NY Area Airports - Traveling from one to the other?

[hightownCO]

Trying to do AA Miles for a STL to BCN ticket in May 2012. The leg to BCN is of course out of JFK. From STL can either fly into LaGuardia or Newark.

 

Assuming folks have been ticketed like this before, which airport would be better?

 

Does the airline transfer bags or would we have to claim and recheck at JFK?

 

Does the airline provide any transport for us or is it on your own? and if on your own, are there regular for $ shuttles?

 

Thanks!

[paul929207]

LGA is closer.

 

The onetime we did this, we had to claim bags and tote them to other airport and check in. We took a taxi.

[Gardyloo]

Trying to do AA Miles for a STL to BCN ticket in May 2012. The leg to BCN is of course out of JFK. From STL can either fly into LaGuardia or Newark.

 

Assuming folks have been ticketed like this before, which airport would be better?

 

Does the airline transfer bags or would we have to claim and recheck at JFK?

 

Does the airline provide any transport for us or is it on your own? and if on your own, are there regular for $ shuttles?

 

Thanks!

I think most people (including me) would say definitely LaGuardia; Newark is much farther from JFK.

 

You have to transfer your own bags, and also pay for the connecting transportation. There are numerous car services, shuttle firms, or taxis that can take you; if by cab allow around $30 - $35 and 20-30 min. depending on traffic. It would be at least double those numbers - maybe closer to 3x - from Newark.

 

Just a note that may or may not be of interest. Your AA miles can be used for any combination of flights using AA partners. So, for example, you could fly from STL to Miami on AA, and connect at Miami to Iberia's nonstop Barcelona flight from there; or AA to Chicago then Iberia to Barcelona via Madrid - both potentially faster than doing the airport switch in NYC, also cheaper and less hassle - no fussing with bags, etc. You need to phone AA for reservations involving partners, but it might be worth your time.

[hightownCO]

I think most people (including me) would say definitely LaGuardia; Newark is much farther from JFK.

 

You have to transfer your own bags, and also pay for the connecting transportation. There are numerous car services, shuttle firms, or taxis that can take you; if by cab allow around $30 - $35 and 20-30 min. depending on traffic. It would be at least double those numbers - maybe closer to 3x - from Newark.

 

Just a note that may or may not be of interest. Your AA miles can be used for any combination of flights using AA partners. So, for example, you could fly from STL to Miami on AA, and connect at Miami to Iberia's nonstop Barcelona flight from there; or AA to Chicago then Iberia to Barcelona via Madrid - both potentially faster than doing the airport switch in NYC, also cheaper and less hassle - no fussing with bags, etc. You need to phone AA for reservations involving partners, but it might be worth your time.

 

Thanks. I hadn't thought about calling about the partners out of other cities.

 

Is Iberia OK?

[Gardyloo]

Thanks. I hadn't thought about calling about the partners out of other cities.

 

Is Iberia OK?

Economy class on Iberia is okay - IMO not especially better or worse than economy on an AA 767 (which is what you'd have on JFK-BCN) although Iberia's planes are newer. With two stops, however, you could go, for example, STL-ORD-LHR-BCN using AA or British Airways from Chicago to London, then BA to Barcelona, or various other permutations.

 

If you're planning on business class, I personally think Iberia's business class is quite good - on a par or better than AA's or BA's.

[hightownCO]

Unfortunately, this trip is on a shoe string so no business class both miles & money wise. As it is, I'll need to buy 10k miles to get the two one ways. And may be wrong but I think if I use AA miles and it's a BA flight partner, there may be extra charge.

 

Another alternative would be to use my miles on the return - VCE to STL. That is probably a more difficult route to use AA miles on but can check both.

 

Lots to try to figure out.