vinolover

This question has been asked a lot by people visiting NY (many for the first time) that aren't sure how these car services work. I've used car services in the past but they were always prepaid by my company.

Last week I used Carmel for the first time and would recommend them.

For the non-New Yorker here's the rundown on how to use this type of service:

First check out the rates on the websites of the main car services. Carmel http://carmellimo.com and Dial 7 http://www.dial7.com seem to be the best priced and most recommended on this board.

Carmel has discount coupons on their website (click on the SAVE $$$ link). In the corner of the coupon is a number which the reservation agent will need to know. Then they will give your a coupon code number which you much fill in and then give the coupon to the driver when you pay.

There are also coupons on the Carmel flyers which are available at the NYC Tourism offices (the office in Times Square is very good).

The rate on their websites don't include tip and tolls. The toll coming from LaGuardia adds another $4.50 to your fare (this is also true with taxis).

I found the price to be less expensive than a cab plus the cars were much nicer and the drivers are very professional.

I prebooked Carmel by phone the day before we arrived. They will need your flight information. My flight ended up leaving an hour late. Carmel would have known that and does not charge "wait time" for a delayed flight. I phoned them before my plane departed just to be sure.

Once we picked up our luggage at baggage claim I phoned Carmel to let them know I had arrived. This is where I got a bit nervous as it was a very busy rainy afternoon and it took about 3-4 minutes to get through. They directed me to the pick up point (just outside the terminal, just past where the taxi stand is, one row over at the passenger pick up point (same place you would meet anyone picking you up).

You will see tons of black town cars from all services in this area, just look for the one with your car service name and your name on the cardboard sign on the window.

For the trip back to the airport I phoned Carmel the morning that we were leaving. They had a car waiting at the front door of my hotel at the appointed time.

The car services take credit cards and since you prebook them they already have your information on the charge slip so that saves time (but you must show the driver your actual credit card).

Total for my trips to and from the airport (including tip and toll):
LGA to midtown Manhattan $34.50
Midtown to LGA $37.50
This was for 2 adults, 3 suitcases plus 2 carry on bags.

I personally won't be using taxis again for airport service when a company like Carmel can give me better rates, nicer cars and drivers. I also really liked the fact that I knew exactly what it would cost (no watching the meter and worrying that you were sitting in traffic with the price adding up).

starrsville

I like car services too.

Gekko

Another potential benefit of car services is the ability to pay with credit card. For expense account purposes, it can make things easier.

I live in Manhattan and fly out of all three airports frequently.

For EWR & JFK, I always use a car service both to and from.

For LGA, I sometimes take a cab from LGA into the city. If I arrive at an "off" time, there's generally no line for cabs and it's quicker than waiting for the car service to arrive. From Manhattan to LGA, about 50/50 taxi/car.

kangamom

I also like car services, but I would disagree that they are cheaper. Most of the time a cab from LGA to midtown will only run you about $22.

I do tend to use car services to go the airport, especially at times in the afternoon when I know it will be difficult to catch a cab (around 4PM).

Some of my experiences with car services:

There are times when my plane slowed down while in flight due to crowded conditions, which caused a hefty waiting fee.

There was also the time that I had an Islamic cab driver that stopped 3 times, on the way from mid-town manhattan to JFK in order to pray. We barely made our flight by running through the airport (pre 9/11) and then didn't have our assigned seats. (I'm all for religious tolerance, but I would consider this a serious hinderance as a car driver assigned to take people to the airport on time.) Needless to say, I was furious, but that has only happened once during the many years that I've taken car services.

maj

That is great information. We found it very easy also, but your report will definitely cut down on some of the stress you naturally experience when you are going to an area you haven't been.

GoTravel

That $22 has to be without tip and toll. No way I've ever had a cab that cheap to or from LaGuardia.

I like the car service much more and use it exclusively for flying in and out of Newark.

nina

My husband has a regular service that he uses for business travel and lately we've used them for personal travel as well.

Good story, we had 8 of us going and coming to the airport for a Napa wine trip, so we had to reserve this ridiculous Expedition limo (think MTV Cribs), but the driver was a sweetie, an old Italian guy who makes his own wine. Anyway, we got so into the wine discussion, the driver promised he'd have a surprise for us on the way back. He was also picking us up on our return trip.

We arrived at JFK from California at midnight, the driver met us, we got into the car and he started passing back 3 hot, freshly roasted chickens that his wife had made just for our trip home! He also supplied us with some of his homemade wine!

And they say New Yorkers aren't friendly..La Famiglia!

Gekko

To be clear -- there is NO WAITING FEE if your plane is late if you reserve a car with Carmel or Dial7 and call when you land. I'm not sure what kangamom did wrong, but, again, there is no waiting fee.

And $22 cab fare? No way, particularly now that rates went up 20%. Tip and toll alone can be $7-9.

nytraveler

If you simply tell then to meet your plane there IS a waiting fee for any time the plane is late. To avoid the fee you must call them AGAIN once you land and then they send you a car.

Usually it arrives quickly. But I have waited up to 30 minutes- and finally given up and take a cab - then had a complaint from the car service that I wasn't there. (Need less to say I didn;t use that service again.)

My resolution is to take a car service TO the airport and a cab home FROM the airport. After more than 1,500 trips to/fro NYC airports this has proven to be the most efficient.

Gekko

Nytraveler, I would only say that sometimes the airport cab lines can be very long, like during rush hours & during the holidays, and it's better to have a car reserved for the trip into the city.

Last Christmas, for example, I forgot to reserve a car and waited in the cab line at LGA for over 30 minutes.

And from EWR to Manhattan? Always a car service.

GoTravel

I used Carmel Marathon weekend and was afraid there would be a 30 minute wait (from the airport to the hotel) but my car arrived within five minutes of my calling.

That was a huge relief considering the line at the taxi stand was well over 100 people.

nytraveler

Gekko - it's true that the line waiting for cabs can sometimes be long - but it generally moves very fast - since unless there's some massive traffic problem (which would affect car services too) there are usually at least 100 cabs sitting in the airport waiting area. (The one exception is coming into Newark at night - that I do get a service for - since NJ cab availability after 10 pm is not that reliable.)

And I've been delayed/stood up enough times by car services (in either direction) to know they're not absolutely reliable either (since no matter when you book the dispatcher sends people out when they're available - a specific driver isn;t waiting for your call.

But perhaps it;s just that I've had so many more chances to see that they don;t always work perectly.

amelie

Do you tip the same for car service as you do taxi drivers (15%-20%)??

And Dial 7 gets good recommendations, correct?

Thanks

Gekko

Yes, tip the same, and Dial7 is fine.

www.dial7.com

bob_brown

How do you folks respond to some of the unhappy customers who claim sneaky practices, such as sending a van when it is not ordered? The van is more expensive and the customer was expected to pay for it anyhow.

There are some fairly serious allegations on Flyertalk that involve deceptive pricing and the like.

I am curious about how you folks respond to those charges.