Condition of LGA next Fall

[Sheltieluv]

Hi all, I know that LaGuardia has been having construction ongoing for the past year(s) and have read how difficult it is to maneuver the area.  Has there been a lot of progress toward completion?

 

We are booked on a cruise next fall and will be flying into NYC the day prior, and plan to stay in mid town for one night.  Our first choice would be to fly in to LGA since it's the closest airport to mid town Manhattan.   However, do you think it will still be a "mess", or will the construction be completed by then?  Big projects like that are notorious for not being on schedule.  😔

 

We would likely hire a car service to pick us up and get us to the hotel.

So which would you choose:  JFK, or LGA?  (Please note that we would have a choice of some nonstop flights from Syracuse to both of those airports with comparable fares and schedules, at least looking at what's available based on this fall's schedules.  I'm just trying to keep things as hassle-free as possible.)

 

Thanks for your advice!

[Got2Cruise]

50 minutes ago, Sheltieluv said:

Hi all, I know that LaGuardia has been having construction ongoing for the past year(s) and have read how difficult it is to maneuver the area.  Has there been a lot of progress toward completion?

 

We are booked on a cruise next fall and will be flying into NYC the day prior, and plan to stay in mid town for one night.  Our first choice would be to fly in to LGA since it's the closest airport to mid town Manhattan.   However, do you think it will still be a "mess", or will the construction be completed by then?  Big projects like that are notorious for not being on schedule.  😔

 

We would likely hire a car service to pick us up and get us to the hotel.

So which would you choose:  JFK, or LGA?  (Please note that we would have a choice of some nonstop flights from Syracuse to both of those airports with comparable fares and schedules, at least looking at what's available based on this fall's schedules.  I'm just trying to keep things as hassle-free as possible.)

 

Thanks for your advice!

LaG has made lots of progress. Nothing like a couple of years ago. 

[navybankerteacher]

We flew out of and back into LGA in early June —- American Airlines terminal.   They have made a lot of progress, and I would think that by Fall 2022 things should be good.   They have a new approach to car service and taxi pick ups which is already a lot better than the curb-side mob scene which used to be such a hassle.

[Sheltieluv]

Thanks to both of you for your replies.  Info is very much appreciated!

[GTJ]

While the "best" choice for ease of getting from Syracuse to a midtown Manhattan hotel the night before is to arrive at Pennsylvania Station, among airports I think that LaGuardia is most convenient, notwithstanding the ever-enduring construction there. The distance from Kennedy is greater, and it has its own internal circulation issues, and Newark requires getting through one of the tunnels. While LaGuardia is a bit of mess, it is a rather small airport and even with some traffic congestion within, it is fairly quick to leave the property. (I reside close to LaGuardia, and I am easily able to walk to the airport . . . it is actually the pedestrian access that has been more troublesome during construction than vehicular access, people being blocked in favor of cars.)

[Sheltieluv]

I had not considered the train.  We have never done that; it might be fun!

Will look into it.  Thanks!

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Sheltieluv said:

I had not considered the train.  We have never done that; it might be fun!

Will look into it.  Thanks!

I hadn't noticed your Syracuse home town -- of course you should take the train.   Still come down the day before and spend your night in Manhattan -- the savings from airfare will allow for a pretty good hotel room.  Do not book a return train before noon at earliest -- the six hour train trip will not take  much longer than a flight, when you crank in getting to/from airports, check in, etc. and will give you a much more comfortable ride - with great views.

[Sheltieluv]

If there is a mechanical issue or something else that would cause the train to be cancelled, how would Amtrak handle that?   Are they responsible for getting you to your destination like the airlines?

I do like the idea of taking the train down to Manhattan but if there is an issue, I'm assuming there would be fewer options available.   (I'll take a look at existing schedules.)

 

[GTJ]

9 hours ago, Sheltieluv said:

If there is a mechanical issue or something else that would cause the train to be cancelled, how would Amtrak handle that? Are they responsible for getting you to your destination like the airlines? I do like the idea of taking the train down to Manhattan but if there is an issue, I'm assuming there would be fewer options available.   (I'll take a look at existing schedules.)

 

