# Airport to airport connections



## BCL (Aug 7, 2018)

There was another topic on airports, which got me thinking about airport to airport connections for airports in the same region.

I remember being in China when we had to rebook for a flight the next day in Shanghai (were at Shanghai-Pudong) because the visibility conditions screwed up travel for hours and our flight was cancelled. Only they have two major airports, and we ended up staying at a nearby hotel. The next day we took a cab (pretty cheap) to the airport and took a special bus (airport bus #1) that went between Shanghai-Pudong and Shanghai-Hongqiao (which is a combination airport and major train station).

At least in the Bay Area it might be possible to take BART directly from SFO to OAK.







At least in my area, I think there might be some way to connect from San Jose Airport to SFO, although it would require a slew of transfers from the free VTA 10 line, to Caltrain, and then a quick BART connection from Millbrae. Before BART, there used to be a free shuttle between the Millbrae Caltrain station (which is now part of the Millbrae intermodal station) and the airport.

When I was in NYC, I wasn't sure if there was any easy way to connect between airports. I think there might be a bunch of private shuttle options to get between LAX and the other airports in the area, but public transportation won't be practical. Maybe Chicago? There are a few areas served by multiple airports like I suppose Dallas or Houston with the smaller airports that Southwest uses. Maybe around DC?


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## MARC Rider (Aug 7, 2018)

You can use the MARC Penn Line from BWI Airport, and them take the Metro Red and Yellow lines to National Airport.


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 7, 2018)

In Dallas you can use DART to get to/from Love Field and DFW, and soon TRE will have a direct connection between Ft. Worth and DFW.( now you have to transfer to a Bus to DFW @ Centerpoint and a Shuttle to the Terminals/ for Love Field you take TRE to Union Station in Dallas and transfer to DART).

IINM in St.Louis you can use the Light Rail between Lindbergh Field and the Small Airport located out in the Boonies in Illinois East of East St.Louis.


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## tp49 (Aug 7, 2018)

BCL said:


> There was another topic on airports, which got me thinking about airport to airport connections for airports in the same region.
> 
> I remember being in China when we had to rebook for a flight the next day in Shanghai (were at Shanghai-Pudong) because the visibility conditions screwed up travel for hours and our flight was cancelled. Only they have two major airports, and we ended up staying at a nearby hotel. The next day we took a cab (pretty cheap) to the airport and took a special bus (airport bus #1) that went between Shanghai-Pudong and Shanghai-Hongqiao (which is a combination airport and major train station).


Shanghai Metro Line 2 runs between Pudong and Hongqiao airports. Did it several times when I lived there.


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## jis (Aug 7, 2018)

In the New York Area:

EWR to JFK: EWR -> (EWR Airtrain) -> EWR NEC -> (NJT) -> NYP -> (LIRR or 8th Ave E train towards Jamaica Center) -> LIRR Jamaica or E Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave./JFK -> (Airtrain) -> JFK

EWR to LGA: EWR -> (EWR Airtrain) -> EWR NEC -> (NJT) -> NYP -> (LIRR) -> Woodside -> (Q70 SBS) -> LGA or

EWR -> (EWR Airtrain) -> EWR NEC -> (NJT) -> NYP -> (8th Ave. E train towards Jamaica Center) -> Roosevelt Ave./Jackson Heights -> (Q70 SBS) -> LGA

LGA to JFK: LGA -> (Q70 SBS) -> Woodside -> (LIRR) -> Jamaica -> (JFK Airtrain) -> JFK or

LGA -> (Q70 SBS) -> Roosevelt Ave./Jackson Heights -> (E Train towards Jamaica Center) -> Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave./JFK -> (JFK Airtrain) -> JFK

There of course are direct point to point shuttle bus connection among the three airports too.


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## jebr (Aug 8, 2018)

Chicago's relatively easy to connect between the two airports: MDW > Orange Line to Clark/Lake > Blue Line to ORD. (Transfer can also be made at Harold Washington Library, though that requires transferring at street level through fare gates, and I think a short walk along the street.)


