I know, I know...it's been discussed a thousand times. Our only trip to NYC was a flight into LGA and it was fine. Flights to JFK this T'giving are a little cheaper, so what is really the big difference? Staying at the Mansfield on 44th, so would there be a big difference in cab fare? Sorry to be so dense, but travelling 20 miles in south Alabama takes 17 minutes, so my frame of reference is a little skewed...

Don't worry about it. Maybe it will take you 15 minutes longer and cost you up to $10 more for a taxi ride each way. And for what it's worth, JFK has a much better record of on time arrivals and departures than LGA. I still remember sitting in the plane on the ground in Miami and having the pilot tell us we couldn't take off because LGA was so backlogged they couldn't give us an arrival OK, and we couldn't take off until we had an arrival verification.

It really depends on what hour of the day you arrive. Try to avoid rush hours & Wed.. There is a flat fare from JFK to NYC of $35 + toll ($4) & tip ($7) (going back you pay on the meter. You might consider ordering a car service on the return for a flat fare) whereas LGA can be as little as $25. So it's maybe a $20 difference. I think it's more than a 15 minute difference though.

Speaking of JFK, does anyone know what the long-term parking rates are? Or the number to call to get that information? Thanks.

I'm one of those New Yorkers who avoids JFK if at all possible. Only if saving $100+ on a plane ticket would I choose JFK over LGA. Time...cost...inconvenience...more risk of multi-hour traffic. What more can I say?

Judy24,

This website has plenty of information on JFK.



http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/jfkframe.HTM

og719,

Patrick is right, there's not too much difference in the cab fare when comparing LGA and JFK. If you arive into JFk during the morning or afternoon rush, it will take a bit longer to get to Manhattan. However, the cabd fare from JFK into Manhattan is a flat rate $35 + tip and tolls.

JFK TO HOTEL - taxi rate is fixed at $35 plus toll $4 (if toll facility is used) Plus a tip. Assuming no traffic delay (not very likely) trip can take 35 minutes or slightly less.
LGA TO HOTEL - Taxi fare will be around $25 with toll and tip. Trip will take 20 to 25 minutes assuming no traffic delay.
Trip from JFK is about 10 miles longer, all highway, and with little or no traffic trip can take under 15 minutes

To Watsen: Thank you so much! That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

Patrick, to set the record straight, your experiences while quite valid, are, I'm happy to say, a thing of the past. Perhaps it's the reduction in the number of flights, but Laguardia's on-time performance has greatly improved.

Judy24,

Your welcome.

Yes.... after 9/11/01, chnages in air travel patterns resulted in LGA going from having one of the worst on-time records of any major airport in the US to being very good. I've flown from there about 8 times in the past two years and had no delays. can't speak to off airport long term parking prices at JFK but at LGA the best you can do with a coupon and advance reservation is about $13-$14 per day including all taxes.

Rob points out that the trip from JFK is 10 miles longer. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that claim, but what I can say is that usually the 10 miles is bumper-to-bumper hell. I've done it dozens of times, at all times of the day, and the traffic is always very heavy if not stop & go.

I just read an article that stated that a government study reported that 20% of flights arriving into LaGuardia are late and 25% arriving into Kennedy are late. In fact, the article rated all three NY airports tied for the worst in the country.

35 minutes from JFK to midtown??? No way, unless you're traveling at 4AM (when there might STILL be backups...I have experienced them at that time!) I would say it's closer to an hour, while LGA - midtown is about 25 minutes.

Suzanne is correct.

Thanks to all of you! I'll probably dither about it for another couple of weeks, but at least I know more than I did.