Yes, Amtrak takes responsibility for getting its passengers to their destinations, and my general observation is that they take that responsibility more seriously than most air carriers. (In the case of missed connections, Amtrak does much better with the provision of meals and accommodations, though not relevant to the short trip between Syracuse and New York.) Sometimes a train is annulled for mechanical reasons, as is the case with flights, but I think it happens less frequently than with aircraft. In the case of a train car that malfunctions, the one malfunctioning car can be isolated while the remaining cars continue to carry passengers, something that (obviously) is not possible with aircraft. Sometimes there might be an obstruction on the railroad--most often relating to the issue of moving traffic in both directions with only a single track, and one train having to wait in a siding for the other to pass--though there are rare occasions of a collision . . . the parallel conditions for flying are air traffic congestion and the rare collisions. If a train is stalled and cannot proceed, or if Amtrak knows in advance that there will be a disruption, it usually makes arrangements with a local and reputable charter bus company to bridge the service gap. If a train is annulled, then passengers might be accommodated by Amtrak on such a chartered coach, or possibly on a later train, and Amtrak is pretty good with the logistics, probably more so than air carriers and their legendary line-ups of displaced passengers at airports. Outside the northeast corridor, between Boston and Washington, Amtrak timekeeping tends not to be as good as airlines. The route between Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany, being shared with freight trains, has decent reliability, but arriving half an hour late would not be unusual. Between Albany and New York timekeeping is good. As New York would be your final destination without connection, and  you're arriving a day in advance, timekeeping is probably not critical. In short, things can go wrong, whether travel is by railroad or by aircraft. Amtrak does well in such cases, as good or better than air carriers, for but any particular trip, by rail or by air, the facts of the particular case determine how interruptive the event will be. Hence, the good advice for persons connecting with cruise line vessels of arriving the day before.

 

Overall, I think that railroad travel is less harried and more personal than air travel. That is evident from the very onset of the travel. Air travel requires planning for early arrival at the airport, "checking-in," clearing security, getting boarding cards and seat assignments, lining up at a gate to have tickets lifted, etc. Rail travel has none of that (unless you're checking baggage, which has to be completed 30 minutes in advance, but there's enough carry-on capacity, and with most trains between Syracuse and New York not carrying checked baggage, it is unlikely to be necessary). Amtrak suggests arriving at the station--in this case, the Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse, next to Destiny USA, formerly Carousel Mall--30 minutes in advance, but there is no "check-in," so the real deadline is to arrive at the station prior to the departure of the train (allow two or three minutes to walk from the parking lot to the station building, then an additional two or three minutes to walk from the station entrance down the corridor to the tracks, and up the ramp to the platform . . . arriving at the station at least 10 minutes prior to train departure would be good, and arriving more than 30 minutes in advance could leave everyone bored waiting for the train to arrive). If driving, I believe parking is $8 per day (first hour is free). When the train arrives, just board with baggage (there's large item storage near the vestibule, and lots of space over the seats), and take a seat. All seats are either window or aisle (no "middle" seats), electrical outlets under the windows, and seats are more comfortable, wider, and recline further with greater pitch between rows than seats on aircraft. Once underway the conductor will come around to collect tickets. Unlike airport ticket collection, the process is much more relaxed . . . easy enough to chat with the conductor, ask questions, and otherwise not be rushed. He or she will place a seatcheck (a small piece of cardboard marked with destination) above your seat to indicate that your ticket has been collected. After having collected tickets, the conductor will usually be found in the café car, at one of the tables taking care of paperwork, or circulating through the train ensuring that everything is in good order. There are no seatbelts, no restraints on walking about (people can easily pass each other in the aisle), and you choose if and when to go the the café car for refreshments (albeit at somewhat high prices). Eat at a table in the café car or using the large tray tables at each coach seat. Free wifi on most trains. Unlike the anonymity with air travel, it is much more comfortable to socialize with other passengers.

[Sheltieluv]

GTJ, thanks so much for your informative reply.  It does sound like the train would be a fun and relaxed way to travel to NYC.   It's comforting to know that Amtrak would accommodate their passengers should an issue arise.  We have never traveled on a train, so it would be a new adventure!

 

I am definitely going to look into it.  Flying is so stressful.  It's a short flight from Syracuse to NYC,  but it could turn into a very long day if there is any sort of problem.  Thanks again for your input!

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Sheltieluv said:

GTJ, thanks so much for your informative reply.  It does sound like the train would be a fun and relaxed way to travel to NYC.   It's comforting to know that Amtrak would accommodate their passengers should an issue arise.  We have never traveled on a train, so it would be a new adventure!

 

I am definitely going to look into it.  Flying is so stressful.  It's a short flight from Syracuse to NYC,  but it could turn into a very long day if there is any sort of problem.  Thanks again for your input!

The flight may be short, but getting to the airport, checking in, going through security, and getting to the gate the required half hour before scheduled take off, followed by waiting to get off the plane, walking through the terminal, claiming luggage, getting to ground transportation pick up point, then getting to hotel are all unavoidable.   Getting from home in Syracuse to hotel in New York will take many multiples of the flight time  --- while paying several multiples of the train fare for the privilege.

 

 

[Sheltieluv]

Add in the possibility of an unruly plane passenger, and flying becomes even less appealing.  

The train sounds better and better!

[GTJ]

4 hours ago, Sheltieluv said:

Add in the possibility of an unruly plane passenger, and flying becomes even less appealing.  

The train sounds better and better!

 

There can be difficult persons no matter what choice is made for travel mode, but it tends to be easier on the train being able to walk away from such persons and into another car.