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## railiner (Aug 8, 2018)

If you don't have luggage to haul, and aren't in a hurry...you can utilize all local transportation and get from Manhattan to either LGA or JFK for only $2.75 total, (if you already have a refillable Metrocard, otherwise an extra dollar to get one). You would ride the subway and get free transfer to a local bus, at Jackson Heights for LGA, or Kew Gardens for JFK.

And you can get to Newark Airport for a $2.75 PATH ride, plus $1.60 for NJ Transit local bus. So for a total of $7.10 from EWR to LGA or JFK.

Of course if you are a senior, you can do it for about half of that...


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## allanorn (Aug 8, 2018)

LAX to Burbank can be done with the Flyaway Shuttle (or Metro) to LA Union Station, then head on Metrolink or Pacific Surfliner to the Burbank Airport station. There might be a Metrolink connection to Ontario. I think Long Beach is somewhat connected via Metro from LAUS but I can't remember. No realistic/viable connections to Santa Ana that I'm aware of.

I've heard DC Reagan to Dulles is doable but it is a chore and not entirely on rail (yet).

You might be able to go DFW to Love Field mostly via rail. I don't think IAH to Houston Hobby is viable.

Zurich and Geneva airports are connected by a single-seat InterCity SBB train (IC1 or IC5); I think it takes about three hours. May not be the same region, but an interesting option nonetheless; I think Swiss Airlines will sell this as a leg if you need it and are connecting to a flight out of the other airport.


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## ehbowen (Aug 8, 2018)

allanorn said:


> You might be able to go DFW to Love Field mostly via rail. I don't think IAH to Houston Hobby is viable.


It isn't. Your only realistic choices IAH to HOU and back are SuperShuttle or a taxi. And even then you'd best have at least a four hour layover.


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## jis (Aug 8, 2018)

railiner said:


> If you don't have luggage to haul, and aren't in a hurry...you can utilize all local transportation and get from Manhattan to either LGA or JFK for only $2.75 total, (if you already have a refillable Metrocard, otherwise an extra dollar to get one). You would ride the subway and get free transfer to a local bus, at Jackson Heights for LGA, or Kew Gardens for JFK.
> 
> And you can get to Newark Airport for a $2.75 PATH ride, plus $1.60 for NJ Transit local bus. So for a total of $7.10 from EWR to LGA or JFK.
> 
> Of course if you are a senior, you can do it for about half of that...


Ah yes! The old faithful Q10 to JFK. Used it all the time back in my student days to get from Stony Brook to JFK via Kew Gardens.

There used to be another bus, I forget the route number then, maybe it was still Q3, maybe something else, that went to JFK on a route that is different from today's Q3.

Remember there was neither the Airtrain, nor the Sutphin/Archer/JFK Subway station back then. Saw the modification of the J and E routes constructed and put into service.

BTW, the NJT local bus from EWR to Newark Penn Station is route 62.

From EWR to JFK using local transit alone would look something like:

EWR -> (NJT 62) -> NWK -> (PATH) -> JSQ -> (PATH) -> 33rd St./Herald Sq. -> (NYCTA F) -> Kew Gardens -> (NYCTA Q10) - JFK

Other alternatives are:

1. using J + Q3: EWR -> (NJT 62) -> NWK -> (PATH) -> WTC -> (walk) -> Fulton St. -> (NYCTA J) -> Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave./JFK -> (NYCTA Q3) - JFK

2. using A + Q10: EWR -> (NJT 62) -> NWK -> (PATH) -> WTC -> (walk) -> Chambers St. -> (NYCTA A Liberty Ave.) -> Ozone Park/Liberty Ave. -> (NYCTA Q10) - JFK

3. A direct: EWR -> (NJT 62) -> NWK -> (PATH) -> WTC -> (walk) -> Chambers St. -> (NYCTA A Rockaway) -> Howard Beach/JFK -> (walk across the parking lot to the next station of Airtrain for a free ride) - JFK ( I have not done this one recently, so don't know if the walk to free ride still works. Otherwise you get to pay for the Airtrain)

BTW, it is also quite possible to get to Philadelphia International (PHL) from any of the New York airports and vice versa using transit alone. Basically

NYP/EWR -> (NJT Trenton) -> Trenton -> (SEPTA Trenton Line) -> Philly 30th St -> (SEPTA Airport Line) -> PHL

Also, one can get to ISP (Islip) from Jamaica by LIRR Ronkonkoma Line to Ronkonkoma and then airport shuttle from there.

