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My daughter was supposed to be picked up in Inwood at 3 a.m. this morning to go to EWR; a prepaid reservation that was confirmed yesterday. By 3:20, there was still no SS or call from them, so she called and was told they wouldn't be able to make it after all, and that she should take a cab.

After scrambling to find transportation in that area at that time, she had to pay an $80 fare and was told to fax the receipt in and they "might" reimburse her for the difference, but that she'd still have to pay the $19 . . . for WHAT? . . . for NOT picking her up?

Aggggghhhh! What do you other Inwood-ites do, besides paying the huge fares? Or is that just another fact of life in the waaaay upper UWS?

Michael

Whenever we need to leave our daughter's house in Brooklyn around 4 or 5 a.m. to go to the airport, we call a car service. We have never been stood up and it is cheaper than the taxi (around $40 with tip compared to $60 for the taxi to JFK). Your daughter might want to look up car services for the Inwood section of Manhattan.

mclaurie

Super Shuttle is notorious for not showing up for trips to the airport. Did you not check out their "rep" here?

joan

pdf, that is terrible, your daughter could've missed her flight, I wonder if they'd reimburse her for that?

mclaurie, I'm surprised to hear you think Super Shuttle has a bad rep here on Fodor's. I did a quick search, and the only negative comments I could find were about Manhattan taking forever because of traffic and stops. Other threads had complimentary things to say... My point is, I hear nothing but good things about Super Shuttle here in Tampa Bay. This is the first time I've ever heard of them totally forgetting a passenger.

pdf

This was a car service that cost $80, Michael. A taxi from EWR cost my other daughters about $75, so they are about the same, expense-wise.

Yes, I'm well aware of SS's "rep", mclaurie. We've used them quite a few times, but have never had this blatant of a botch before. You're kind of held hostage, living this far north - other shuttles don't go that far, so the only other option is a $$$ fare or lugging suitcases through the grind of public transportation. Unfortunately, the other daughters have a Dec. trip planned through EWR again. Now I wish we had spent the extra money on a flight from JFK - some of us have taken the train back and forth from JFK to the 207 stop in Inwood and it was much more reliable/less stressful than Super Shuttle. Live and learn.

OO

Lawsy...what did you say when they said she'd still have to pay the $19?? My words would have burned a hole in your monitors! That's absurd.

I used Super Shuttle any number of times when we lived in Plano, getting to DFW, and not only were they prompt, they were generally a little early. I've never had a problem with them.

NeoPatrick

How on earth are they holding you responsible for paying $19? Is that on a credit card? I'd call right now and inform them that you aren't paying, and call immediately to file the protest with your credit card company.

LoveItaly

I always use Super Shuttle to get to the Sacramento Airport in NCA and if anything they are usually about 10 minutes early. But as I understand it each vehicle is a "Franchise" and owned by an individual so I guess it depends on how reliable the owner of the vehicle is.

We only pay after arrival at the airport, either by cash or credit card. Do you have to give your credit information in advance, say when making the reservation pdf? If so I would call your credit card company immediately and contest this charge. Best wishes.

mclaurie

Well, Super Shuttle may be just FINE in other cities around the country, but they are NOTORIOUSLY BAD in NYC. Their buses are terrible. Their drivers are BAD and have been known to get lost. But most notorious is their business practice of just not showing up for return trips to the airport which have been pre=paid. I'd walk before using them.

Airlink is another shared shuttle bus service that has much better feedback.
http://www.airlinknyc.com/fares.html

nytraveler

Don;t go near Super Shuttle in NYC - they're fatal. Not only for not picking you up - but for picking you up and them making 8 other stops so you barely make your plane. Or doing the same so it takes 2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel.

To get from the airport into the city just grab a cab - or take one of the larger shuttles that goes to Grand Central or Port Authority - and grab a cab from there,.

To get to the airport you organize a car service in advance. If you go to the web sites of Carmel or Tel Aviv or Dial 7 you will often find a discount coupon that helps reduce the price.

NeoPatrick

I'd be wary of one of the larger shuttles that goes to Grand Central and then you switch to a smaller shuttle to your hotel. It took us over an hour in peak traffic to get from Grand Central to the Marriott Marquis as they made a big loop, stopping at four other hotels at a crawl in the traffic. What was I thinking when we didn't take a cab?

budget4me

NJ Transit runs a bus from Newark Airport into Port Authority in New York City.

LoveItaly

I am so glad to know about the lack of service in NYC regarding the Super Shuttle. A couple of years ago friends in Italy flew to NYC and stayed there for some days. After that visit they flew here to the SF/Bay Area. I had made reservations for them with Super Shuttle from their hotel in NYC back to JFK and fortunately that worked well. Obviously I won't do that again.

Keith

My experience with Super Shuttle in NYC and other cities has always been good.

If they reimburse the difference between the $19 and the $80, I can understand them not refunding the $19 as well.

I'm sorry your daughter had a bad experience. Hope the rest of her trip went well.

Keith

happytrailstoyou

After a similar experience I have never again used a shuttle service such as the one you describe. Lesson learned?