[Smooth21]

In a few months I have a flight out of JFK at 8:30am so I can't get any family members to drop me & the Mrs off (plus our return lands at 6am). We'll be in California for ten days so parking at the airport is out of the question. I have never used any of the shuttle services so I'm looking for some advice.

CT Limo seems to be $180 round trip for two people.
GO Airport Shuttle is $103 but has horrible reviews.
The rest seem to be more expensive than CT Limo.

Any other suggestions? Metro North into NYC then subway/bus will take forever so I'd rather not do that.

[BicoastalAnn]

Have you tried Uber? I haven't in this area but I've used it a few times to get to the airport when traveling. I'm sure it'd cost less than those car services.

[Smooth21]

I have not, not sure how to look into really it. Uber seems to be divided by states so I don't know how it works crossing state lines.

A quick Google just now says it'll be $98 each way plus tip but at least we get door to door service instead of taking a taxi to a shuttle dropoff location. Not sure how tolls work with Uber, any insight?

[RiskReturn]

^To answer that question:
https://help.uber.com/h/8262fdc7-561...7-f411401a592e

Whenever I uber to and from SF, the toll charge on the Bay Bridge is added to my fare.

[mlassoff]

CT Limo is definitely the better of the two... and it's pretty horrible IMO. I'd actually bite the bullet and park at the airport if private limo services are out of the questions-- Try "The Parking Spot".

[BicoastalAnn]

If you have 10 mins to spare and a smart phone, it is really easy to sign up for Uber - just download their app. Then, you can see how much the fare estimate would be directly from your house to JFK.

When I checked using "Stamford" as a general start point, the estimate says only $70-91 to JFK. Not sure if that includes tolls... but with Uber, you don't need to tip. I usually give a few dollars but many people I know don't, and Uber used to actively discourage people from tipping. Now they just say you don't "need to" because the payment model is fair compensation for drivers. Fare estimate for CT: https://www.uber.com/cities/connecticut

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

If you have 10 mins to spare and a smart phone, it is really easy to sign up for Uber - just download their app. Then, you can see how much the fare estimate would be directly from your house to JFK.

When I checked using "Stamford" as a general start point, the estimate says only $70-91 to JFK. Not sure if that includes tolls... but with Uber, you don't need to tip. I usually give a few dollars but many people I know don't, and Uber used to actively discourage people from tipping. Now they just say you don't "need to" because the payment model is fair compensation for drivers. Fare estimate for CT: https://www.uber.com/cities/connecticut

That's in better than average traffic conditions. With Uber you pay distance + time. A good traffic jam can easily DOUBLE your fare. Uber also uses demand pricing-- So if you happen to request Uber at a high-demand time, you can pay 1.5X- 3X normal fares.

Don't get me wrong-- I love Uber. I use it all the time in Austin, NYC and Boston... However, going in to NYC airports, I'd rather have a professional, licensed driver and well maintained fleet vehicle, instead of Bob's 6 year old Volkswagon...

[jesse_f]

We use a guy who drives our car to the airport with us in it, then returns it to our driveway and picks us up on the flip side. $75 to LGA and $100 to JFK from Fairfield. Main benefit for us over a car service is the car seats for the kiddies, so might be beneficial for all. Re: CA, I find Lyft a little cheaper than Uber to get to/from SFO and SF itself.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by Smooth21

In a few months I have a flight out of JFK at 8:30am so I can't get any family members to drop me & the Mrs off (plus our return lands at 6am). We'll be in California for ten days so parking at the airport is out of the question. I have never used any of the shuttle services so I'm looking for some advice.

CT Limo seems to be $180 round trip for two people.
GO Airport Shuttle is $103 but has horrible reviews.
The rest seem to be more expensive than CT Limo.

Any other suggestions? Metro North into NYC then subway/bus will take forever so I'd rather not do that.

Amtrak would be the easiest, but after looking at the schedule it looks like the earliest train leaving Stamford is 7:50am. Obviously that won't work for you.

You can do metro north/subway/LIRR/airtran much cheaper than those airport services. If you have more than one suitcase per person though it may be tough. What you do have going for you is after getting to Grand Central via metro north in the morning when you go east into Long Island for JFK you are going against the commuter traffic. The LIRR trains will be half full most likely.

[wtby4000]

Cheaper to do a one-way car rental than a shuttle. Drop the rental at Federal Circle and take the AirTrain to your terminal.