Mar 10, 2014, 4:17 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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Here are some of the more-frequently mentioned car service and limousine companies discussed in this thread. This is not a comprehensive list. Companies are grouped into general categories, and note that additional surcharges may apply at certain times and locations. Car services and limousines are required to operate by reservation and are prohibited from accepting street hails, but may attempt to do so.

Rates for Yellow NYC Taxicabs
(NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission - Taxi Fare - updated Dec 19, 2022)

• NYC to/from LGA – metered rate (Rate 1) + surcharges + oneway tolls + tip
• Manhattan to/from JFK – $70.00 flat rate (Rate 2) + surcharges + oneway tolls + tip
• NYC (ex-Manhattan) to/from JFK – metered rate (Rate 1) + oneway tolls + tip
• NYC to/from EWR – metered rate + $20.50 surcharge (Rate 3) + roundtrip tolls + tip

Major Car Services

Consumer ($45-52, Manhattan to JFK, excluding tip, toll, tax)

Premium ($58-72, Manhattan to JFK, excluding tip, toll, tax)

Luxury ($113+, Manhattan to JFK, excluding tip, toll, tax)

NYC Limousine / Car Services

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Apr 1, 2014, 10:14 pm

#436

CodeAdam10

Join Date: Jul 2011

Location: North America

Posts: 2,265

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeAdam10

I routinely use a private driver after meeting him during a cab ride couple years back. Comfortable SUV with bottled water and snacks (usually candy/chips/cookies)

Competitive flat rate to the city and other locations. The kicker is he guarantees to be on-time (or early) or you pay half.

Feel free to PM for his details. I think it was about $50 from JFK to Manhattan with tolls/tips included.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea Waters

The driver to whom CodeAdam referred is nothing short of fabulous. By the time we arrived at the airport this morning, my mom was pushing me to marry the guy (but that's mostly because I'm getting long in the tooth bordering on Old Maid territory). He is such a nice guy, so very professional and all around wonderful. I highly recommend him.

LoL! Yes he really is a nice guy. And since he can talk miles and points, the dreaded taxi ride can turn into a meaningful conversation.

Glad it worked out for you and the few others who have PM'ed me. Happy to support a local guy.

Apr 2, 2014, 6:02 am

#437

gobluetwo

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)

Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC

Posts: 6,091

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeAdam10

LoL! Yes he really is a nice guy. And since he can talk miles and points, the dreaded taxi ride can turn into a meaningful conversation.

Glad it worked out for you and the few others who have PM'ed me. Happy to support a local guy.

How does he do payments? Square or Intuit? I just may PM you for my trip next week to try him out. I also prefer private individuals, but find it can be tough at times if it's their part time gig, also drive for a company, or are very busy (as they're just one guy). Certainly an advantage of using a company vs. an individual.

Apr 2, 2014, 10:44 am

#438

CodeAdam10

Join Date: Jul 2011

Location: North America

Posts: 2,265

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobluetwo

Cash or AP in my knowledge. I'll PM you his info and you can ask if he's able to accept any other payment methods.

Jun 5, 2014, 4:35 pm

#439

alexperi

Join Date: Jan 2010

Programs: UA 1K

Posts: 362

I have used Carmel for many years but just had a miserable experience with them and, as someone posted above, their customer service is TERRIBLE - it's basically impossible to speak to a human. So I am now going to try Dial7. Can anyone tell me - are they strict about having the coupons printed out, or if I use an online coupon will they just honor the price? Thanks.

Jun 30, 2014, 9:52 am

#440

lavedder

Join Date: Mar 2000

Posts: 512

Can someone please post all tolls from Manhattan to/from JFK ? Please mention some toll free ways I can suggest for car service.

Same with EWR to/Manhattan. I just took a Dial7 from EWR to Manhattan and was charged $17 in tolls. I asked and was informed the tolls were for Holland Tunnel and NJ Turnpike. I think I was overcharged.

I think drivers arbitrarily tack on more fees on tolls for the uninformed.

Jun 30, 2014, 11:06 am

#441

monitor

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Location: So Fla & NYC

Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA MM, BV LT Titanium, HH Diamond

Posts: 23,766

Quote:

Originally Posted by lavedder

Can someone please post all tolls from Manhattan to/from JFK ? Please mention some toll free ways I can suggest for car service....

In NYC Taxis, $6 and some change is automatically added to the fare when a toll is paid electronically by the driver's EZ-Pass, which he is required to have in working order.

Car services are a different matter. The drivers almost all have the EZ-Pass but they generally will charge you the full tick, as if they were not getting the EZ-Pass discount. On the TBTA (Triboro Bridge and Tunnel Authority) East River Crossings which are the Midtown Tunnel, the 59th Street Bridge (which also goes by the name of Koch), and the Triboro (also called RFK) bridge, the full fare is, I think, $7.50.

I really do not know that for sure since I use EZ-Pass and never see the full rate on those or on the PA (Port Authority) Hudson River Crossing or the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, I do not know what they are anymore since they are covertly raised on a regular basis. But $17 for EWR into the City does not sound like much of a rip to me.

The toll-free ways to JFK will be the 59th St Bridge over the River turn right on Van Dam Street to the LI Expressway or Queens Boulevard out to Kew Gardens or Flushing with various routes from those places. All of that depends on the Long Island traffic which is completely unrpredictable and frequently horrible.

I hope this helps.

Jun 30, 2014, 11:17 am

#442

themicah

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: NYC

Posts: 8,498

Quote:

Originally Posted by lavedder

Can someone please post all tolls from Manhattan to/from JFK ? Please mention some toll free ways I can suggest for car service.

