Perhaps an ordinary person would not have attempted to go to work on a day when she has a 5:45 pm international flight, but I’m always looking to conserve my annual leave time (after all, there’s always another trip on the horizon). So, I lugged my packed carry-on bag to work with me, and left at 1:45 p.m.
From downtown Manhattan, the best way to go to JFK is via the A train to Howard Beach and to connect the JFK Airtrain there. At Howard Beach, however, we were informed that the Airtrain was not running. No explanation was offered. We were ushered to the street, and told a shuttle bus would arrive shortly. It didn’t. Finally, a bus headed not to the Airport terminals, but to Federal Circle, the location of the rental car companies, arrived. At Federal Circle the havoc multiplied. Tensions heightened. Domestic passengers were missing their flights. I learned that the cause of the breakdown was a fire on Airtrain tracks.
Eventually, a shuttle bus for my terminal arrived. Instead of being 3 hours early, my flight was in 90 minutes.
Terminal 8, JFK
Thanks to my Platinum AA status, I was able to get through check-in and airport security with relative ease. I arrived at the AA club in time to throw down a quick glass of wine.
I boarded the Finnair Airbus 330. I was seated in an exit row economy seat. The flight was okay. Service was decent and dinner was edible (unlike the horrific lunch served on the return flight!). The dinner consisted of a salad and some sort of grilled chicken strips, with some sort of pureed root vegetable and green beans.
Wine was complimentary.
Breakfast was a (very dense) bagel sandwich consisting of a piece of meat, cheese and tomato, cucumber and lettuce.
I wasn’t seated in the window seat, but I made the guy next to me lean back so I could take this photo of the plane landing in Helsinki.
I wandered around the airport for a few minutes.
Oh look! Moomins!
I found my way to the train station – there are trains that go right to Helsinki Central Railway Station for €5.
The ride was less than 30 minutes.
We arrived at the Helsinki Railway station. Don’t you love European train stations?
The square outside the railway station.
The Radisson Blu Helsinki Plaza Hotel was right across the street from the train station. I checked in early, and the employees couldn’t have been nicer. My room was gorgeous – it will be reviewed in a separate post.
Cool! I was now ready to take on Helsinki, Finland!
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
Thanks for the tip. I will be doing the same exact trip in April. Even staying in the same hotel. Did you have to tell them that you’ll be checking in early, in advance?
I wrote to the General Manager, with questions and mentioned that I’d be arriving early – but didn’t insist on an early check in or anything.
Did you consider uber/lyfting to the airport from Howard Beach? Seems pretty bad on the part of the Port Authority that there were no announcements that could have helped you find an alternate route or understand what was going on.
Tom – we were confused. We were told a shuttle bus directly to the Terminals would be arriving at Howard Beach. Later, when we were waiting with the masses at Federal Circle, we tried Uber, but it was jammed by that point.
Of course, in hindsight, I would have just gotten a taxi at Howard Beach or Lefferts.
CLT > JFK > E > BDFM > Midtown was my weekly commute. Any break in the chain was hell fire! Thanks for the post!