JFK round-trip fares to India currently start at $509. EWR from $540. LGA from $806 — and that's the cheap month. Three airports, one metro area, and a price gap wide enough to buy a week in Goa. If you're booking from New York and haven't compared all three, you may already be leaving money on the table.
Here's the full breakdown.
Check Live Flight Prices
Current Price Comparison: JFK vs EWR vs LGA to India
The numbers first.
| Airport | Round-Trip Range (Economy) | Direct Flights to India? | Cheapest Month Avg | Peak Month Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK (John F. Kennedy) | $509–$1,100+ | ✅ Yes — Air India | ~$520 (September) | ~$1,100+ (December) |
| EWR (Newark Liberty) | $540–$1,100+ | ✅ Yes — United Airlines, Air India | ~$540 (August/September) | ~$1,080+ (December) |
| LGA (LaGuardia) | $732–$1,347+ | ❌ No direct flights | ~$806 (September) | ~$1,347 (December) |
Sources: FlyFlick flight search, April 2026. Prices include taxes and are subject to change.
Check Live Flight Prices
The headline: LGA is not a real option for India travel. There are no direct or even single-stop international flights from LaGuardia to India. Every LGA routing involves a domestic connector — typically to JFK or another international hub — before the long-haul leg begins. That extra segment adds time, adds connection risk, and consistently pushes total fares above JFK and EWR equivalents by $200–$400. In September, the cheapest month, LGA to India averages $806 — versus $520 from JFK for the same period.
Unless you live significantly closer to LGA than to JFK or EWR, and you're routing through a US domestic hub for another reason, LaGuardia simply isn't the move for India travel.
The real competition is JFK vs EWR. And it's closer than most people assume.
JFK to India: Airlines, Prices, and Routes
JFK is the default choice for most New York–India travelers, and for good reason. It's the most connected international gateway in the metro area, with the widest selection of carriers and routings.
| Airline | Route | Round-Trip Range | Stops | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India | JFK → DEL (nonstop) | $698–$1,100 | 0 | ~14h |
| Air India | JFK → BOM, BLR, HYD, TRV | $509–$950 | 1 | 17–22h |
| Emirates | JFK → DEL/BOM via DXB | $555–$1,100 | 1 | 17–22h |
| Qatar Airways | JFK → DEL/BOM via DOH | $600–$1,050 | 1 | 17–21h |
| Etihad Airways | JFK → DEL/BOM via AUH | $620–$1,000 | 1 | 17–21h |
| Turkish Airlines | JFK → DEL/BOM via IST | $580–$980 | 1 | 18–24h |
| Gulf Air | JFK → DEL/BLR via BAH | $640–$980 | 1 | 20–24h |
Sources: FlyFlick flight search, KAYAK, Skyscanner — April 2026.
Air India departs from JFK Terminal 4; Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad from Terminal 4 or 1 — confirm your terminal when booking connecting itineraries, as inter-terminal transfers at JFK require re-clearing security.
The current lowest round-trip from JFK to India found via FlyFlick's flight search is $509, on an Air India indirect flight departing September 20 to Mumbai, returning October 10. For Delhi specifically, Air India round trips from JFK to DEL in August–October currently run $698–$733, with the September 1 departure being the strongest value date in recent search data.
One thing worth knowing about Air India's JFK–Delhi nonstop: it departs Terminal 4 at JFK around 2:00–2:30 AM. You're boarding in the middle of the night, landing in Delhi around 1:00 AM local time the following day. It's one of the only true overnight nonstops on this corridor — not glamorous, but it's 14 hours direct versus 18–22 hours with a connection.
KAYAK data shows 25% of JFK–India searchers find round-trip fares of $761 or less to Mumbai and $831 or less to Delhi. Those are your realistic benchmarks when searching in advance for non-peak travel.
