I try to avoid flying from JFK Airport at all costs. I live in Pennsylvania, not too far from the airport, but it can still be a hike and a hassle to get there. Many times it is hard to get the routing I want from PHL, so I have resigned myself to the fact that, oftentimes, I will be traveling to more out-of-the-way airports, but I much prefer Newark.

The second reason I avoid JFK is because it is almost guaranteed flights will be delayed. As we pushed off for a 15-hour flight to India, the pilot informed us we were 30th in line for take-off. We didn’t leave the ground for almost an hour and a half. The trend often repeats itself, at least in my experience.

As I was reading the travel news headlines the other day, I came across a news story about very unusual flight delays at JFK on Wednesday. The airport was forced to close down a runway because 78 turtles had crawled onto the runway from the bay! It took airport employees 35 minutes to wrangle up the turtles and return them to safety — back in the water and further away from the airport. The turtles were about eight inches long and weighed two to three pounds each. As a result, flights were delayed up to an hour and a half.

Can you imagine hearing that message from the pilot as you are sitting on the runway wondering why you haven’t taken off? “Sorry, folks, we are a bit delayed because of 78 turtles on the runway!” I’m sure more than one passenger rolled their eyes in disbelief.

And, according to this recent news story, it looks like the JFK delays are only going to get worse.

–Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

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