Back in my student days that was close to my stomping grounds. There were no electric trains to Ronkonkoma back then.

Stewart is a harder nut to crack, and I am not quite sure about the details.

BTW, I would not recommend any of these for anyone carrying any significant luggage, and for anyone with even the slightest mobility issue even with zero luggage. New York public transit completely sucks when it comes to providing predictable ease of access to their vast network. The whole thing is a crap shoot.


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## cpotisch (Aug 8, 2018)

There's a bus that runs direct between NYC and Stewart Airport, schedule for connections to Norwegian flights. It doesn't really qualify as mass transit though, and is a pretty pricy $20 for adults and $10 for kids.


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## railiner (Aug 8, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> There's a bus that runs direct between NYC and Stewart Airport, schedule for connections to Norwegian flights. It doesn't really qualify as mass transit though, and is a pretty pricy $20 for adults and $10 for kids.


Or....do this. The shuttle bus cost is $1. Add the Metro North fare...

https://www.leprechaunlines.com/commuter_newburghbeacon.asp

Or, maybe not...just looked up those fares...peak $18.75, off peak $14.00...lower for senior's off peak.

I didn't realize how high MN's fares are now...


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 8, 2018)

I've had to connect between LGA and JFK in the past but it's not something I'd recommend to the uninitiated. Schedules and pickup/drop-off locations can change without notice or updates to website information. Carrying luggage on a commuter line isn't very practical and even with a straight shot shuttle you may not be able to depend on making the connection in a timely fashion. The most questionable connection I've been offered in recent memory was between NRT and HND, which are about 50 miles apart versus the 10 miles between LGA and JFK.


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## railiner (Aug 8, 2018)

Connecting from JFK to LGA would require two transfers on local buses or subway combination, so would cost $5.50. You only get one 'free' transfer with the Metrocard....


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## jis (Aug 8, 2018)

Washington DC/Baltimore area:

IAD - DCA: IAD -> (Wahsington Flyer Bus) -> Wiehle/Reston East -> (WMATA Silver Line to) -> Rosslyn -> (WMATA Blue Line) -> DCA

IAD - BWI: IAD -> (Wahsington Flyer Bus) -> Wiehle/Reston East -> (WMATA Silver Line) -> Metro Center -> (WMATA Red Line) -> Union Station -> (MARC Penn L:ine) -> BWI Airport Station -> (Shuttle Bus) -> BWI

DCA - BWI: DCA -> (WMATA Yellow Line) -> Gallery Place-Chinatown -> (WMATA Red Line) -> Union Station -> (MARC Penn L:ine) -> BWI Airport Station -> (Shuttle Bus) -> BWI

I have not had any problem using these with rollaboard luggage. Escalators and Elevators are easy to find and use at all stations involved.


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## trainman74 (Aug 8, 2018)

allanorn said:


> No realistic/viable connections to Santa Ana that I'm aware of.


OCTA/iShuttle route 400A runs between the Tustin Metrolink station and SNA, although it only operates during morning and afternoon rush hours. (PDF timetable link) Which is probably what makes it not particularly realistic/viable.


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## BCL (Aug 8, 2018)

I was thinking about it, and OAK-SJC would be feasible. In that direction it would require getting to OAC Amtrak - either by the BART shuttle or AC Transit 73. I've taken the latter before because it's less than half the fare of the BART airport connector. Then Amtrak Capitol Corridor to SCC (across the street from Santa Clara University). From there it's the free VTA route 10 shuttle to the airport.

The biggest issue with that would be limited Capitol Corridor trains going down to San Jose. Once BART is all the way down there, it might be more practical, although it would require a bunch of transfers. Once the Milpitas station (which looks almost complete) is open it could be a transfer across VTA light rail, then the VTA 10 shuttle at the Metro/Airport station. VTA 10 is the bridge that gets all sorts of transit riders to San Jose Airport.


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