JFK Airport
The $70 flat fare, terminal-by-terminal pickup points, and when a booked car beats the meter.
JFK airport transfersNYC airport transportation to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark
Three airports, three completely different journeys. Flight tracking on every booking, a price agreed before you travel, and pickups from anywhere in the five boroughs.
- Flight tracking included
- Fixed price, no surge
- Meet & greet available
- Available 24/7
New York has three major airports and they are not interchangeable. JFK, LaGuardia and Newark sit in different directions, in two different states, with different fare rules and different failure modes. Picking the wrong one, or planning the right one badly, is how people miss flights.
Our NYC airport transportation covers all three from anywhere in the five boroughs, with flight tracking on every booking and a price fixed before you travel.
The three airports at a glance
| Airport | Code | From Midtown | Typical time | Fare structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy | JFK | ~17 mi | 45–75 min | $70 flat fare to/from Manhattan in a yellow cab |
| LaGuardia | LGA | ~9 mi | 25–45 min | Metered, no flat fare |
| Newark Liberty | EWR | ~16 mi | 40–70 min | Metered plus a $20 surcharge in a yellow cab |
LaGuardia is the closest to most of the city and has no flat fare. Domestic only, essentially, and completely rebuilt between 2018 and 2022 — if your mental image of LGA is the old one, it has changed.
JFK is the international hub and the furthest east. The $70 flat fare between Manhattan and JFK is a genuine bargain in heavy traffic and the main reason we sometimes tell people to take a yellow cab instead of booking with us.
Newark is in New Jersey, which changes everything about the fare. A yellow cab from Manhattan runs the meter, adds $20, and adds tolls. A pre-booked flat rate is usually better value, and from Staten Island or Harlem, Newark is often the fastest of the three.
What flight tracking actually does
You give us the flight number. We watch the live arrival time rather than the scheduled one.
Land 45 minutes early and the driver is already there. Land three hours late and there is no charge for the wait, no phone call, and no driver who gave up and left. Sixty minutes of free waiting is included on airport pickups, counted from wheels down.
This is standard on every airport booking rather than an upsell. It is also the single biggest practical difference between a booked car and hailing something on arrival.
Curbside or meet-and-greet
Curbside is the default. You land, clear baggage, walk out, and the car is at the designated pickup area. We text you the exact location before you land. It is quicker and it costs less.
Meet-and-greet means the driver parks, walks into the terminal, and stands at the arrivals barrier with a name board. It costs more — airport parking is charged by the hour and the driver's time is real — and it is the right choice for a client, an elderly passenger, someone travelling with children, or anyone who has not landed in New York before.
Departures: what time to leave
The standard advice is two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one, measured from when you arrive at the terminal. Working backwards from that:
| Flight | Airport | Leave by |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00am domestic | LGA | 4:15am |
| 7:00am domestic | JFK | 3:45am |
| 10:00am international | JFK | 5:45am |
| 10:00am international | EWR | 6:00am |
| 6:00pm domestic | LGA | 2:45pm |
| 6:00pm international | JFK | 1:45pm |
Those are deliberately conservative. Arriving early at an airport costs you nothing but a coffee; arriving late costs you the flight and the ticket.
Luggage and vehicle choice
A standard sedan takes four passengers and about two large cases. It does not take four passengers and four large cases — that is a minivan or SUV, and the difference in price is far smaller than the cost of discovering it at 4am.
| Party | Vehicle |
|---|---|
| 1–2 people, 1–2 cases | Standard sedan |
| 3–4 people, 2 cases | Standard sedan |
| 3–4 people, 3–4 cases | Minivan or SUV |
| 5–6 people, any luggage | Minivan or SUV |
| Wheelchair user + companions | Accessible vehicle — book early |
Skis, golf clubs, instruments and pushchairs all need mentioning when you book. They fit; they just change which vehicle we send.
Child seats
Taxis and for-hire vehicles are exempt from New York's child restraint law, so no vehicle carries a seat as standard. If you want one, ask when you book and tell us the child's age and weight. There is no charge, but we need notice, because the seats live at the base rather than in every car.
Paying, and comparing against a meter
Card or cash. Your quote includes tolls and any airport access fee, so nothing appears at the end.
If you want to check our number against a metered fare first, that is entirely reasonable — the check a metered fare estimate will give you an honest estimate including surcharges, and our which option is actually cheaper explains where each option genuinely wins.
Booking
Call (888) 652-7136 or use the form. We need: the flight number, the terminal if you know it, the pickup or drop-off address, the passenger count and the bag count, and whether you want curbside or meet-and-greet.
Give us the flight number even on a departure — if your outbound is cancelled we would rather know before the driver sets off.
Book your airport transfer
Add your flight number and we track the arrival — early or delayed, the driver adjusts.
The three New York airports
Each one has a different best route, a different fare structure and a different set of traps.
Newark (EWR)
Across the Hudson into New Jersey. The $20 yellow-cab surcharge, tolls and honest drive times.
Newark Liberty transfersLaGuardia (LGA)
Closest airport to most of the city, no flat fare, and the Grand Central Parkway problem.
LaGuardia car serviceAirport pickups from every borough
Drive times to each airport vary enormously by borough. The borough pages have the specific numbers.
Questions about NYC airport transfers
Which New York airport is closest to me?
It depends on your borough, and the answer is often not the obvious one. LaGuardia is closest for most of Queens, the Bronx and Harlem. JFK is closest for Brooklyn, south Queens and Long Island. Newark is closest for Staten Island and much of west Manhattan, and it frequently beats JFK from Harlem via the George Washington Bridge. If you are still choosing a flight, that difference is worth an hour of your morning.
Do you track flights?
Yes, on every airport booking, and it is included rather than an extra. Give us the flight number when you book and we monitor the actual arrival time. If you land 40 minutes early the driver is already there; if you are delayed three hours you are not paying for waiting time you did not cause and nobody needs to make a phone call.
How much free waiting time do I get?
Sixty minutes on an airport pickup, measured from the actual landing time rather than the scheduled one. That covers immigration, baggage and the walk out for a domestic arrival and most international ones. Beyond that we charge in 15-minute blocks at a rate quoted when you book. On a city pickup the allowance is 15 minutes.
What is the difference between curbside and meet-and-greet?
Curbside is the default: you land, walk out, and the car is at the designated pickup area — we text you the exact spot. Meet-and-greet means the driver parks, walks into the terminal, and waits at the arrivals barrier with a name board. It costs more, because airport parking is not free and the driver's time is real, and it is the right call for a client, an elderly relative, or anyone landing in New York for the first time.
Is a taxi or a pre-booked car cheaper to the airport?
For Manhattan to JFK, the $70 metered flat fare is genuinely competitive and often the cheapest option — we will tell you that rather than pretend otherwise. Everywhere else, a fixed quote usually wins, because a metered fare charges you for traffic and adds peak and overnight surcharges. Newark from a yellow cab also carries a $20 surcharge. Run your specific route through the fare calculator and compare.
How early should I book an airport transfer?
The night before is enough for most trips, and it is what we recommend for anything departing before 8am. Booking earlier costs nothing and guarantees the vehicle. For a group needing a minivan or SUV, or for an accessible vehicle, book as far ahead as you can — those are the vehicles that run out first.