fine. I like KLM but the flight to Amsterdam just leaves too damn early as I travel on my own with my kids and one has ASD.

If you can bring yourself to go from Edinburgh you can also go with WOW air via Reykjavik. They fly to JFK and EWR. We did it recently for about £400 return each and we got a choice of layovers so built in a couple of nights in Iceland on the way home. It worked out really well!

Oh a stopover in Iceland would be lovely but alas we're on a tight schedule!

The cheaper companies often don't work out cheaper, they just update prices left often. I'd recommend booking direct with the airline. Also, if you book direct then they will sort connections (if delayed, they'll get you on the next flight as you've booked Glasgow to nyc) but brokers book you on each leg separately, so you risk missing connections. Id say 1 hour connection time at heathrow t5 is plenty.

Norwegian Air

Or save yourself aggravation at the far end and go to Dublin. Fly from there and clear American immigration and customs in Ireland. No surly nasty TSA people (the ones in Ireland like the posting and don't want complaints).

I've booked to travel to NYC with my teens at Easter too, but we're starting from Inverness. I found that the cheapest option for us was flying via Heathrow with BA, because they were offering a massive discount on the hotel if we booked flight+hotel as a package (the hotel price was discounted by 70%). My local travel agent couldn't match it at all so I booked direct with BA Holidays. I've also booked minibus transfers from JFK to Manhattan through them so it's as close to a package holiday as I can make it!

Oh I didn't even think of doing a flight and hotel package with BA Superjaggy! A 70% discount on the hotel is amazing! We're paying $2500 for 7 nights which is more than we've ever paid for a hotel but we're pushing the boat out for once and have never stayed in a hotel on holiday as have always done self-catering. We wanted to stay in the Lower East Side as that was our patch when we went there as a couple over 23 years ago. I dread to ask you what you're paying for your hotel!!

Well if it's booked and paid for, just go and enjoy it 😉. We're staying next to Grand Central, Lower East Side sounds way cooler! Did you get your flights booked?

Well it's done. Flights and hotel booked through British Airways (thanks to Superjaggy for that steer) Everso slightly cheaper deal because I had a little rethink and have gone for a plusher hotel near 5th Avenue so the kids can have that total 'skyscraper' experience (heavily discounted via BA). On reflection, Lower East Side might have been a bit too full-on to be totally immersed in for the week (for the kids anyway!) We'll certainly visit the Tenement Museum and Katz's but this way, we will be able to retreat to a more up town Manhattan and be closer to stuff like Top of the Rock and MoMA.

I found all the tips on this and the other thread really useful. Will be sure to report back

Have a great time, OP. Really is a wonderful place.

That's brilliant, laura! Have an amazing time 😊

Thanks Klobuchar and you have a great time tooSuperjaggy I wonder if our paths will cross unknowingly?! Are you going to pre-book any attractions? I've been looking at the New York Pass that has the hop on hop off bus offer on at the moment - it looks expensive but might work out cheaper. Can't make my mind up yet.

I definitely want to visit the World Trade Centre site and see the Pools. I might go on my own to the Museum or take my 14 year if he's interested. I definitely want to go inside the Occulus train station as it looks amazing and I want to go up to the Observatory Tower of 1 World Trade Center. That is quite eye wateringly expensive and is not part of the New York Pass scheme so would be an additional cost.

Anyway have weeks to plan it all out. Haven't even told our kids they're going. Want to keep it as a big surprise