How I Decide How I’m Getting From an Airport to the City

When it comes to getting from an airport to the center of a city, there are usually several modes of transit to choose from.

If you want to splurge, you might hire a private car. If you’ve got lots of bags or multiple people, ride-sharing might be the perfect option. If you’re in a rush, hailing a cab might work out. Or, if you’re trying to be frugal, public transit could be the way to go.

I’ll walk through my thought process on choosing transportation from an airport. It’s not as straightforward as you think!

Using My Credits

For me, choosing a ride-sharing option from the airport revolves around my monthly credits from my cards. I have 3 rewards cards that provide me a monthly credit for ride-sharing:

• The Platinum Card^® from American Express provides up to $15 monthly Uber credit (up to $20 in December).
• The American Express^® Gold Card provides up to $10 monthly Uber credit.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® provides a $10 monthly Lyft credit through September 2027.

If public transit is convoluted and I don’t otherwise plan to use my monthly credits, I’ll for sure take an Uber or Lyft. That way, I can get more value from these cards. Keep in mind that the 2 Amex credits combine for a total of up to $25 a month ($30 in December), so this should just about cover any Uber ride during my travels. If it goes over a bit, I just pay the remainder.

I hate to see these credits go to waste, and while I could use them on Uber Eats, I think that using them on ride-sharing provides far more value, since I don’t tend to use food delivery services.

Saving Money

Undoubtedly, public transit is a great way to save money and be a little more environmentally friendly. There are certain cities where I will use public transit, no matter what, mainly because of the traffic. For example, if I’m flying into Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and need to get to downtown Chicago, I’ll almost always take the CTA Blue Line. It’s about a 45-minute ride, costs only a couple of bucks, and most importantly, bypasses the traffic along the way.

The same goes for landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) or LaGuardia (LGA) and needing to get downtown. Traffic between both airports can be atrocious, and I much prefer taking the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station, then walking or taking the subway to my final destination from there. This would be significantly cheaper than an Uber, which can easily cost over $50 one-way. That said, this option is only good if you’re traveling with minimal bags.

Sometimes, taking public transit can be the faster way to get downtown, too, since most of the trip is within your control. After stepping off the plane, you can often head to the airport train station and catch the next train. You can then be on your way immediately without having to rely on a driver to navigate the arrivals level.

If you’re headed into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), the Metro station is just up a ramp from the departures level. Within minutes, you can be on a Yellow or Blue line train into downtown Washington, D.C.

Quick Getaway

I might hop in a cab if I know I need to be somewhere quickly and public transit simply won’t get there fast enough (perhaps thanks to multiple transfers). Most airports have taxi ranks right outside of baggage claim and within close vicinity of the terminal. While people may not be taking taxis as much as ride-sharing vehicles nowadays, they’re still a great way to get around, especially since you don’t have to wait for your Uber ride.

One thing to remember about taxi rides is that most are metered, so any bit of waiting, traffic, or extra distance could cause the ride to go up substantially. However, if you’re taking a taxi from Manhattan to JFK, you’re always charged a flat fare, no matter the traffic, which could make sense in certain circumstances.

Time of Day

I majorly factor into my decision-making the time of the day I head to or from the airport. If I’m heading to catch a 6 a.m. flight, public transit just may not be easy (or it might not even be running, depending on the city!). More often than not in those cases, I grab an Uber or Lyft, as that’s the easiest thing to use at that hour. You can schedule Uber or Lyft rides for additional convenience.

On the other hand, if I’m going to the airport in the middle of rush hour, I’ll almost always use public transit, as a train or subway can easily bypass most traffic on the roads. That same ride at an off-peak hour might better warrant the use of ride-sharing or a taxi, since the rides are likely cheaper and there won’t be as much traffic.

Other Factors

Besides the factors I noted above, there are some other reasons I might choose one form of transit over another:

• If I need to get important work done on my laptop or be on an important phone call, I use ride-sharing. Taking a laptop out on a subway or public transit risks attention from thieves and vandals, and these trains tend to be very noisy, as well.
• Sometimes, someone else is paying for my ride, in which case I always use the preferred mode of transit that’s being paid for.
• While I almost always prefer taking public transit, I reconsider if there are 2 or more transfers or different modes of transportation required (such as a train to a bus). In these cases, I generally skip the inconvenience and use ride-sharing.
• In some cities, depending on where I’m going, it could be cheaper to rent a car, especially if there’s free parking nearby. Rental car rates can sometimes be extremely cheap, and while I still have to pay for gas, the price could be much less than ride-sharing or taxi rides.

Final Thoughts

While there are many ways you can choose to get from an airport to downtown, my favorite is almost always public transit. I find that it saves me time and money, though there are times I may splurge on a ride-sharing vehicle if I need to get work done or be on the phone, as this is a quieter atmosphere. Thanks to the several credits I get each month on my credit cards, I can save no matter which method I choose!