Flights to New York: Airports, Airlines, and Fare Guide
A guide to booking flights to New York City — comparing JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia, the airlines that serve them, typical fares, and tips for finding the best deals.
New York City is served by three major airports, connected to more than 200 destinations worldwide, and is one of the most competitive airline markets in the world. That competition works in your favor — if you know how to navigate it.
Three airports — and they’re not interchangeable
John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
The main international gateway. Located in Queens, about 15 miles southeast of Midtown Manhattan. Six terminals. JFK handles the vast majority of long-haul international flights to and from New York. Every major global carrier operates here — British Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, and dozens more. JetBlue has its largest hub at Terminal 5.
Getting to Manhattan: AirTrain + LIRR to Penn Station (45 minutes, $12), AirTrain + subway (60-75 minutes, $11), taxi (45-90 minutes depending on traffic, flat fare $70 + tolls/tip).
Best for: International flights, JetBlue domestic routes, premium cabin options.
Newark Liberty International (EWR)
United Airlines’ East Coast hub. Located in New Jersey, about 15 miles southwest of Midtown. Three terminals. Newark handles a significant share of transatlantic flights (United operates a massive hub here) plus domestic routes. Despite being in New Jersey, it’s often closer in travel time to Midtown Manhattan than JFK.
Getting to Manhattan: NJ Transit + AirTrain to Penn Station (35-45 minutes, $16), taxi or ride-share (30-60 minutes, $70-90 + tolls).
Best for: United flights (domestic and international), travelers staying in Midtown or west side.
LaGuardia (LGA)
Domestic-focused airport in Queens, the closest to Midtown Manhattan (8 miles). Rebuilt in recent years with a modern terminal. Almost exclusively domestic flights plus some routes to Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Delta and American have significant operations here.
Getting to Manhattan: Bus (M60 SBS, Q70) + subway (45-60 minutes, $2.90), taxi (20-40 minutes, $35-55).
Best for: Domestic flights, travelers staying in Midtown or east side.
Routes and airlines to New York
Domestic
New York has nonstop service from virtually every US city. The major carriers:
- JetBlue: Hub at JFK. Strong domestic network, particularly to Florida, the Caribbean, and West Coast. Often competitive on pricing.
- Delta: Major presence at JFK (Terminals 2/4) and LaGuardia. Extensive domestic network.
- American: Operates heavily at LaGuardia and JFK Terminal 8.
- United: Hub at Newark. Strong domestic and international network.
- Spirit/Frontier: Budget options at LaGuardia and Newark.
Transatlantic
| Route | Airlines | Typical economy fare |
|---|---|---|
| JFK → LHR | BA, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, American | $350-700 |
| JFK → CDG | Air France, Delta, La Compagnie | $350-700 |
| EWR → FRA | United, Lufthansa | $400-750 |
| JFK → FCO | ITA Airways, Delta, American | $400-800 |
| JFK → BCN | Level, Iberia, Delta | $350-700 |
Transpacific and other long-haul
| Route | Airlines | Typical economy fare |
|---|---|---|
| JFK → NRT/HND | Japan Airlines, ANA, United | $600-1,200 |
| JFK → DXB | Emirates | $500-900 |
| JFK → DEL | Air India | $500-1,000 |
| JFK → TLV | El Al, Delta | $500-900 |
| JFK → GRU | LATAM, American | $500-900 |
When flights to New York are cheapest
Cheapest months: January-early March (post-holidays, cold weather). Transatlantic fares can drop below $300 round trip. Domestic cross-country fares as low as $150 round trip.
Most expensive: Late June-August, Thanksgiving week, Christmas-New Year. Peak domestic fares double; transatlantic fares can exceed $1,000.
Shoulder seasons: April-May and September-October. Ideal weather in New York and moderate fares.
Pro tip: New York’s three airports create unique competition. When one airport has high fares on a route, check the others. A JFK-LAX flight might be $80 more than the same day EWR-LAX flight on a different carrier.
Booking tips
Always compare all three airports. The price difference between JFK, EWR, and LGA for the same destination can be $50-200. Use the ground transport cost difference to decide if the savings are worth it.
JetBlue’s JFK hub often undercuts legacy carriers. On routes where JetBlue competes (most domestic and some transatlantic), their fares are typically 10-20% below American, Delta, and United.
Newark is often cheapest for transatlantic. United’s hub operations at EWR mean high frequency and competitive pricing on European routes.
Book domestic 3-6 weeks ahead, international 6-12 weeks ahead. These are the typical sweet spots for the lowest available fare classes.
Consider the time of day. Red-eye flights (departing 9-11 PM) are consistently cheaper than morning departures, especially on transcontinental routes.
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