There are 3 airports that are relatively close to New York City: EWR, JFK and LGA. But unless you’re willing and able to take public transit, getting to/from Manhattan to any of them is going to be an expensive proposition.
Newark-Liberty Int’l Airport
There are 3 ways to get from the City to EWR. One is cheap, and the other two are damned expensive. All 3 are a pain.
John F. Kennedy Int’l Airport
A while back, we gave multi-step directions for getting from JFK to the City using the AirTrain and the subway, and you can do them in reverse to get from the City to the airport. You can also use ride-sharing or a taxi, but again, they’re much more expensive options (this link can give you an idea of how much a ride will be).
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia, unfortunately, has the least viable options to get you between the City and the airport. There were almost plans to make the ride easier, but they fell apart a few years ago. So nowadays, you have to take a subway and a bus to get between the two (here are step-by-step directions to do it), or a more expensive ride share or taxi ride.
Your choices: cheap and a pain, or easy and expensive
So regardless of which airport you’re dealing with, you’re looking at transportation that’s either cheap and inconvenient (train/subway or multiple trains/subways) or easy and expensive (taxi or ride share).
Uber to the rescue!
I never thought I would say it, but if you’re going to LaGuardia, Uber to the rescue!
Last week, Uber introduced its first-ever airport shuttle, which provides ” ultra-affordable” rides from major transit hubs in the City to LGA (and back!). It’s part of the ride-sharing company’s sustainability initiative and offers an option that’s both cheap and convenient.
The pickup points & times
There’s only one downside – unlike a traditional Uber, you won’t get picked up or dropped off at your hotel. Instead, you would go to a transportation hub such as Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station and the Port Authority. These are the routes to LGA:
Route 1:
- Port Authority Terminal (340 West 42nd Street, New York)
- Grand Central Terminal (106-110 East 42nd Street, New York)
- LGA Airport Terminal C Arrival level curbside
- LGA Airport Terminal B Arrival level one – Pillar five
Route 2:
- Penn Station (214 West 34th Street)
- LGA Airport Terminal B Arrival level one – Pillar five
- LGA Airport Terminal C Arrival level curbside
You can also be picked up at these points and dropped off at the transportation hub of your choice.
The shuttles will run every 30 minutes between 5am and 11pm and rides can be reserved up to 7 days ahead of time. Each shuttle can transport a max of 14 people, and travelers can reserve up to 4 seats.
The cost
It’s a flat rate. Just $18 per person, per direction. That is a STEAL!
How to book the Uber shuttle to/from LaGuardia
If you’re traveling to or from the airport, if an Uber Shuttle is available, the option will pop up in the rideshare app with details on the pick-up time and place.
- Enter your pick-up and drop-off locations, select ‘Shuttle’ (you can book up to 4 seats, up to 7 days in advance)
- After viewing the fare and pickup time, tap “Request” to complete your reservation.
- Track your shuttle’s location 25 minutes before pickup.
- Scan the QR code in your app to check in and enjoy the ride.
The future
Apparently, this is just the start of Uber shuttles. Plans are being made for them to be available at major events, including concerts at Live Nation venues in Charlotte, Chicago and Pittsburgh, as well as Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
PC: All photos courtesy of Uber
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
4 comments
It’s a bus. They’ve reinvented the bus.
You owe me a new computer screen, Andrew… 😉
Lol. So true. Every Uber ploy like this should be seen for what it is: gain marketshare. I’m sure there are other shuttle operators to LGA with such poor rapid transit connectivity which will fold as a result. How anyone can genuinely get excited by this (except for page clicks and engagement for bloggers which drives ad and affiliate dollars) is lost on me.
Fully expect to see these priced at $40 in today’s dollar value by 2030 once all the competition has been driven out.
Urban planner here! I completely understand the “it’s just a bus” criticism most of the time. However, this is a situation where if they are unsuccessful, we’ll know the criticism is valid. if they *are* successful, we’ll know there’s a failure of public transit that *should* be fixed with a bus (or train).
My issue with these new routes is that they are susceptible to traffic and already serving routes that are decently served by transit. I’d very much like to see them try this on routes that are less accessible to transit but still major hubs, like parts of Brooklyn from both JFK and LGA. But we’ll see how it all shakes out!