berksmapexp

We are moving to NYC from Chicago in a couple of weeks (living in SoHo). I have been traveling on AA out of ORD for several years now and have the routine down to a science. With LGA, not so much.

So, a couple of question for anyone living in NYC. How much time should I allow for a cab ride out to LGA from SoHo for a 7:30am weekday flight? Also how much time to get through the AA terminal security.

All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

radonc1

It depends on how much time you need to feel comfortable before getting on the plane. I like to be at the airport 1 hour before the flight. In that case, with a 7:30 AM flight, going against traffic from downtown NYC, you should allow 20-30 minutes of drive time to get to LGA, another 15 minutes to get though security. So, I would leave 1 hr 45 min (conservative) or at 5:45 AM.
(BTW, I have never missed a flight due to my time scheduling errors.)

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I would allow 30 minutes for the cab ride although it usually will be more like 20-25 minutes. Now at LGA is becomes a little tricky. Concourse D, which is all AA, is fairly smooth with multiple security lanes and an AA Access point (which does dump into the regular flow). However, AA has most of its Eagle flights and a few mainline lines going out of Concourse C, which AA shares with UA. I find that Security checkpoint much slower. So I would say one hour to flight time to be sure. If you are the type that wants to eat, hit the bathroom, buy a newspaper etc. and in general not worry about an unusual long wait at Secuirty add another 30 minutes or so.

Also if you are an AC member, the AC is located in D. So if you are going out of C, you will be allowed to access the AC, however, you will need to clear Security twice.

elitetraveler

Also take a look at EWR, depending on your exact location you could be close to the Holland Tunnel and would be pretty much a straight shot out to EWR. AA flies to DFW, MIA, SJU, ORD, LAX and maybe a couple other places out of EWR.

closetasfan

I think 5:45 is about spot on, although i would personally leave 5:30. 7:30 morning flight there's not much traffic. If it was 7:30 at night, oooh boy, that's a very different story

rfrost

Wow, my experience is the opposite! Even with its improved traffic pattern, I generally find security at D, which usually seems to be used by far more passengers, slower than at C. (C, BTW, does offer priority access for both UA and AA elites and F pax.) In any event, on the assumption that your LGA flights will largely be to ORD, it's probably a moot point, as IME it's very rare for those flights to go out of C.

berksmapexp

Sorry. I should have been more specific. I'll mostly be flying LGA-RDU (I know I can use JFK also so if anyone has some thoughts on which is preferable let me know).

I basically liked the 7:30am flight time for this go around so thought I would give LGA a shot.

ldpeters

This is one of my home airports. Assuming on-line check-in and no checked luggage, I generally get to LGA about 35-45 minutes before my flight. While security can be a pain, the elite line usually moves you through pretty quickly (my longest wait as an elite: 15 minutes).

If for any reason you need to check luggage, however, leave AT LEAST 60-90 minutes -- even for EXP/PLAT. I've spent 30 minutes waiting in the first/business check-in line at LGA, and would have missed the baggage cut-off had I not convinced the three or four people still in front of me to let me cut ahead.

That being said, if I have a choice (and especially if I'm expensing it, as it sounds like OP might), I fly out of JFK or EWR. It's a bit longer (and a bit more expensive) to get to the airport, but the experience is on the whole superior, especially at JFK. Additionally, as one poster mentioned, in SoHo you're probably equidistant from EWR and LGA.

To play it safe, leave the first morning at 5:15 or 5:30. But I would guess that you can scale it back in 15-minute increments, and probably after a few rounds be good to leave around 6 or even 6:15

ldpeters

If you're expensing it (e.g., somebody else is paying for the cab/car), I would prefer JFK hands down, even if it is another 15 minutes in transit. IIRC, the JFK-RDU has a better on-time than the LGA-RDU, but somebody with access to that info will have to confirm.

The AA terminal at JFK is, IMHO, one of the best stateside terminals of any US airline.

closetasfan

for checked luggage, using the automated check in guys at the far left makes that much simpler than waiting in line (if domestic)

as for JFK, the advantages are that its a much nicer terminal, and you can take a train there. (From SoHo either LIRR from Penn or E to Jamaica or A to Howard Beach) but it is further out, and LGA I think has a lot more flights out to RDU and ORD

gbryan84

I agree here. The problem with the security line is that there is usually only one TSA agent for both the elites and non-elites. There have been many times where I stand there even when Im the first in line while they help the non-elite line saying, "they got here before you." Yes I have complained more than once about the same guy that does it.

I was standing in the elite line to check a bag this weekend and was there for about 35 minutes. For some reason the AA staff checking bags is just slow at LGA.

ijgordon

I would normally say a 6am pickup would be fine. Up to 30 minutes travel time and still an hour to get to the gate, which is plenty. Assuming you're not checking bags, there's no reason it should ever take more than 15-20 mutes to clear security, so you still have a pretty good cushion.

Unfortunately the TSA Wait time calculator is out of service, that normally shows avg/max wait times at various points throughout the day at all terminals.

However, how does one get to LGA from SoHo? I gather you take the Williamsburg Bridge to the BQE to the GCP. I rarely travel on the BQE, but whenever I either pass by it or hear the traffic report, it sounds like it's always a nightmare. Maybe at 6am this won't be the case?

ldpeters

The stretch of the BQE north of the Williamsburg Bridge doesn't usually get too bad until later in the morning. If the BQE is bad on a particular morning, you can cut out part of it by taking the midtown tunnel to the LIE to connect further north. From downtown, I've also had cabbies who will go all the way up to the Triborough to avoid the BQE; this approach I think works when rush hour is really bad.

The Google Maps delayed-traffic tool is your friend for figuring out the traffic generally, and your friend the morning of for directing your cabbie (check it before leaving the house):

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=4...4&z=13&layer=t

(for best use, click "change" next to where it says "live traffic" and then put in the day of the week and time of travel)

aeo

I live near Soho and always always take the Williamsburg and encourage the OP to do the same. Rarely have a problem with traffic flows, especially at that hour of the morning, plus no toll.

Another piece of minor advice: when your driver reaches the AA terminal at LGA, direct him/her to the outside drop off lane (to the left) rather than the inside lane. Much quicker.

Finally, EWR may be equidistant, but the cost of a cab/car is much, much higher. If the OP's not paying, that's one thing, but with NJTransit so easy, I can't remember the last time I paid for a taxi - I think you have to pay the meter + $15, right? Yikes.

FlyAO2

Are we talking about the same airport? If your gate is in the 30s-40s you need to budget an extra 15 minutes to walk from security, down the 200 stair escalator, underneath the tarmac, up the 200 stair escalator and then to your gate....no exaggeration, takes 15 minutes if you are at gate 31 or 47.

JFK terminal s*cks.