nyc-Super Shuttle
 

I have waited a bit late on this one. We have Super Shuttle as part of a package and
I have just read the information by Fodorites (only 2) and don't think we probably
want to use the shuttle. We are flying into JFK tomorrow, arriving around 4:30 and
going to Times Square area. I would appreciate hearing about the experience
of others with Super Shuttle. Also, what should be the approximate costs for
a taxi?
Many thanks.

You can get the taxi info from the airport website.

All I hear is bad stuff about Super Shuttle at the NYC airports. Mostly over at TripAdvisor.

Taxi fare is $45 flat, plus tip and tolls.

The total for the taxi fare is about $60 depending on how much you tip. The $45 flat fare is a bit misleading because it doesn't include tolls (about $6) or the tip, which is expected and should be a minimum of $7.

I don't like Super Shuttle a bit (the vast majority of my experiences with them have been negative), but if it's already included, why would you waste the money? I mean you have paid, even if you don't know how much you've paid. Take it into the city and take a regular car service or taxi back to the airport---or do what I do and take the combination of the Airtrain and Long Island Railroad if you don't have a lot of luggage. The biggest disadvantage of Super Shuttle is that you never know how long the trip will take. But many people use it successfully.

There have been numerous complaints about Super Shuttle, from them not turning up at all to driving people around in traffic for an (extra) hour, dropping people at 6 or 7 different hotels. Do not use it.

Taxi from JFK is a fixed $45, with toll and tip about $60. If you prefer to pay less you can get an airport bus that goes directly to Grand Central or Port Authority for about $15 each. From there you would have to walk, take the subway or cab. (Which determines how much you would save.)

If you don;t mind schlepping your luggage on the subway (up and donw stairs and along long passageways) you can get to the city for $7 each - $5 air train and $2 (Metrocard only, no cash) for the subway.

Thanks everyone. The taxi is appealing more
and more, but we may check out the shuttle to see
how many people are on it and if it is close to
leaving and if we decide to try it as soon as we get into the city get out and get a taxi. This trip is paid for with
points we were going to lose. We have hotel and
shuttle so I don't know the actual shuttle costs but don't think it was very much. I just know we don't want to spend a couple of hours trying to get to the hotel.

Where do people go in NYC where the tools are $6? I've never been charged more than a $1 - $2. If on the upper part of Manhattan, no tolls. How can that be? I have been to NYC a few times in the past couple of years. So this is recent. Last time was March. Total was $46 plus change, JFK to Chelsea...

A typical choice from JFK to Times Square would be the Queen Midtown Tunnel or RFK Bridge (Triboro)--both have current tolls of $5.

http://www.mta.info/bandt/traffic/btmain.htm

Shuttle service of course is not as dependable as car service. I have heard about SuperShuttle missed pickups, but I've been using them for years, and they never missed a pickup. Occasionally late, more likely early.

NYC Air Link, I had problems with. Missed pickups, no warning, no refund.

The fixed fare JFK to Manhattan is $45, the toll for the bridge or tunnel is $5 (you can take the free 59th St Bridge, but if it makes sense depends on traffic and where your hotel is) and the tip would be about $9. Tip can be a little less if you are thrifty, but defineitely not less if the driver helps with your luggage.

You can come into Manhattan via the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridge if going downtown to avoid all tolls, though that's not the typical route a taxi takes if you are going to Midtown or above. You can also go across the Queensboro Bridge for free, though taxis rarely do that because it's out of the way unless you're coming from La Guardia. If you go through the Midtown Tunnel or Triborough Bridge the toll is $5. So while it's technically possible to pay only the flat $45 fare from JFK, it's just not the usual case.

And all these tolls are probably going to be going up dramatically in June, though we don't know how much yet.

Wanted to report on our Super Shuttle experience. We took a taxi from the airport into the city. However, we
decided to use the shuttle back to the airport and had a positive experience. We were told the shuttle would pick up at 12:20, they called and told us at that time it would be 12:35 and it arrived then or a bit before. The driver was very friendly, courteous and a safe driver. There were four people already on and we picked up two more. We made a quick stop at LaGuardia before JFK. Worked well for us this time.