My friend and I both flew from Seattle to New York’s JFK airport recently. She booked a car service to pick her up at the airport and drive into midtown. Inside Terminal 4, I tapped my credit card and boarded the AirTrain ($8.50), which whisked me to a Metropolitan Transit Authority train station (MTA). Walking a very short distance to the E train, I tapped again, ($2.90). In less than an hour, I was in my midtown hotel. Total cost: $11.40.

To find her car service, my friend had to exit the terminal, locate the shuttle bus to a parking lot, search for the driver, and then, sit in heavy traffic for over an hour. Adding insult to injury, the fare plus tip cost over $100.

Hot tip number one: When flying into JFK, channel Duke Ellington and take the AirTrain into the city (sorry, Duke).

Ti

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