4

As an ignorant person visiting Manhattan, why would I choose to fly to JFK if EWR is significantly cheaper?

The distance is roughly the same at 19 miles, and the driving time is about 20 minutes more (40 minutes vs an hour), probably because of the tolls.

In my case, it’s $545 round-trip to JFK. On the other hand, if I fly to EWR and then leave from JFK, the ticket is $320.

Also, I’d be taking a taxi or an uber.

Improve this question
3
  • 2
    Beware that taxis to/from EWR are stupidly expensive (easily $100+) because of state restrictions on where cabbies can operate. Uber is cheaper though.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented Sep 20, 2021 at 2:24
  • 2
    Taxi trips between JFK and Manhattan benefit from a flat rate (between $52.80 and $60.30 depending on time and exact destination in Manhattan), while trips to/from LGA or EWR use standard metered fares + a lot of extras.
    – jcaron
    Commented Sep 20, 2021 at 7:28
  • 4
    JFK is also linked to two metro lines. But your assumption is wrong. EWR may be sometime cheaper, but it doesn't offer all flights (and connections) of JFK (or maybe not the better time to flight). So, there are too many reasons, and I think the answer would tend to be opinion based (my case is different to every other cases)
    – Giacomo Catenazzi
    Commented Sep 20, 2021 at 8:24

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

A taxi from EWR to Manhattan may be slightly more expensive than from JFK because the taxi crosses jurisdictions -- you would be taking a Newark or Elizabeth taxi which would charge additional fare in New York. However, the difference would not be enough to offset the difference in fare you are looking at, and in general JFK and EWR are considered about equally good for access to Manhattan.

Improve this answer
3
  • 2
    If you do want a private car ride from EWR into Manhattan, you might also consider a car service like Dial 7 or Carmel (with either service, google around for a coupon), which will be broadly similar to Uber but offers a fixed price. The base fare should be on the order of $50-$60, but remember you're on the hook for around $20 worth of tolls, plus a tip.
    – Zach Lipton
    Commented Sep 20, 2021 at 2:46
  • You would normally take Uber though?
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Sep 20, 2021 at 4:25
  • @JonathanReez Uber's price estimation tool shows nothing under $100 right now. There's not much point.
    – phoog
    Commented Sep 20, 2021 at 21:09

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .