LGA to JFK--taxi or shuttle service?

[moondoggie]

We have allowed five hours between flights; what are costs of cab versus shuttle service? Arriving domestically at LGA 11:30 am and departing JFK around 4:30 pm. Two adults,two medium suitcases.

Thank you!

[Nitemare]

What day of the week and time of day? Traffic will help make this decision.

 

Is your JFK flight international? I ask because you need to be at the gate much earlier for an international departure

 

Shuttles may have intermediate stops that are not convenient for your route and the driver is not going to care that you have a flight to catch.

 

(long story short, probably a taxi or car service like Carmel or Dial 7 for you)

Edited February 25, 2016 by Nitemare

[njhorseman]

We have allowed five hours between flights; what are costs of cab versus shuttle service? Arriving domestically at LGA 11:30 am and departing JFK around 4:30 pm. Two adults,two medium suitcases.

Thank you!

 

Figure about $30 to $35 plus tip for a taxi , but it could run higher if you're stuck in traffic. Travel time could run from 30 minutes to who-knows-how-long.

 

Carmel Limo http://www.carmellimo.com should be about the same as a taxi, but the fare is fixed so getting stuck in a little traffic won't run up your fare.

 

NYC Airporter http://www.nycairporter.com/ runs shuttle service between the two for $14 per person, so two people would cost close to taxi or car service fare. Allow at least an hour because it may stop at other terminals at LGA after picking you up and your terminal at JFK may not be their first drop off either. In addition they run about every half hour so if you just miss one you could have some waiting time for the next shuttle.

 

Personally, I'd take a car service like Carmel. You go directly from your pick up terminal to your drop off terminal with no stops and no need for up to a half hour wait for the next shuttle.

Edited February 25, 2016 by njhorseman

[mking8288]

Long term construction and roadway rebuilding on the Van Wyck to/from JFK (whether it's coming from/to LGA on the Grand Central Parkway, usually moved a little faster midday than the I-678 or Van Wyck Expwy due to heavy commercial truck & bus traffic) is endless and years from completion (lord knows when ... been doing that for the last 10+ years, not to mention flooding when it rain) - car service on a fixed/flat rate is always better than a yellow or green taxi, as you would be paying for time sitting in traffic & not moving, bumper to bumper.

 

Here's what it looked like not too long ago, nothing changed - this is northbound but tied up both directions near Hillside Avenue & Queens Blvd. interchange. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64025118/IMG1409221420.jpg

 

Both Dial 7 and Carmel has mobile app, you can basically book a car on the spot - they have one of their base/garage nearby - so it's seldom more than 10 to 15 minutes away. As your plane parked at the gate & you get ready to walk off the jetbridge, check the app for the nearest car/driver - usually take 10 minutes to walk into the terminal (and, allow a few extra minutes to retrieve any checked luggage downstairs at arrival) - confirm the car & by the time you walk outside, your car/driver should be almost there & calling you to reconfirm the exact pickup area - while you keep track on your mobile device.

 

Personally, not a fan of Uber style "ride-sharing" services but their NYC fares were lowered to make themselves more competitive (not good for the drivers) - that's another option as well.

 

There is no toll between LGA & JFK, fares should run under $40 with a $3 or $4 online discount code - we generally tip our Carmel drivers 20% in cash for good service, and should be covered by above figure I mentioned. Book a full size 4 door sedan as it will suffice, sometimes - you get a free "upgrade" based on availability at no extra charge.

[moondoggie]

Great information, getting final details settled today!