London to New York. Leave mid morning and land with the working day still in front of you.
We match the aircraft to the season. Eastbound is easy; westbound in January, into a jet stream that can blow at a hundred knots, is the leg that separates the aircraft that cross non-stop from the ones that plan a fuel stop.
The route
At a glance
- Flight timeAbout 7 to 8 hours westboundEastbound is usually an hour or more quicker with the jet stream behind you. Winter westbound is the long one.
- DistanceRoughly 3,450 milesAbout 3,000 nautical miles, which is inside the range of fewer aircraft than people assume once headwinds and payload are counted.
- FromLuton, Farnborough or StanstedThe London fields that routinely handle transatlantic aircraft. Biggin Hill suits some types and is worth asking about.
- ToTeterboro (TEB) or White PlainsTeterboro is the closest to Manhattan. White Plains is better for Greenwich, Connecticut and northern Westchester.
New York is five hours behind London in British Summer Time. A mid morning departure from London lands in New York early in the afternoon with the working day still in front of you, which is the single best argument for doing this route privately.
Aircraft
Which category crosses non-stop westbound in winter
| Category | Westbound in winter | The honest position |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra long range jets | Yes, reliably, in any season | The category built for the leg. Full cabin, proper bed, and enough margin that winter winds do not change the plan. |
| Heavy jets | Usually, but it depends on the day | Many heavy jets cross non-stop most of the year. In deep winter, with a full cabin and luggage, some plan a technical stop. |
| Super midsize jets | Not reliably | A fuel stop at Shannon, Keflavik or in Newfoundland is normal, adding an hour or more plus a second set of handling. |
| Midsize and light jets | No | Wrong tool for an ocean. These are European aircraft. |
Category guidance, not a promise about a particular aircraft. The same type can cross non-stop with four passengers and need a stop with nine and their luggage. Your operator confirms the actual flight plan. Odyssey arranges aircraft.
The trap nobody mentions
The aircraft that can cross may not land at Teterboro
Teterboro does not accept aircraft over 100,000 pounds, and several of the largest ultra long range types sit above that figure. So the aircraft best suited to a January crossing is sometimes the one that cannot use the airport twelve miles from Midtown. The Port Authority runs a certification procedure for aircraft near the line, and your operator will tell you where a specific tail stands, but the principle is worth knowing before anyone picks an aircraft.
The practical answers are straightforward once you know the constraint. White Plains, in Westchester, takes larger aircraft and is much the better field for Greenwich and the Connecticut shore, though it asks operators to avoid movements between midnight and half past six in the morning. Morristown in New Jersey is quieter than Teterboro and suits north Jersey and a run down the interstate to Wall Street. Republic, on Long Island, is the sensible field for the East End. For the very largest aircraft, Newark and JFK are the practical options with a longer ground process at both.
Against a scheduled first class ticket, the private case on this route is about the day rather than the seat. You leave when the diary says, you work across a table for seven hours without an audience, and at the other end you clear customs at a private terminal and are in the car within minutes. What you do not escape is the Hudson. Twelve miles from Teterboro to Midtown is twenty five minutes on a good morning and the better part of ninety at half past five on a Thursday, and we quote it that way.
United States formalities
What has to be in place first
General guidance rather than legal advice. Your operator and, where you need one, your immigration adviser confirm the detail for your passengers.
- Check whether the operator holds a signatory carrier agreement with US Customs and Border Protection. This is the one that catches people out: an ESTA can only be used on a private aircraft when the operator is an approved signatory carrier
- If the operator is not a signatory carrier, Visa Waiver passengers cannot travel on an ESTA and need a valid US visa. That is a weeks-long process, not a days-long one
- An ESTA itself has to be applied for in advance and held before departure, and it is tied to the passport it was issued against
- The operator files advance passenger information and arranges permission to land, and arranges the customs clearance at the arrival airport before you leave London
- Arrive at an airport with Customs and Border Protection on the field. Teterboro and White Plains both have one. Clearance is staffed across a long day rather than around the clock, and out of hours arrivals are handled on request
- Allow for it in the timings. A clearance that is arranged properly takes minutes; one that was assumed can take an hour
Planning it well
Things worth knowing
- Ask about the weight limit before you fall in love with an aircraft. It decides the airport, and the airport decides the drive
- Teterboro asks operators to hold back non-essential movements between 11pm and 6am and enforces departure noise limits, so a very late departure may not be sensible
- Eastbound overnight is the classic return: leave New York in the evening, sleep, and land in London for breakfast. It is the shorter leg and the easier one
- Give us the terminal name at the New York end. Teterboro has several and they sit on different sides of the field
- This is a strong route for empty legs in both directions, because so much transatlantic traffic is one way
Around the trip
Related pages
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Questions people ask
About this route
Can we cross non-stop in winter?
In an ultra long range jet, yes, reliably. In a heavy jet, usually, though a full cabin and a strong jet stream can mean a technical stop. Below that, plan on stopping.
Why would we land at White Plains instead of Teterboro?
Because of the Teterboro weight limit, or because you are going to Greenwich or northern Westchester, where White Plains saves the Hudson crossing entirely.
Do we need a US visa?
It depends on your nationality and, on a private aircraft, on whether the operator holds a signatory carrier agreement with Customs and Border Protection. If it does not, Visa Waiver passengers cannot use an ESTA. Ask about it early.
Where do we clear customs?
At the arrival airport. Teterboro and White Plains both have Customs and Border Protection on the field, and the handler arranges the clearance before you leave London.
Do you arrange the cars in New York?
Yes, through operators we know, with one person in London holding both ends of the journey. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else.
Is it better to fly out overnight or by day?
By day going west, so you land with the afternoon in front of you. Overnight coming home, so you sleep and land in London for breakfast.
One contact, wherever you are