To get between Manhattan and JFK without paying a toll you have to take the 59th Street, Williamsburg, Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridges. The Triboro/RFK Bridge and the Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery/Hugh Carey Tunnels are $7.50 cash or $5.33 EZ Pass.

Quote:

Same with EWR to/Manhattan. I just took a Dial7 from EWR to Manhattan and was charged $17 in tolls. I asked and was informed the tolls were for Holland Tunnel and NJ Turnpike. I think I was overcharged.

From EWR to Manhattan, you will always have a Hudson River crossing, which is $13 cash at any time, $11 peak EZPass, $9 off-peak EZPass. In addition you'll usually have an NJ Turnpike toll, which is $1.60-$2.65 (depending on which river crossing and time of day). It used to be possible to easily avoid the Turnpike from EWR to the Holland Tunnel, but that route is currently closed for construction.

From Manhattan to EWR, there is no toll crossing the Hudson, but you still may have to pay the turnpike toll (although there is a toll-free route from the Holland to EWR).

Many car services charge round-trip tolls to/from EWR, so $17 isn't outrageous ($13 + $2 + $2).

Jun 30, 2014, 8:06 pm

#443

st1575

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: NYC

Posts: 538

Quote:

Originally Posted by monitor

In NYC Taxis, $6 and some change is automatically added to the fare when a toll is paid electronically by the driver's EZ-Pass, which he is required to have in working order.

Taxis actually have a button on the meter that the driver presses to add the toll. You can see a separate itemized "toll" line on the display in the cab as well as on the receipt.

You should always be aware of whether or not a toll should be charged. For example, the is no toll charged for vehicles LEAVING Randall's Island (located under the RFK/Triboro Bridge) and there are huge signs as you approach the tollbooths. A cabbie recently pushed the "add toll" button in advance of those signs and I had to point it out to him (he refunded the toll charge in cash).

Jun 30, 2014, 8:42 pm

#444

monitor

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Location: So Fla & NYC

Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA MM, BV LT Titanium, HH Diamond

Posts: 23,766

Even though I have been aware for years that themicah knows more about all of this stuff than I do, I really needed to go to the EZPass site since I always cab it to and from the LI airports and thought that the discounted toll was more than $6.

Of course he was correct but I found out something that totally amazed me, quote: "E-ZPass rates apply only to tags issued by New York E-ZPass Customer Service Center (This includes: MTA Bridges and Tunnels, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Bridge Authority). Other E-ZPass tags will record the cash rate to cross MTA facilities."

That means that the Virginia EZPass (that I have for one of our companies) which delivered the good news the other day that there would no longer be a monthly fee for that tag was balanced off by the fact that I should not use it in NY State, even when on that company's business. So in NY I will always need to pull out that NY one that I got from the PA years ago and which carries that $1/month nuisance fee.

Jul 1, 2014, 7:20 am

#445

themicah

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: NYC

Posts: 8,498

Quote:

Originally Posted by monitor

Of course he was correct but I found out something that totally amazed me, quote: "E-ZPass rates apply only to tags issued by New York E-ZPass Customer Service Center (This includes: MTA Bridges and Tunnels, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Bridge Authority). Other E-ZPass tags will record the cash rate to cross MTA facilities."

Hey, I didn't know that!

Quote:

That means that the Virginia EZPass (that I have for one of our companies) which delivered the good news the other day that there would no longer be a monthly fee for that tag was balanced off by the fact that I should not use it in NY State, even when on that company's business. So in NY I will always need to pull out that NY one that I got from the PA years ago and which carries that $1/month nuisance fee.

Return your $1/mo PANYNJ tag and get one from the MTA instead. They don't have the $1/mo fee.

Jul 1, 2014, 11:17 am

#446

monitor

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Location: So Fla & NYC

Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA MM, BV LT Titanium, HH Diamond

Posts: 23,766

Quote:

Originally Posted by themicah

...Return your $1/mo PANYNJ tag and get one from the MTA instead. They don't have the $1/mo fee.

Thank you sir. When I get a chance I will investigate that.

Aug 22, 2014, 11:56 am

#447

dstan

Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2007

Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC

Posts: 10,855

Dial7 $7 discount

Largest discount code I've seen for Dial7:

$7 off any ride over $35 using code OPEN, thru 9/8/2014

Sep 29, 2014, 10:42 am

#448

hamilton1989

Join Date: Sep 2014

Posts: 1

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeAdam10

Feel free to PM for his details. I think it was about $50 from JFK to Manhattan with tolls/tips included.

Hi are you able to send me the detail for this guy planning on being in new york this december and need a good transfer link.

Nov 6, 2014, 1:48 pm

#449

dstan

Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2007

Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC

Posts: 10,855

Dial7 discounts thru 12/15/14

https://www.dial7.com/coupons_nyc

JFK/EWR to NYC - $6 discount - JF09142
NYC to JFK/EWR - $5 discount - JF09141

LGA to NYC - $4 discount - LG09142
NYC to LGA - $3 discount - LG09141

Nov 10, 2014, 9:24 pm

#450

jennj99738

Join Date: Apr 2008

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Posts: 805

I will be arriving at JFK around 5 a.m. on JetBlue on Saturday morning, 11/22. I was going to book Dial 7 with a fare of $53 (plus tolls and tip) to the UWS. Would Uber drivers be available at that time meaning I should chance it? Would Uber end up cheaper?

I have never used Uber. We are having a all-out legal battle royale here in Las Vegas over Uber.

Thanks for the advice!