Uber Launches $18 Shuttle Service from Manhattan to LaGuardia Airport
Travelers can now board Uber shuttles from Midtown Manhattan to LaGuardia
Photo: Courtesy of Uber
Rideshare lifts to New York’s airports can break the bank, often costing more than $100, a figure that rises sharply at busy times. However, a new promotion from Uber will zip you between Manhattan and LaGuardia for just $18.
The catch: you’ll share the ride with 13 other passengers and their luggage. And there’s no door-to-door service. You’ll pick the Uber up—or be dropped off—in Midtown.
LaGuardia Terminal B, Location: Queens, New York, LaGuardia Gateway Pertners
The new Uber Shuttle, which launched on Tuesday, October 8, departs from and drops passengers off at three stops in Manhattan:
- Port Authority Terminal
- Grand Central Terminal
- Penn Station
The shuttles depart every half hour between 5 a.m. and 10:45 p.m., seven days a week. They stop at LaGuardia’s Terminals B and C, from which you can connect to an airport shuttle bus to access Terminal A.
How to Book the Service?
Rides can be booked through the Uber app between seven days and five minutes before the shuttle departs. At booking, you’ll receive a QR code and unique PIN, which will be validated by the driver when you board.
Photo: Uber. Courtesy of charlesdeluvio / Unsplash
The shuttle van has space for 14 passengers. You can book seats for groups of up to four. Each passenger can bring one personal item and one carry-on OR checked bag (but not both) weighing up to 50 lbs.
After boarding, the ride works much like a conventional Uber, with the ability to tip and rate the driver from within the app.
Flat Rate, Always
But one feature you thankfully won’t see on the Uber Shuttle is surge pricing. No matter the demand or traffic, you’ll pay just $18 to ride.
And to promote the shuttle, Uber is slashing that price to just $9 for the next month.
Midtown Bus Terminal / Photo: Courtesy of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Uber Shuttle certainly isn’t the only private bus on the roads headed to New York City’s airports. But it’s cheaper than the alternatives. For instance, the GO Airport Shuttle costs $29 each way.
The Uber Shuttle can also be easily booked from within an app most travelers already have on their phones.
Other Shuttle Iterations
Uber has previously operated mini-buses branded Uber Shuttles in Cairo, Egypt (CAI), Kyiv, Ukraine (IEV), and Delhi (DEL), Kolkata (CCU), Hyderabad (HYD), and Mumbai (BOM) in India. It’s touted the shuttles as a more affordable and environmentally friendly transportation option for travelers, especially in areas with heavy traffic.
At its annual Go-Get Global Product Event this spring, the $160 billion startup announced that it would bring the shuttle service to the U.S., offering rides to airports, sporting events, and concerts. Over the summer, passengers were able to hitch rides from city center locations to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (MIA), the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte (CLT), and Live Nation venues in Chicago (ORD) and Pittsburgh (PIT).
LaGuardia is the first U.S. airport to be connected to an Uber Shuttle, but the company suggests that others will follow.
The shuttle bus is all part of Uber’s ambitious plans to diversify into different kinds of transportation. In London (LHR), the startup operates river buses and branded Uber Boat, and in Spain, travelers can book train tickets through the app, an offering dubbed Uber Trains.