EWR to India: Why Newark Deserves a Second Look
Newark is underrated on this route. Most New York-area travelers default to JFK without checking EWR, which is a mistake — particularly if you're targeting the direct Delhi service.
| Airline | Route | Round-Trip Range | Stops | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | EWR → DEL (nonstop) | $650–$1,150 | 0 | ~13h 40m |
| Air India | EWR → DEL/BOM | $540–$950 | 0-1 | 14–22h |
| Etihad Airways | EWR → DEL/BOM via AUH | $674–$1,000 | 1 | 17–22h |
| Delta / KLM | EWR → DEL via AMS | $700–$1,100 | 1 | 19–23h |
| Turkish Airlines | EWR → DEL via IST | $580–$950 | 1 | 18–24h |
Sources: FlyFlick flight search, Momondo, Expedia, Google Flights — April 2026.
Expedia currently lists EWR to Delhi round trips from $650, with United Airlines operating the only nonstop service from Newark to Indira Gandhi International Airport. United's EWR–DEL nonstop takes 13 to 15 hours on a Boeing 777-200ER, making it fractionally faster than Air India's JFK nonstop on some days.
Skyscanner's data places the cheapest single date for EWR–Delhi travel in 2026 as Sunday, August 16, with Air India holding the best on-time performance record among carriers on this route.
The honest EWR advantage: United's nonstop is consistently less crowded than Air India's JFK service, particularly in off-peak months. If you prefer a quieter cabin on a 14-hour flight, it's worth paying an extra $30–$60 to check. Conversely, Momondo's best round-trip deal found in the last 72 hours from EWR to India was $875 — which means in the right window, EWR fares can closely match or slightly exceed JFK pricing depending on the carrier.
The bottom line: EWR wins for the United nonstop. If you want Air India connecting flights, JFK generally has more options and slightly lower average fares.
United's EWR–Delhi nonstop is one of the few true direct services on the New York–India corridor — it operates on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with a scheduled flight time of approximately 14 hours.
LGA to India: The Full Picture
LaGuardia handles roughly 215 international flights per week. None of them go to India. There are no direct flights from LGA to India, and momondo lists only one operator serving this route — which means every LGA–India itinerary is a multi-leg journey, typically involving a domestic hop to JFK or EWR, or a connection through a major US hub like Chicago O'Hare or Washington Dulles.
The average LGA to India fare across all months is $1,064, versus September's cheapest-month average of $806 and December's most-expensive average of $1,347. Compare September's $806 LGA average to JFK's $520 September average and you have a $286 per-person price difference in the cheapest month of the year. In December, the gap narrows slightly — but LGA still consistently comes in more expensive.
When would you actually use LGA for India travel? One scenario: if you're flying domestically from LGA to a major hub city — say, Chicago or Washington — as part of a multi-leg itinerary where the domestic portion is on a separate ticket. In that case, you're not really "flying from LGA to India" — you're connecting. Run the numbers as separate segments and compare against a JFK or EWR same-day international departure before assuming LGA is necessary.
LaGuardia's departure board lists five international destinations — India is not among them; all New York–India long-haul service operates from JFK or EWR.
Which New York Airport Is Actually Cheapest for India Flights?
The data is consistent. Here's the ranked verdict.
1st — JFK: Best overall value and most flexibility. Widest airline selection, lowest average fares in the off-peak window (from $509 round-trip), and the only airport with multiple direct and connecting India options. Air India's Terminal 4 nonstop to Delhi is the flagship choice. If you're price-hunting across carriers, JFK gives you the most combinations to compare.
2nd — EWR: Best for United nonstop and slightly faster Delhi routing. The EWR–DEL United nonstop at 13h 40m is the fastest scheduled service from any New York airport to Delhi. Fares from $540 in the off-season are genuinely competitive with JFK. If you live in New Jersey or lower Manhattan, EWR is logistically simpler and the price difference is minimal.
