Another car service question..
 

This may seem a silly question, but I've never used a car service before! I've just booked a transfer from JFK to Manhattan with Carmel cars, & gave the pick up time as the time the flight lands. As it takes ages coming from the UK to get through customs, should I have given a later time, or do they work on landing time & make allowances? I don't want to be charged an hour waiting time!

Many thanks.

Did you order "meet and greet" service (where the driver comes inside and holds up a sign with your name on it), or just a car (if it's about $45, it's the latter!). If just a car, then you'll call the car service after you get through immigration and customs, and they'll tell you where to meet them outside your terminal. If the former, sorry, I can't help, I've never done that.

Agree it depends on what you've booked. If you bought meet and greet they will turn up at the time you told them and any waiting they do they will charge for. If you want this service - to me a PIA since you can never find the driver and you then have to either trek out to a far-flung parking fiedl or wait while he goes to the field and gets the car (secuiryt doens;t allow cars to wait in front of the terminals for more than a minute)then at least tell them the time you anticipate you will be ready to leave (through Immigration, picked up luggage and throuhg customs).

Or, just order a car that you call when ready - and it will be there in about 15 minutes.

Frankly, when landing at JFK I always just grab a cab - better than all the foofing around with a car service. I use them only TO the airport - so you're not stuck in the street with your luggage trying to hail a cab.

Also be aware that the price they quote does not include toll or tip (20% of fare but not toll is expected).

I would actually recommend that you contact the car service again and give them your flight number and arrival time. That way they can track your flight for delays. They have done this stuff before so I am sure they would also estimate your time through customs and collecting bags etc. If something does delay the flight than they should still have your car available, but if you are not there within a certain amount of time they may allocate your car to someone else. So I would recommend to call the company.

Depending on how much baggage you have I would say like the person above just take a cab (although the cab line could be long) or if you dont have a lot of luggage take the Airtran to Jamaica station, and then any subway into Penn Station - Manhattan.

Thank you all so much for your kind replies.
We just booked a regular car, not the 'meet & greet' service, which I'm glad about, as it sounds a complicated process!

The reason we decided on a car rather than public transport is that I have a heart problem, so dragging bags around is exhausting for me, & for 2 of us, it didn't seem much more expensive than the train etc.Plus, my 21 yr old niece is travelling with me- so I'm sure she'll have lots of luggage!!

I have contacted the car service & advised them of the situation, waiting to hear back from them, so hopefully it will all work out in the end!

Many thanks.

Yes - but a cab is not more $, no more work - and avoids all the connecting with the right car - when there are dozens of dark sedans pulling over you need to be sure which is yours ( company and number should be in the window) then you need to step to the car quickly with your luggage - or the police may make the driver circle around

Yes - but a cab is not more $, no more work - and avoids all the connecting with the right car - when there are dozens of dark sedans pulling over you need to be sure which is yours ( company and number should be in the window) then you need to step to the car quickly with your luggage - or the police may make the driver circle around

Have used a similar company several times (Dial 7), they apparently check that the flight has not been delayed and if not they have a car waiting nearby. Once you have your luggage you call them and in a few minutes the guy pulls up outside baggage claim (this was the deal at Newark anyway) and away you go.

Thank you, nytraveler & Bill for your input, I'm still waiting to hear back from Carmel cars re pickup times,(24hrs now- do they always take so long to reply?) but sounds as if they allow for customs etc. A taxi is beginning to seem the easier option though!

i used to travel International all the time--there are times when the cab line is huge,maybe 30 minute waits--so i changed to Dial 7 and theyre always there within 15 minutes.Call them after youve cleared customs

You can call then after you've cleared customs and get a car - only if you have reserved and made this arrangment in advance. Other wise they may tell you the wait is several hours.

Carmel is excellent and after a long flight nothing worse than a long cab line. I think you made a good choice.

Dunno about from JFK, but from Newark (the airport we use) to Manhattan it can be cheaper using the car service at certain times since you are quoted a fixed price while a cab can charge for time spent in lengthy rush-hour delays.

Also all the cars we've gotten from Dial 7 were in excellent shape inside; sometimes you can get a pretty dirty cab.

Bill_H, cabs to and from JFK and Manhattan are a fixed fare of $45.
Newark is out of state so the fares are not regulated the same way and indeed are more expensive

Depending on the time of day I'm arriving at JFK I either take a taxi (never waited more than 10 minutes on line) or call Carmel from the terminal. I have never ordered a Carmel car in advance, just "cold called" once arriving, and have always had a car within 15 minutes) over dozens of flight at that airport.

Carmel is usually a couple dollars cheaper from the aiport (especially with coupons) but lately they charge more than the taxi fixed rate to the airport. I have had some very nice cars, and some large but mediocre ones from Carmel. Taxis have been consistently OK, never "pretty dirty" for me.

"i used to travel International all the time--there are times when the cab line is huge,maybe 30 minute waits--so i changed to Dial 7 and theyre always there within 15 minutes.Call them after youve cleared customs"

So half the time you wait 15 minutes instead of 30 minutes and half the time you wait 15 minutes instead of immediately getting a cab. OK. What's the point again of having to arrange a car service, call, and wait when you can just go to the taxi line? Am I missing something?

Belated thanks for the latest feedback on car services- seems to be very mixed feelings about them versus taxi's!
I've already booked with Carmel, so will stick with them for now; although never did get a reply to my email.
Will let you know how it all works out in the end!