YVR to EWR or LGA?

[EgNyTeR]

Hello everyone I'm going to be cruising out of New Jersey with RCL on Anthem of the Seas in late March. We are travelling as a family of 4 with 2 young kids aged 4 and 7. We plan to stay in Manhattan by Time Square for about 3-4 days before heading over to NJ to catch the cruise. We are flying in from Vancouver BC (YVR) and was wondering if it would be best that we simply fly straight into EWR? Or. . . . do YVR to LGA  and EWR to YVR for the flight back? Obviously there's pros and cons to each way but travelling with 2 young kids can potentially pose even more challenges. Was wondering what everyone's thoughts are. . .

 

• YVR to EWR has non-stop flights via Air Canada (ideal flights with kids as no stops required) same with EWR to YVR. Only downside is when arriving at EWR we need to make our way somehow to Time Square where our hotel will likely be for the first few days then we have to head back to NJ cruise port.

 

• YVR to LGA would be closer to Time Square. After a few days in NYC we head over to NJ cruise port. After the cruise we fly from EWR to YVR non-stop via Air Canada back home. Right now I don't think there are any flights from YVR to LGA that are non-stop.

 

Any advice and recommendations would be great! --Thank you in in advance 🙂

 

 

[Got2Cruise]

It’s very easy to get from EWR to Times Square. It’s right through the Lincoln Tunnel and you’re in Times Square give a block or two. Chose the flights with the best price and schedule for you 

[Noxequifans]

Car services such as Dial 7 and Carmel provide good service in the NY metro area. Good idea to check out their websites in your planning.

[navybankerteacher]

While LGA is more convenient to Times Square, the non-stop option makes EWR a better route - particularly with children. 

[mjkacmom]

14 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

It’s very easy to get from EWR to Times Square. It’s right through the Lincoln Tunnel and you’re in Times Square give a block or two. Chose the flights with the best price and schedule for you 

Depending on the time of day, expect over an hour during rush hour and $100.

[princeton123211]

Know you were asking about EWR and LGA, but it is worth noting that Cathay Pacific offers a service direct from Vancouver to JFK on a large 777. This is "fifth freedom" anomaly flight the airline has as you normally need to fly to or from Hong Kong to use Cathay. The onboard product, service, and meals are vastly superior to what domestic US or Canadian carriers offer and it is of course nonstop. The flight is highly regarded and well reviewed-- especially among parents traveling with kids (special kids meals and inflight entertainment are provided which you don't get on a domestic US flight).  

 

JFK wouldn't be the end of the world for the first leg if you were headed into Manhattan, but you would most likely want to fly from EWR back home coming from Cape Liberty since you are right there. You should avoid LGA completely, especially if you would need to take layover and use EWR if you choose not to utilize the Cathay service. 

[mking8288]

IMHO - do not plan for that CX (#888) non-stop "red eyes" flight between YVR and JFK as it is going to be cut or suspended in the near future, most likely no later than early Spring 2020 due to reduced demands & capacity control.  Not to mention that the fare is not the most competitive for standard economy, especially for a family of 4 ... and sometimes delayed for various reasons as a continuation flight coming from HKG.  

 

https://onemileatatime.com/cathay-pacific-cuts-new-york-vancouver-flight/

[Got2Cruise]

On 9/18/2019 at 10:03 AM, mjkacmom said:

Depending on the time of day, expect over an hour during rush hour and $100.

LGA will take an hour during rush hour believe me. Going from East side to West side is hellish. lol. Yes the cab might be a little less but the price of the air tix needs to be figured in also. 

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, Got2Cruise said:

LGA will take an hour during rush hour believe me. Going from East side to West side is hellish. lol. Yes the cab might be a little less but the price of the air tix needs to be figured in also. 

Oh I know, just wanted to point out it’s not always a quick trip through the tunnel (I live 10 miles west of Manhattan, it can take me 20 minutes or 1+ hours).

[EgNyTeR]

Thank you everyone for your responses as it's greatly appreciated! --YES I totally agree that non-stop flights will work in my favor for sure and probably will end up taking Air Canada from YVR to EWG. --Make the trek to Time Square once we arrive and when we are ready to cruise will need to make the trek back into NJ. 

 

I just figured that if YVR to LGA would make sense but many of you said that the traffic isn't all that better anyways. Plus if I did it this way I currently do not see any non-stop flights from YVR to LGA which is a bummer. Overall it would probably cost me much more time with transfers and still need to get into Time Sqaure from LGA. --I don't see this saving much time or money at all.

[EgNyTeR]

On 9/18/2019 at 11:29 AM, princeton123211 said:

Know you were asking about EWR and LGA, but it is worth noting that Cathay Pacific offers a service direct from Vancouver to JFK on a large 777. This is "fifth freedom" anomaly flight the airline has as you normally need to fly to or from Hong Kong to use Cathay. The onboard product, service, and meals are vastly superior to what domestic US or Canadian carriers offer and it is of course nonstop. The flight is highly regarded and well reviewed-- especially among parents traveling with kids (special kids meals and inflight entertainment are provided which you don't get on a domestic US flight).  

 

JFK wouldn't be the end of the world for the first leg if you were headed into Manhattan, but you would most likely want to fly from EWR back home coming from Cape Liberty since you are right there. You should avoid LGA completely, especially if you would need to take layover and use EWR if you choose not to utilize the Cathay service. 

 

YES I know about the Cathy Pacific non-stop from YVR to JFK as I've taken that a few times already. I think Cathy just announced that they are removing that flight for the foreseeable future as it's not profitable. --My wife doesn't like the idea of red-eye flights with the kids either. Pricing wise unless there's a sale, I don't think I'll be saving much money on that route.

[princeton123211]

6 minutes ago, EgNyTeR said:

YES I know about the Cathy Pacific non-stop from YVR to JFK as I've taken that a few times already. I think Cathy just announced that they are removing that flight for the foreseeable future as it's not profitable.

It runs through the end of March. It actually was done in by aircraft advancement-- there are now numerous nonstops between New York and Hong Kong (wasn't the case in the late 1990s when this started) so taking a flight with a stop wasn't as desirable and led to smaller numbers of people using it of late. The new A350 is mainly to blame as Cathay is adding several more flights a day now from JFK with it. 

 

We've flown it a few times in either direction between JFK and Vancouver and its hands down the best flight in North America from an onboard quality standpoint. Totally understand the want to not do a red eye though-- and it doesn't make sense on the return because JFK would be a schlep from Cape Liberty. 

[Got2Cruise]

On 9/19/2019 at 2:57 PM, EgNyTeR said:

Thank you everyone for your responses as it's greatly appreciated! --YES I totally agree that non-stop flights will work in my favor for sure and probably will end up taking Air Canada from YVR to EWG. --Make the trek to Time Square once we arrive and when we are ready to cruise will need to make the trek back into NJ. 

 

I just figured that if YVR to LGA would make sense but many of you said that the traffic isn't all that better anyways. Plus if I did it this way I currently do not see any non-stop flights from YVR to LGA which is a bummer. Overall it would probably cost me much more time with transfers and still need to get into Time Sqaure from LGA. --I don't see this saving much time or money at all.

The car service found to be reliable between NJ and NYC is Dial7.com. You should reserve in advance and you can use it now to get a quote. Add tip. See if the tolls are included in the quote so no sticker shock. 

 

[njhorseman]

49 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

The car service found to be reliable between NJ and NYC is Dial7.com. You should reserve in advance and you can use it now to get a quote. Add tip. See if the tolls are included in the quote so no sticker shock. 

 

Also carmellimo.com and they are frequently a few dollars cheaper than Dial 7.