NY Area Airport Transporation Help

[huskies90]

Hi I am trying to schedule something for Xmas week and as you know airfares are very high that week. I live in Fairfield County CT where I have access to several airports - BDL, HPN, SWF, EWR, LGA, JFK, ISP. The way I usually do it to keep my options open, is I rent a car at a local Avis or Hertz and drop it at the airport and then do the same thing on the return. This allows me the flexibility to fly out of one airport and back to another.

The problem is that I am planning to leave early on 12/26 and the local rental car places are closed on 12/24 and 12/25 so I can't do a one day rental.

What other options do I have to get to the airport? Car service? Is there a relatively low cost one in this area? Any other suggestions?

 

[cg1200]

I've usually found HPN to have the lowest fares to MCO (including JFK and LGA) on jetBlue or Airtran. I think the La Quinta just down the road has a 1 night package where they will include a shuttle to HPN and let you park at the hotel for free. Might work out to be cheaper. I'm in Fairfield county too and I avoid the NYC airports like the plague. Even if it were less money. Can't beat HPN for convenience.

 

[huskies90]

I've usually found HPN to have the lowest fares to MCO (including JFK and LGA) on jetBlue or Airtran. I think the La Quinta just down the road has a 1 night package where they will include a shuttle to HPN and let you park at the hotel for free. Might work out to be cheaper. I'm in Fairfield county too and I avoid the NYC airports like the plague. Even if it were less money. Can't beat HPN for convenience.

Thanks, I agree. HPN is great and I am flying out of there on Airtran in August. And I am aware of La Quinta, however, i am still renting a car as I got $32 rate on Avis picking up in Danbury and dropping at HPN and doing the reverse on the way back.

But Xmas week is a totally different ball game. Right now JetBlue HPN to MCO is $375 EACH WAY so although HPN has convienence, I don't think I am going to have the luxury to just pick my dates, times and airports and get a decent fare.

Although most of the fares from all the airlines and airports have been about the same, I have seen a few good one way fares pop up from various carriers over the last few months. AirTran and Southwest have yet to release. So I am holding out and hoping for them.

Today I saw a decent $175 one way fare pop up on United from Newark which I could have paired with a decent fare coming into the LGA but I wasn't sure how to handle the transportation problem. Now that Newark fare is gone...When the next one pops up, I want to be able to jump on it...

 

[Tozzie]

Hi I am trying to schedule something for Xmas week and as you know airfares are very high that week. I live in Fairfield County CT where I have access to several airports - BDL, HPN, SWF, EWR, LGA, JFK, ISP. The way I usually do it to keep my options open, is I rent a car at a local Avis or Hertz and drop it at the airport and then do the same thing on the return. This allows me the flexibility to fly out of one airport and back to another.

The problem is that I am planning to leave early on 12/26 and the local rental car places are closed on 12/24 and 12/25 so I can't do a one day rental.

What other options do I have to get to the airport? Car service? Is there a relatively low cost one in this area? Any other suggestions?

Shuttles from CT to either LGA or JFK are going to be a bit costly, I found one on line and the fare was around $115 plus tip. I don't know how open you are to trains. You could take the metro north to Grand central, then take a bus, there is a airport bus that boards across the street from Grand central Station and goes to LGA and JFK, it costs around $12 per person but booking on line gets you a small discount for the second and third person. The person who sat next to me on the plane on my october trip had done that. The only problem I see is that 12/26 is both the day after a holiday and a Sunday so the train schedules are less frequent and don't run that early, so depending on when your flight leaves that may or may not be an option.

 

[Lewisc]

Rent from a location that's open. You may have to drive to the nearest airport. Rent for three days instead of one.

You can try places like supershuttle. My guess is you'll be giving back most of your airline savings for ground transportation.

 

[cg1200]

Thanks, I agree. HPN is great and I am flying out of there on Airtran in August. And I am aware of La Quinta, however, i am still renting a car as I got $32 rate on Avis picking up in Danbury and dropping at HPN and doing the reverse on the way back.

But Xmas week is a totally different ball game. Right now JetBlue HPN to MCO is $375 EACH WAY so although HPN has convienence, I don't think I am going to have the luxury to just pick my dates, times and airports and get a decent fare.

Although most of the fares from all the airlines and airports have been about the same, I have seen a few good one way fares pop up from various carriers over the last few months. AirTran and Southwest have yet to release. So I am holding out and hoping for them.

Today I saw a decent $175 one way fare pop up on United from Newark which I could have paired with a decent fare coming into the LGA but I wasn't sure how to handle the transportation problem. Now that Newark fare is gone...When the next one pops up, I want to be able to jump on it...

You need a friend/family member willing to drive/pick you up from the airport!! Your options stink.

$375 each way is highway robbery. I would change the dates. I could not bring myself to pay that much. Maybe Southwest will have reasonable fares.

 

[shan136]

You need a friend/family member willing to drive/pick you up from the airport!! Your options stink.

$375 each way is highway robbery. I would change the dates. I could not bring myself to pay that much. Maybe Southwest will have reasonable fares.

As a PP mentioned, staying at La Quinta and taking the shuttle is the best deal. If you can get a ride the day before to the hotel you can save a lot of money.

We are having my brother drive us to HPN at 4 am for our 6:30 flight. I feel so lucky, he's a great guy.

 

[huskies90]

You need a friend/family member willing to drive/pick you up from the airport!! Your options stink.

$375 each way is highway robbery. I would change the dates. I could not bring myself to pay that much. Maybe Southwest will have reasonable fares.

A friend is possibility but I don't want to count on someone being available during Xmas vacation week. I have already booked my DVC so we are going and our dates are set. I have always wanted to go Xmas week but avoided it due to the crazy crowds, high prices and difficult transportation. But now that we have DVC/annual passes and have gone more often cost and crowds are not an issue. We will have our savanna view room at Kidani and we don't even care if we even leave our balcony all week

I have seen a few "decent" fares pop up that kinda came and then were gone but they were one ways which is why I made this post. I did not hop on them due to the transportation issue. I am pretty much holding out for AirTran or Southwest which will release their dates later this month and June 10 respectively. After seeing JetBlue, Spirit and Allegiant's prices, I am not holding my breath but I am hoping. Honestly, if nothing comes up, I am gassing up the 4 wheel drive sled and we are truckin' down...

 

[rdevine10]

I know its a hike and a half, but have you ever considered going to Allentown to use Allegiant Air? Its about 2 1/2 hours from me and Im in upper Fairfield county as well. I just looked at your date range and the fares arent terrible. Would solve the car rental issue. Anyways, good luck. We have driven a few times (we acutally got back last week). Im not sure its a drive I would want to do with a threat of bad weather (just my honest opinion).

Best of luck

 

[huskies90]

I know its a hike and a half, but have you ever considered going to Allentown to use Allegiant Air? Its about 2 1/2 hours from me and Im in upper Fairfield county as well. I just looked at your date range and the fares arent terrible. Would solve the car rental issue. Anyways, good luck. We have driven a few times (we acutally got back last week). Im not sure its a drive I would want to do with a threat of bad weather (just my honest opinion).

Thanks. I did think of ABE. The fares from Allegiant are still over $400 per person so, not much better and thus, not really worth the hike to PA. As for driving, I have done it once when we went over President's week 2009. My wife like it better than flying my kids hated it. I was not crazy about it...Something I wanted to try once but much prefer flying. But I would do it again if I had to.

As for the bad weather, I would actually rather be driving than flying. At least with your car, you have alot more flexibility - leave earlier, leave later, take different routes. If your flight gets canceled you could be stuck in an airport with no chance of getting to your destination.