3rd — LGA: Only use if you're connecting domestically anyway. Average fares run $286 more than JFK in September and higher in other months. No direct India service. Don't book LGA as your primary international departure unless your specific itinerary requires a domestic connection from there.
Pro Tips: Saving More on New York–India Flights
Always search both JFK and EWR simultaneously. On FlyFlick's flight search tool, enter both departure airports when comparing — price differences of $50–$150 between JFK and EWR on the same routing are common, and they flip direction depending on the month and carrier. Search JFK + EWR to India — FlyFlick
The EWR parking advantage. Long-term parking at EWR runs about $18–$22 per day, versus JFK's $30–$35 per day. For a 3-week India trip, that's a $180–$390 difference in parking alone — enough to swing the airport choice even if fares are identical.
Check if a domestic connector from LGA is cheaper than an EWR or JFK departure. If you're already in a city served by LGA but not by JFK or EWR direct India carriers, pricing a domestic LGA–Chicago + Chicago–Delhi itinerary via United sometimes beats a same-day JFK departure. It rarely does, but it's worth the 2-minute check.
Book Compensair alongside your ticket. About 36% of weekly flights between New York and India experience delays, with average delay times around 217 minutes — just under 4 hours. Compensair processes EU261-equivalent claims for eligible international flights and pays up to €600 per passenger. On a route with a delay rate that high, it's ₹1,400 (~$15) of cover that can return ₹56,400 (~$600). Compensair — flight delay protection
eSIM before boarding, not after landing. Delhi and Mumbai airports have SIM counters, but the queues at Indira Gandhi International Terminal 3 during peak arrival windows can run 30–45 minutes. Saily's India eSIM activates before you board JFK or EWR — 5G coverage, no queue, ₹800 (~$8.50) for 7 days. Saily India eSIM. For 2+ week trips or multi-city travel, Yesim's unlimited plan is more practical. Yesim unlimited eSIM
If this is your first time landing in India, FlyFlick's complete first-time India travel guide covers airport arrivals, SIM cards, transfers, and the first 72 hours on the ground. And for context on how JFK and EWR fares fit into the full USA–India price picture, see our month-by-month USA to India flight price breakdown for 2026.
Bottom Line
JFK and EWR are both legitimate departure points for New York–India flights in 2026 — and the difference between them in off-peak months is often less than $50. The real decision isn't which terminal you prefer. It's whether you want Air India's JFK nonstop or United's EWR nonstop — two different aircraft, two different experiences, prices that are close enough to split on convenience.
LGA is a non-starter for India travel unless you're connecting domestically and pricing it as a separate segment. The $286 September premium alone should close the debate.
Search both JFK and EWR before booking. Target August, September, or October. Book 8–10 weeks out. That's the full playbook for this route.
Check Live Flight Prices
Your New York to India Flight Planning Checklist
Flights
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Compare JFK + EWR on FlyFlick's flight search | Search both airports simultaneously — price gaps of $50–$150 flip direction by month and carrier; always run both before booking |
| Skip LGA for India departures | No direct flights, averages $286+ more than JFK in the cheapest month — use JFK or EWR |
| Target August–October for lowest fares | JFK round trips from $509, EWR from $540 in this window |
| Book 8–12 weeks ahead for off-peak, 3–5 months for December | Last-minute fares on New York–India routes rarely improve |
Flight Protection
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Compensair — delay protection | 36% of JFK–India flights experience delays averaging 217 minutes — claim up to €600 per passenger if delayed 3+ hours. Compensair |
Connectivity
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Saily India eSIM | Activate before boarding JFK or EWR — 5G coverage on arrival, skip the 30–45 min SIM queue at Delhi T3. ~$8.50 for 7 days. Saily |
| Yesim unlimited eSIM | Better for 2+ week or multi-city India trips. Yesim |
Entry
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| India e-Visa | Apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in — most nationalities qualify for the $25 tourist e-visa; allow at least 4 business days before travel |
Search both airports. Book smart. Land cheaper.
