Uber Will Now Take You From Manhattan to LaGuardia for $18
The catch: You share a van with strangers and can only leave from specific locations
Uber UBER 0.42%increase; green up pointing triangle can take you to New York’s LaGuardia Airport for $18, starting Tuesday.
The catch? The rides are in 14-passenger vans, and they only pick up and drop off at three spots in Manhattan. One Uber Shuttle route will go between Port Authority, Grand Central Terminal and the airport, while the second runs between Penn Station and the airport.
The trips to and from the airport cost $18 each. Uber is offering discounted $9 rides for the first month of service.
A regular Uber to LaGuardia can cost upward of $100, depending on the time of day. Shuttle services have long existed as an alternative, but they can take longer than a car and booking isn’t as familiar to people as firing up the Uber app.
Trips to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey or John F. Kennedy International Airport can be even more expensive. Uber didn’t say when it might have service to those other major New York area airports.
Uber announced the new shuttles Tuesday as part of a climate event in London.
Gridlock and growth
New York and other cities around the world have struggled to deal with traffic congestion and vehicle emissions. In June, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul indefinitely paused plans to charge a $15 congestion toll on vehicles entering the core of Manhattan. The city had the worst gridlock in the world in 2023, according to transportation-research firm Inrix. And now more people than ever are flying in and out of U.S. airports.
Uber introduced Uber Shuttle in 2019 in Egypt and has expanded it to Brazil, India and Mexico. New York is its first airport location. The company plans to expand its shuttles to other airports, as well as events and other uses.
ETS, Uber’s shuttle fleet partner providing the LaGuardia rides, also has permits for Newark and JFK airports. Uber says it plans to work with other existing providers at other airports.
“I am on a mission to bring this affordable shuttle service to, honestly, as many airports as we can,” says Camiel Irving, Uber head of rides operations for the U.S. and Canada. “If I get my way, you’ll be hearing a flurry of regular announcements over the next couple of years.”
Last year, 15% of Uber’s ride bookings came from airport trips.
How to book
You can book an Uber Shuttle in the regular Uber app as soon as five minutes before your trip or as far out as seven days. You can reserve up to four seats, and each person can take one personal item and a 50-pound bag. Trips leave roughly every 30 minutes, but the app updates timing based on the real-time ETA.
You’ll get a QR code and unique PIN your driver must validate before you can board the bus. While operated by ETS, the shuttles have Uber branding.
There’s no surge pricing, but riders can tip and rate shuttle drivers in the app.
If you plan to take an Uber Shuttle from the airport, it’s best to book after you land. You can only get a full refund for the ride if you cancel 25 minutes before your booked departure time.
Shuttles begin Tuesday and will operate from 5 a.m. ET to 10:45 p.m. ET, seven days a week.