I tested Uber's new $18 airport shuttle service in New York City, and it's a game changer

15.10.2024 - 18:59 / insider.com / New Yorkers / Uber

One of the challenges of living in a prominent transit hub like New York City can be navigating your way to and from its airports.

Many New Yorkers who've traveled have a story to tell about switching between two subways and a bus to make it to the airport or overpaying for a cab. Depending on the location and time of the day, a taxi to LaGuardia Airport — one of the city's three airports — can cost anywhere from $24 to $44, excluding tips and tolls, while an Uber can cost up to $100.

But a new, third option could soon eliminate the high costs or stress associated with getting to and from LaGuardia.

Last week, Uber announced the launch of a new $18 shuttle service from three Manhattan locations to LaGuardia Airport and back starting October 8.

Now that air travel has returned to its pre-pandemic levels — last year, about 32.4 million people flew into LaGuardia, a 4% increase from 2019, per The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — frequent flyers are also hoping for pocket-friendly airport transfers.

According to a report compiled by Future Market Insights, the pre-booked airport transfer market, which allows people to book their pre-or post-airport travel rides in advance, is expected to reach $11.2 billion this year.

Given that 15% of Uber's bookings came from airport rides last year and the lack of cheaper alternatives from Midtown Manhattan — the most affordable route right now requires travelers to take a subway into Queens and then catch a bus — coupled with a growing industry, the company's decision to launch shuttle services is a means to capture a slice of this open market by offering reasonably priced alternatives, often to its own ride-hailing services.

"I am on a mission to bring this affordable shuttle service to, honestly, as many airports as we can," Camiel Irving, Uber's head of rides operations for the US and Canada, told The Wall Street Journal last week.

Some social media users, though, pointed out the difference between the $2.90 bus fare and Uber's price, suggesting that Uber was simply reinventing public buses at higher costs.

Still, many others — including the passengers I met on a ride when I trialed the new shuttles — were thrilled to have a steady, cheap, and convenient alternative.

To test the new service, I took a shuttle from Penn Station to LaGuardia's Terminal C and returned from the airport to Port Authority.

Here's how my experience went.