Cheap flights from Leeds to New York

December is the cheapest month on this route, though the days right around Christmas are the exception — that is when everyone flies. Late autumn and January are quiet, and quiet weeks give you the widest choice of connecting times. Summer is the opposite: demand from Leeds and from New York visitors pushes fares up and the convenient connections go first. Midweek departures from Leeds/Bradford tend to be calmer and cheaper than Friday or Sunday. For summer and the Christmas run, book well ahead; for November or January you can usually leave it later.

There are no non-stop flights, so every airline here sells a connecting itinerary. Jet2 and Easyjet are the low-cost names on the first leg out of Leeds/Bradford: the fare covers a seat and a cabin bag, with checked luggage and seat choice costing extra. Emerald Airlines is a regional operator, so expect smaller aircraft on its legs. Aer Lingus and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are the full-service options and usually sell the whole trip on one ticket, with a checked bag, food on the longer leg and a protected connection if the first flight runs late. That protection is the real difference — on separate low-cost tickets, a missed connection is your problem.

New York gives you three arrival points, and which one you land at changes the last hour of your trip. John F Kennedy sits out in Queens, a long ride from Midtown by taxi or the AirTrain plus subway. Newark Liberty International is across the river in New Jersey, handy for Manhattan's west side but a slow, tunnel-dependent drive at rush hour. La Guardia is closest to the city centre, though it has no direct rail link, so you are on a bus or in a car. Allow extra time on arrival: immigration at the big international terminals can take a while, and queues peak when several long-haul flights land together.

Currency

USD ($)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 120 V

Language

Samoan, Hawaiian, Chamorro, Carolinian, Spanish

Emergency number

911

Driving side

right

Calling code

+1

Internet domain

.us

Population of New York

8.8 M (2020)

Time zone

UTC-05 (America/New_York)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Leeds/Bradford is the only airport for this route, so check your itinerary really starts there and not at another UK airport.
• With no non-stop service, weigh the total journey time and the connection airport, not just the headline fare.
• On Jet2 and Easyjet legs, confirm what the fare includes before you add a checked bag.
• If your tickets are separate, leave a generous gap between flights and check whether you collect and re-check your bags.
• For the USA, make sure your passport and any required entry authorisation are in order well before departure.
• Compare December fares with quieter weeks in November and January, when connections are easier to find.