should we order a car ahead for late night JFK arrival or brave the taxi line?
 

New York experts, I need your help! We're arriving at JFK at 11 PM on Tuesday June 24. My guess is the taxi line will be short, with enough taxis around to satisfy demand. But I could order a car service to Manhattan for about the same money. Should we go to the minor hassle of ordering car service in advance? And if our flight is late so we get in at midnight or beyond, does that affect the taxi picture much? Is it in some ways more of a hassle to use a car service (since you have to find your driver and car) than just hop in a cab?

Honestly, unless you are arriving at the end of a busy holiday weekend or any other high usage time, I think a car is more hassle than its worth. Unless you're willing to pay for them to wait inside, you often have to call when your flight lands. Even so, they usually park a ways from the terminal and it takes longer to meet up with them and get to the car than to hop a cab. There are circumstances, though, when the cab line is extraordinarily long, it just seems unlikely on a Tues night. JMHO.

I agree with lisettemac. I forego the car companies now, and favor cabs instead because of the convenience (cost is relatively the same).

I have taken a cab from JFK to midtown as late as midnight with no problems.

Unless you arrange for the car service driver to meet you at the gate (adds $.s to the cost) a car serrvice can be a hassle. You are usually told to call the service after you get your luggage to make arrangements for the pick up. If you take a cab you would probably be half way to the city by time the car showed up. At that time of the night the trip can take as little as 30 minutes. Take a cab.

I love having car service waiting at the terminal for me with a sign with my name. It means that the driver will speak English and will know where I am going. He will also help with the luggage. It might cost more but I think it is worth it especially late at night if you are women traveling alone and you are not very familiar with NYC.

Unless you've got a ton of money to burn, don't do the car service. They charge for wait time! Even when my flight arrives on time and I don't have any luggage to pick up, they always charge for "waiting" 20 minutes. It doesn't really matter to me personally b/c my company pays. But when I travel on my own dollar, I take a taxi or subway home from JFK.

The other thing that stinks about the car service is that you have to lug all your bags to wherever the car is parked. Sometimes it's pretty far away.

No taxis on the taxi line? I've never seen that!

vote no to car service for all the reasons stated. And would like to say, for the record, that in 37 years of taking taxis on average more than once a day, whatever the numbers are, I have NEVER had a problem about drivers not understanding my English.

A car service driver is absolutely no more likely than a regular NYC cab driver to be a non-immigrant, supposing that mattered to someone.