It was great spending time with family in New York and seeing the Christmas decorations! Photo by: Evan Berman

After a great time in Norway, I had flown back to New York and spent a day there before returning home. I had the opportunity to see Manhattan decorated for the Holiday season and spend time with family members. Though it was a short visit, the trip was quite full and enjoyable.

This review of my time in New York is a part of the larger Nordic Expedition. For more on this trip, follow these links:

Intro

Flight: Delta Comfort+, CHS-JFK

JFK Lounges

Flight: Norse Airways Economy, JFK-OSL

Flight: Norwegian Economy, OSL-BGO

The Magic of Bergen, Norway

Christmas Markets

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret, Bergen, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, BGO-SVG

Flight: SAS Economy, SVG-OSL

2 Days in Oslo, Norway

Oslo Restaurants

Hotel: Comfort Karl Johan, Oslo, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, OSL-TOS

Terrific Tromsø, Norway

A Whale of a Meal, Tromsø, Norway Restaurants

Seeing the Northern Lights

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora, Tromsø, Norway

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel With, Tromsø, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, TOS-OSL

Flight: Norse Atlantic Airways Economy: OSL-JFK

December in New York (This Article)

Lounges at LGA

Flight: Delta Economy, LGA-CHS

Conclusion

Trip Summary:

New York is a fun destination at any time of year. Between sports and shows, history and culture, and arts and food, there is something for everyone. I’ve visited New York quite frequently of late but it has been years since I was there during December. While not as festive as the Christmas markets in Europe (check out my reviews of the markets in Norway), New York has plenty of cheer around the holidays. The highlights of the trip were:

• Seeing the famous Christmas Tree at the Rockefeller Center and the decorations on Fifth Avenue
• Having a terrific meal at a Thai Restaurant
• Spending time with family (always a pleasant treat!)

Flight Info:

I flew Norse Atlantic Airways from Oslo to New York on flight NO 001. This flight was just under 8 hours long and was mostly smooth flying with a dark sky outside for the entire time.

Read more details about the flight from Oslo to New York here.

Price: The roundtrip flight from Oslo to New York cost $261.13.

Points Earned: 1,306 AmEx Membership Rewards Points. Norse does not have a rewards program.

Lodging Info:

I stayed 1 night in New York. Thankfully, several family members live there which is a double blessing– I can see them when transiting through New York and they have been gracious enough to allow me to stay with them when I visit. As such, I have no hotels to review this time.

Price: N/A

Points Earned: N/A

Airport Details:

As mentioned above, I flew into New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), the main international airport in New York. This international airport has 128 gates, in terminals 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8. The terminals are divided both by airline alliance and international vs. domestic flights.

I will review JFK in a separate article. Per Flight Connections, the main airlines that fly there are Delta, JetBlue, and American Airlines. You might have heard of them! 😉 Avianca, Caribbean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Norse Atlantic Airways, Alaska Airlines, Azores Airlines, and LATAM as well as many many other airlines fly from JFK as well. In total there are flights to 188 international destinations in 78 countries and 68 domestic destinations. JFK is the 13th busiest airport in the US and it’s likely that you will fly through this airport at some point. Maybe not so much as you know the terminals by heart like I do, but that might not be a bad thing. 🙂

There are many lounges at JFK. I have reviewed several of them in Terminals 1 and 4, but I often visit the Centurion Lounge and Delta SkyClub since I usually fly out of Terminal 4.

Transportation Details:

I’ve mentioned before about the options for transportation in New York– taxi, Uber, Lyft, subway, and bus. On this occasion, I took a Lyft from the airport and an Uber to the airport. The Lyft cost $85.65 to get from JFK to the Upper East Side and the Uber cost $80.28 (though I paid only $35.28 due to the $45 in Uber Cash from the AmEx Gold and Platinum Uber Credits).

Price: $120.93

Points: 962 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (10x on Lyft and 3x on Travel with Chase Sapphire Reserve)

Food & Drink:

I was only in New York for a few hours. Due to the time difference, I went straight to sleep upon arrival. We had a quick breakfast, then headed out for the day. As such, the only meal out and about was at a terrific Thai restaurant in the Theater District, Topaz Thai Authentic.

Topaz Thai Authentic:

For a late lunch before heading to the airport, we stopped at Topaz Thai Authentic. Aptly named, this was one of the best Thai meals that I have had in a while and rang quite authentic! I ordered the crispy duck and was quite pleased by the meal. The duck was crispy and tender and the sauce was an excellent pairing. While the service was average and took a while, the quality of the food was undeniable!

Activities:

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

If you are unaware, every year an enormous tree is displayed in front of the Rockefeller Center. There is an ice rink in front and many people visit to take pictures. While definitely a touristy area, sometimes those are worth it. If you are in the New York City area during the month of December, stop by– it’s a great way to get into the Holiday season!

Price: N/A

Points Earned: N/A

Photo of the Trip:

Midtown Manhattan, specifically the shopping areas on Fifth Avenue, was all decorated in the Christmas spirit. One of my favorites was this truck. After all, this is on the street across from the Gucci store. Great location, right?

Total:

Price:

Food and Drink: N/A

Transportation: $120.93

Flights: $261.13

Hotel: N/A

Activities: N/A

Total Price: $382.06

Points Earned:

Food and Drink: N/A

Transportation: 962 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Flights: 1,306 AmEx Membership Rewards Points

Hotel: N/A

Activities: N/A

Total Points: 1,306 AmEx Membership Rewards Points and 962 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

New York was a treat to see in December. While this was the last of the stops on the Nordic Adventure, it was a great way to end a wonderful Christmas trip. After back-to-back trips, it was great to be heading home! Stay tuned for the final flight and the recap.