RDUKingFisher

Thanks for all of the info, everyone. It looks like the popular opinion is LGA, so I think we will give that a go. Maybe next time we go back we can give JFK a try just to judge for ourselves.

tom_MN

As an out-of-towner I thought the old Q33 was easy, even with luggage.

Winkdaddy

While Delta's terminal C and D are renovated with nicer restaurants/bars etc, they still feel like 100 pounds of sh@t stuffed in a 5 pound bag...so crowded in there. JFK (terminal 4) is much less claustrophobic

FlyAO2

While this may theoretically be true from a time standpoint -- I think this is glamorized quite a bit here. You should run through the entire scenario of taking the airtrain.

First - you need to get on the airtrain to Jamaica. At Jamaica you have to exit the train - go through the turnstiles and got to the kiosk and buy a ticket. After getting your ticket you walk towards the train and go down the esclator to wait for your LIRR.

Upon arrivng in Manhattan at Penn Station (a dump that is only marginally better than the Port Authority), you have to push your way through with your luggage up the escalators and through the terminal.

Congratulations -- you've made it to 34th St & 8th Avenue. If that isn't your final destination (as it usuaully isn't) enjoy the cab line, or walking to your final destination.

All in all, it sounds great..."make it to Manhattan in 40 minutes," but realistically it takes a bit longer as the trains aren't just hanging around waiting for you and is a MAJOR Hassle.

DaDaDan

Also, at JFK, unless you're lucky enough to come in to Terminal 2, you'll have a 15-20 minute walk to get to the cab line or AirTrain.

(Ok, there are about 5 gates where the walk is only about 10 minutes...but I never seem to come in or leave from them...)

Mrdonut

Rest assured that no matter whether you choose JFK, LGA or EWR you will get a heapin' helpin' of that good ole' New York hospitality.

"Excuse me Sir, can you tell me the time or should I just go and f **k myself?" is a good line to rehearse before your departure.

gooselee

LOL. I used to work in NYC and for the longest time, I couldn't figure out why everyone asked me for directions when (I thought) I clearly had no idea where I was even going. A co-worker later told me that it was because I made eye contact with people as I was walking down the street, so I was the only person that seemed approachable.

Back OT, I will pile on to the LGA recommendation here. IMO, none of the NYC airports are really that great, but LGA is certainly the best for accessing midtown Manhattan. One trick I used quite a bit was to take a cab from LGA to the Woodside LIRR, then take the train in from there. For about $25 you could get from LGA to Penn Station in 30 minutes or so, even during rush hour.

Then, of course, you're still at Penn Station. Luckily my office was 2 blocks from there, but if you're headed somewhere else you can always just go straight from LIRR to the subway and continue on. Or just take a cab straight from LGA to where you need to go, and it's far closer than JFK.

I've found Uber to be a reliable and price-competitive way to get back to LGA without having to deal with the yellow cab shift changes or the cabbies that get all grumpy when you tell them you're leaving Manhattan.

dadamn

^ exactly. As a single business traveler, I avoid LGA at all costs, because the speed and cost of airtrain -> LIRR/E trains into midtown will beat a cab nearly every time. But if I were traveling with family, especially families with kids, I'd definitely take a cab or car service. Because it's cheaper, but also because trying to herd a family through the subway can be painful... not only for the family, but also to all the commuters trying to get around them.

Occupationalhazard

I think Uber takes care of that problem.

I tend to fly out of JFK mostly, but I'm also mostly doing TATL and Transcons.

AFAIC, LGA used to be a dump, but it's not so bad any more. For the parameters that the OP laid out, I would recommend LGA also.

O/H

FlyAO2

Also, don't forget with the new JFK T4 you need to budget a 12-15 min to walk from security to your gate -- because if you have a gate in high 30s or 40s you'll need that time.

tfly212

I have been flying in and out of NYC for the past 12 years...used all three airports regularly. All in, I think LGA is the least painful unless there is weather as LGA is a bit more impacted than the bigger airports.

Take a cab or Uber a car...you might save a few bucks using public transportation but the hassle just isn't worth it. Even in rush hour it rarely takes longer than 45 min to get to midtown and you don't have to think about getting tickets, figuring out the trains, etc.

goodandclassy

If you are going to times square, nothing really beats the olympia trails/coach usa/newark liberty express bus service

Contrary to popular opinion on this thread, and only tailored to your destination, I would suggest using Newark. My personal preference is LGA - but not relevant for new-ish visitors to NYC especially if staying around TSq.

drops you off one block away form times square (get out at port authority), no stops en route, and no transfers
runs every 15 minutes

http://coachusa.com/olympia/ss.detai...d=317380463555

ty97

Yeah, the Q33 wasn't difficult per se, just very very slow crawling through all the local stops. The Q70 limited quickened the trip quite nicely (and resulted in less crowding to boot).

Nugget_Oz

It's usually the luggage that ends up being the issue here. A family of 4 on holidays with a suitcase each and their kitchen sink in the carryon isn't going to fit in a regular taxi which means springing for the SUV car service which is then going to be an extra $50. Dad could always be genius and book the supershuttle but then getting kids out of bed at 4 am for a noon flight is going to be the hard part.

NHFL9

Even more efficient is the M60 bus to the N/Q Subway at Astoria Blvd. The M60 is now a "Select" bus and makes the trip much faster than it used to. LGA to Midtown for $2.50.