Is New York too much for a "weekend break"

[[TW]Fox]

Who gets to the airport 3 hours before a flight?! I'd aim for 2 at most depending on the airport

It depends where you live but if you are more than an hour from Heathrow and you've got a Transatlantic flight timing to arrive 2 hours before is fairly foolish, you only need an accident on the way or a cancelled train or whatever and your non-refundable ticket goes in the dustbin (and they'll automatically cancel the return leg too if you no show the outbound!)

2 hour is, I agree, plenty of time, but you have to have some leeway incase your scheduled 2 hours before arrival turns into an unscheduled 40 minutes before arrival and the woman at the desk says 'Bag drop closed, goodbye'

 

[dowie]

9am flight isn't early to be fair, and by the time you get to NY you still have 1/2 a day.

And working through a little jet lag isn't a big deal really. Don't be such a wimp

+1

I guess some people need their beauty sleep. I'm still not seeing the issue, so you get up a bit earlier than usual on the Friday, have a long day... big deal - it is Friday, OP might be happy being out till 3am with work mates back in the UK so I doubt a 4 hour time difference is really going to be an issue. And he'll be tired at work Monday morning, so what - he'll have likely had an awesome weekend.

 

[dowie]

No, the people giving the solid advice are not missing the point. Paying £1,400 (assuming £500 tickets + £200/night hotel) and putting yourself through 24 hours of traveling plus juggling different time zones all to experience 1.5 days in Manhattan is ridiculously stupid. £1,400 to go see the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, and go for a meal is obscene unless you enjoy burning money....and no, it's not justified because 'it's romantic' because it won't be romantic because they will feel knackered... The only thing going on in that hotel bed will be sleeping or if lucky a very unenthusiastic banging

He's not going to Australia, there is a 4 hour time difference and he can have a snooze on the plane on the way there... He might get a bit tired on Monday, sure. And again, pointing out that he isn't getting value for money is missing the point massively, he already knows he isn't getting value for money... not everything is about getting value for money.

 

[[TW]Fox]

There is a 5 hour time difference, btw.

I think on the value for money aspect, spending a grand on plane tickets for 2 nights in a hotel is a bit more than just 'bad value for money'

Let's assume £150 a night for a hotel and £500 each for plane tickets.

2 nights = £1300.
4 nights = £1600.

Ignoring the fact you can DOUBLE your stay for only 20% more and just saying 'YEA WELL YOLO LOL' is such a huge wasted opportunity.

Who wouldn't want twice as much New York City for just 20% extra...

 

[teenwolf]

It depends where you live but if you are more than an hour from Heathrow and you've got a Transatlantic flight timing to arrive 2 hours before is fairly foolish, you only need an accident on the way or a cancelled train or whatever and your non-refundable ticket goes in the dustbin (and they'll automatically cancel the return leg too if you no show the outbound!)

2 hour is, I agree, plenty of time, but you have to have some leeway incase your scheduled 2 hours before arrival turns into an unscheduled 40 minutes before arrival and the woman at the desk says 'Bag drop closed, goodbye'

i arrived 3 1/2 hours before my ny flight, rather have an extra hour in the bar than worrying about the car breaking down or held up in traffic.

i got some open jaw code share tickets £172 with virgin atlantic

 

[Freefaller]

9am isn't early, but getting up at 4am to be ready to be picked up at 5am to be at the airport for 6am is

Why are you at the airport so early? 40mins before take off, sorted!

 

[[TW]Fox]

Why are you at the airport so early? 40mins before take off, sorted!

Not if you have bags to drop, you're Transatlantic flight will leave without you if you walk through the airport door 40 minutes before takeoff

 

[Freefaller]

I must have been lucky then

 

[dowie]

There is a 5 hour time difference, btw.

I think on the value for money aspect, spending a grand on plane tickets for 2 nights in a hotel is a bit more than just 'bad value for money'

Let's assume £150 a night for a hotel and £500 each for plane tickets.

2 nights = £1300.
4 nights = £1600.

Ignoring the fact you can DOUBLE your stay for only 20% more and just saying 'YEA WELL YOLO LOL' is such a huge wasted opportunity.

Who wouldn't want twice as much New York City for just 20% extra...

not for everyone... supposing the OP is an IT contractor and misses two days more work on some lucrative daily rate, suddenly 4 nights isn't so attractive

granted if he is on the UK average salary with average holiday entitlement then value for money perhaps is a consideration but you can probably infer from the fact he's considering it that value for money isn't a primary concern - he may have limited holiday, he may be a contractor etc... it might not fit in with work at the moment but he still wants to do something out of the ordinary for his GF...

 

[V F]

NYC is great, and if you have never been, even this short would be awesome, but in terms of the idea of a break, as opposed to having to have to see NYC, spending 24 hours out if the weekend travelling is tiring. Monday morning at work will be a killer.

 

[dowie]

maybe he should stay closer to home:

 

[iaind]

It depends where you live but if you are more than an hour from Heathrow and you've got a Transatlantic flight timing to arrive 2 hours before is fairly foolish, you only need an accident on the way or a cancelled train or whatever and your non-refundable ticket goes in the dustbin (and they'll automatically cancel the return leg too if you no show the outbound!)

2 hour is, I agree, plenty of time, but you have to have some leeway incase your scheduled 2 hours before arrival turns into an unscheduled 40 minutes before arrival and the woman at the desk says 'Bag drop closed, goodbye'

Assuming you're still in a similar part of the world to me, I completely relate to the issue of not being anywhere near a proper airport. But the post I quoted was about leaving at 5 to get there for 6, which would imply we were talking about living circa an hour from the airport

These days if I'm doing gatwick or Heathrow I'll aim to be there 2.5/3 hours before but try to adjust my journey accordingly - eg stopping for a casual coffee once I reach the M3 if I've made good progress. Can't stand milling around in the airport. It's why I love using Exeter airport for trips to London, park in the short stay right outside the doors, walk through security with no queue and no long walk to the gate. Downside is the iffy planes that can be terrifying in bad weather

I've had enough close calls to know better now... A few months ago I was flying from gatwick to Singapore for a conference. Was there in plenty time but had used "meet and greet" parking which I normally really rate. Phoned them when I was 10 minutes out as requested but it took them an hour to turn up to collect the car! When we got to bag drop they said "we're just closing now" and we're a bit unhappy about taking my bags. That was a £6k return ticket so I was VERY fortunate that they took my bag.. Ended up going through security, Walking to the gate and straight onto the plane

 

[Freefaller]

Not if you have bags to drop, you're Transatlantic flight will leave without you if you walk through the airport door 40 minutes before takeoff

I must have been lucky then

Though to be fair I'm normally there about 1hr before. I hate airports

 

[[TW]Fox]

not for everyone... supposing the OP is an IT contractor and misses two days more work on some lucrative daily rate, suddenly 4 nights isn't so attractive

granted if he is on the UK average salary with average holiday entitlement then value for money perhaps is a consideration but you can probably infer from the fact he's considering it that value for money isn't a primary concern - he may have limited holiday, he may be a contractor etc... it might not fit in with work at the moment but he still wants to do something out of the ordinary for his GF...

If the OP is fabulously wealthy on some sort of monstrous daily rate he wouldn't be asking us if its worth it - he'd just go and who cares if it turns out not to be worth it, it's not as if he'd miss the money.

I suspect the OP is a normal joe like most of us, hence diligently asking a few questions to try and work out whether it's worth it or not.

Now he has a fairly useful debate with arguments on both sides from which to help make up his mind