New York is one of the world’s best launchpads for spontaneous trips and big adventures. Three major airports mean serious choice, frequent departures, and a vast network that makes cheap flights from New York realistic year round.
With a deep mix of domestic and international routes, you can leave after work for weekend flights from New York or catch an overnight to Europe and wake up in a new city. Nonstop options span close city hops and long haul icons, from quick shuttles up and down the East Coast to transatlantic crossings to London and Paris. The sheer volume of services makes last minute flights from New York easier to find, while off peak departures can unlock value for flexible travelers.
Kiwi.com’s flexible search, plus features like Travel Hacks and the Nomad Search Tool, help you uncover combinations and timings that typical searches miss, so you can decide when and how to go without overpaying.
From short hops to coast to coast journeys and far flung escapes, flights from New York reach almost anywhere. Below are popular patterns that travelers choose, with timings and demand varying by season and day of week.
Short haul standouts include Miami at about three hours nonstop, Chicago in roughly two and a half hours nonstop, and Boston or Washington in about one and a quarter hours nonstop. These routes see frequent daily services, which is why they are go to choices for quick business trips and spontaneous long weekends, with schedules subject to change.
Across the Atlantic, nonstop flights from New York to London take about seven hours and to Paris around seven and a half hours, with evening departures popular for overnight travel and morning arrivals. Explore London and Paris for culture packed city breaks, and use onward trains for countryside escapes. You can browse city guides for both London and Paris to spark ideas. Long haul Asia is a perennial favorite, with New York to Tokyo typically around fourteen hours nonstop, opening a gateway to the rest of Japan and beyond. On the US West Coast, New York to Los Angeles runs about six hours nonstop, a staple for film, food, and road trip fans. Schedules, aircraft, and frequencies are examples and subject to change. Seasonally, summer brings more frequencies to Europe and popular beach destinations, while winter travelers often target Florida sunshine. Autumn shoulder weeks lure crowd free city breaks and foliage trips across the Northeast. If you want to stretch your budget, consider cheap one way flights from New York or mixed carrier itineraries that connect through value friendly hubs.
Timing matters. A little flexibility can make a big difference in price, especially on busy transatlantic and cross country routes.
Shoulder seasons like late winter into early spring and mid fall often price lower than peak summer and holiday weeks, though demand fluctuates. For many domestic trips, a booking window of roughly four to six weeks can strike a balance between choice and price, while long haul itineraries often reward booking further ahead. Midweek departures and early morning or late night flights can also help you avoid peak demand, with all patterns subject to change.
Let technology track the market for you. Set up a Set a Price Alert for your exact route and dates so you get notified by email or push notification when fares move, then book when you like the price. If your plan involves three or more stops, feed your ideas into the Nomad Search Tool to find a wallet friendly order of cities and dates in seconds. For extra savings, explore Travel Hacks like self transfer, hidden cities, and throwaway ticketing, which can surface options that traditional tools overlook. For tight connections or mixed carriers, consider adding the Kiwi.com Guarantee. If carrier changes stop your trip, you get support to keep moving with services that include Disruption Protection, automatic check in on your flights, and 24 by 7 instant chat support.
New York’s three airport system gives you flexibility on route, time, and price. Here is how the airports in New York differ and how to reach them efficiently.
John F Kennedy International Airport in Queens sits about 15 miles southeast of Midtown Manhattan. It is the area’s busiest international gateway with multiple terminals, and Terminal 1 is in a major redevelopment with completion targeted for June 2026. AirTrain JFK links terminals to the New York City subway and Long Island Rail Road, and a typical trip from Manhattan can take around 60 minutes depending on your starting point and time of day. Expect a broad choice of long haul routes alongside key domestic links, with schedules subject to change.
LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst, Queens lies roughly eight miles from Midtown and primarily handles domestic flights with limited international services. The rebuilt Terminal B and the new Terminal C have modernized the experience. For public transport, the Q70 Select Bus Service connects the airport with subway and Long Island Rail Road stations in Queens, and many travelers reach LaGuardia from Manhattan via the subway plus the Q70 SBS in around 30 minutes when connections are smooth, subject to traffic and service changes. Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey sits about 16 miles southwest of Midtown. The new Terminal A opened in December 2022, improving gate flexibility and passenger flow. AirTrain Newark connects terminals to NJ Transit and Amtrak at Newark Liberty International Airport Station for rail into Manhattan, with typical rail times around 30 minutes to New York Penn Station, subject to operations. Newark hosts a large hub operation with extensive domestic and international connectivity. Airlines flying from New York span full service and low cost models. On Kiwi.com you can combine separate carriers into one self transfer itinerary to reach cities that do not have a traditional through ticket. Add the Kiwi.com Guarantee for that extra layer of support on self transfer trips, and rely on Disruption Protection if carrier changes affect your plans.