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 know of 2 or 3 families who'll be there around the same time, laura, I'm almost certain paths will cross or almost cross! We should wear special Mumsnet-related items just in case (no idea what that item could be?!)

We only have a loose plan to see the Yankees (and hence a train journey to the Bronx) and go on the Staten Island ferry past Ellis Island. And hang out in Central Park and maybe the High Line. I thought about a hop on bus deal but according to Money Saving Expert we're better off buying just the bus pass and paying for places like Empire State separately. We're more likely to do ESB than the WTC tower, I think, but we'd quite like to visit the 9/11 museum.

I'm going to google some of the places you mention as they sound interesting!

longhaullaura we're just boarding for JFK... hope you have a fabulous time when you go!

Just copy and pasting this from another New York thread I was on. Hope you’re having a great time superjaggy we may have overlapped?! We found immigration at JFK a breeze. We were out of there with our bags within an hour having expected to be queuing for up to two or three! Anyway here’s my promised report back.

Well we’re back and had an absolutely amazing time. Weather started out snowy, then wet, then cold but crisp and sunny. Central Park in the snow was beautiful!! Needed to keep adding layers as the wind could be biting especially down by Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park.

Loved the spring flowers and Easter decorations outside Rockefeller and Macy’s.

Didn’t use up all 10 attractions on our Flex Sightseeing Pass but still managed to save $2-300 overall. It doesn’t save you any time in the queues and we had to queue for everything (prob cos it was Easter hols) Eating out proved expensive but we had some great meals. Our fave breakfast was at Pershing Square and our best evening meal was at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Chelsea Market, the Highline, MoMA, the Met, Empire State, Top of the Rock, One World Observatory, Madame Tussaud’s (did this for the kids and they had a ball!), Tenement Museum, the Occulus, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Flea all visited. The queues for the Statue of Liberty were horrendous. We arrived at 10.15 and queued for an hour and a half to get tickets and then another 2 hours to get on the boat itself and it was bloody freezing. We felt like giving up several times but stuck at it as it was a sunny day and I really wanted to see Ellis Island.

No real bargains to be had shopping wise except for $30 Levi 501s. My DS loved looking at all the expensive trainers in Kith and wanted to join the queue for the Supreme shop but we drew the line at queuing up for a shop! We also skipped Katz because the queues outside were enormous.

Glad we changed our hotel from the Bowery to one in Midtown as it was less ‘gritty’ and the kids loved being right in amongst the skyscrapers.

Hope everyone who is heading there has a great time

I would suggest anyone going to the USA looks at going from Dublin.

You go through US Immigration in Dublin so it is very easy on the far end when you are tired.

We're back too and seem to have visited many of the same places as longhaullaura!

Flying from Inverness with BA was great, none of our luggage disappeared and the connections were good. We also took less than an hour to clear immigration at JFK, stepped out of the baggage hall and scooped up straight away by our transfer service (GoAirlinkNYC). Got to our hotel which was next to Chrysler and Grand Central and we had a view of the Empire State Building from our room 😊.

We also found food expensive - loved Pershing Square too but found that Delmonicas round the corner gave us a much better sense of crazy NY commuter breakfasting chaos! And it was a fraction of the price.

We got hop-on, hop-off bus passes with Gray Line for 3 days for $69 and this included a cruise past Ellis Island. We did Top of the Rock at sunset and spent most of one sunny day around Central Park. We visited 9/11, the High Line, Chelsea Market (where the food was great), and my DD found every Sephora in Manhattan. Tiffany was nice and we dipped into all the posh department stores whenever we needed a wee

Met many Scots during our stay as it was Tartan Week, in fact the place was hoaching with Brits!

Overall it was clean, safe, and there was something for everyone in our group (me, a 17yo and a 14yo). Can't wait to go back!