Airport Codes

A do-it yourselfer just emailed asking me to help sort out her European flight schedule. I said sure and asked for the details. She’s flying in to SWF and out JFK. These airports are 80 miles apart! There was no way she’d make her connection.

Unfortunately she’d purchased non refundable tickets so I couldn’t help and recommended that she would have to deal with the people she purchased her tickets from.

Sounding distraught she said she bought it on-line and her messages hadn’t been
answered.

I then suggested that she contact the carriers directly provided her with their customer service telephone number and wished her luck.

The teaching point here is pay attention airport codes. These are 3 letter codes used to uniquely identify all airports. When booking online note the airport codes as there is a huge difference between SWF & JFK. The computer sure didn’t distinguish the difference as it was pulling up greater New York City airports.

Happy travels!