due the pandemic it’s been more than two years since our last trip to the United States (Charlotte, NC) and also because of the pandemic it wasn’t that easy to get to New York. Everything started in November, as the news said, that travelling to the US will be possible again for Europeans. So we booked a flight with Finnair from Berlin via Helsinki to New York JFK. Six weeks before Departure we got the Information, that our flight from Helsinki to Berlin was cancelled. Panic… How to get to the States? We found an alternative. Delta offered direct flights from Frankfurt to New York JFK. The price was pretty the same as Finnair so it didn’t went too expensive. We also booked us a flight with Lufthansa from Leipzig, our hometown, to Frankfurt and stayed the night before at the Sheraton Airport Hotel at Frankfurt Airport. Affordable room with king bed and runway view for 117€.
Early the next day after a good sleep we took the bus from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 at Frankfurt Airport. The Check-In wasn’t crowded and the Sky Priority Counter was empty. We did the paper work (vaccination, COVID-Test, ESTA…) and checked in our suitcases. In Frankfurt the Delta passengers get access to the Priority Lounge. This is located prior security – which we noticed after we passed it. So we had to go back to get to the lounge.
90 Minutes before departure we passed the security lane again and on time – 60 minutes before departure – the boarding began.
Delta equipped their B767-400ER with their new Delta One Open Suite. A very good cabin product to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
The cabin crew was friendly, the food was delicious and the seats very comfortable. Only the second meal was served a bit too late in my opinion. I don’t like to rush.
More about the whole flight you find in the video here:
Tripreport Delta One B767-400ER FRA-JFK
The landing in JFK-Terminal 4 was also on time. The immigration was empty as well and after a few minutes we had our stamps. We took our suitcases and headed to the people mover to get to Terminal 5 and the TWA Hotel. This Hotel takes you back to the year 1962. The old TWA Terminal was renovated and transformed into a Hotel in 2019. For two days we booked the “Deluxe King With Runway View”
With this view I didn’t feel jet-lagged at all
The hotel offers a restaurant and a food court. A pool bar and a bar in the Super Constellation were accessible as well.
Many walls filled with information and an exhibition with historic TWA uniforms take you back to the sixties and at least the music will.
Another four nights we spend near the Times Square at the Residence Inn Hotel. We choose a studio with king bed and kitchen. On the 11th floor the view above 6th Avenue was good.
The bed was comfy the sleep was good and after breakfast (the room rate included breakfast but we decided to eat in our room) we went on a ten kilometer walk. First stop was Times Square. 10am it was not crowded, the sun was shining but the wind was icy.
To get a bit more sun we continued to Central Park and again except a few joggers we were almost alone to enjoy the park.
After a short shopping stop at the Ralph Lauren flagship store we continued our walk along the 5th Avenue. On the left we walked pass Temple Emanu El – one of the biggest Synagogues in the world.
We stayed strong and didn’t walk into the Gucci, Luis Vuitton or Delce & Gabana stores
We kept sightseeing along 5th Avenue. St. Patricks Cathedral, Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building were the last three sights for us this day.
As the weather forecast said the next day should the snowy. We decided to stay on the couch and watched the snowflakes fall in front of our hotel window.
The next day the sun was out again. Already in Germany we bought us tickes for the 9/11 Memorial. We took the Metro from Times Square to Cortland Street. In the Metro we thought if maybe the town still misses some tourists?
We arrived at the One World Trade Center. Because we still had more than a hour time until we were allowed to go inside the Memorial we went down to East River pass the Trinity Church, Wall Street and the Federal Hall.
We reached Pier 15 on the East River and had a good view at the Brooklyn Bridge.
We went back to the World Trade Center to visit the exhibition and the 9/11 Memorial. The exhibits were impressing and depressing at the same time. It was still hard to understand what happed on that day and to find words for unspeakable suffering of the victims and their relatives.
The day came to an end and the next day should already be our last. At 11am we had to leave our hotel. We took a taxi and went back to New York JFK Terminal 4. For Business Passengers Delta offers a separate area for check-in.
We had to spend about five hours. We went to the Delta Sky Club near Gate B30. At noon it wasn’t crowded at all. But later some more passengers came and then it was harder to get a seat. The lounge is spacious and offers good view across the apron. Hot and cold food is also offered as non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic drinks need to be paid.
About an hour before departure we went to Gate 22 where our B767-300 was already waiting.
The B767-300 comes with a bit an older version of the Delta One. It does not offer that much privacy and I found the integrated seat belt airbag annoying for sleep.
The crew, the service and the food was as good as on our flight to Frankfurt but as I said I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted.
After our arrival at Frankfurt again we had to change the Terminals to fly back to Leipzig. Due the pandemic there are not many flights between Frankfurt to Leipzig so we had to spend another six hours inside the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge. More and more tired we were happy to get onboard the CRJ900 that brought us in 35 minutes to Leipzig.
With bags full of impressions and memories we arrived as tired as can be at home.
Thanks for reading.
Greetings
Christiane - UpInTheAir