L'LaGuardia airport (IATA: LGA) is the third largest airport in the area of New York. While the JFK and theNewark airport host more international flights, LaGuardia hosts more domestic flights.
To know
LaGuardia is the smallest of the three major airports in theNew York metropolitan area, but also the closest to Manhattan. Almost all direct flights to LaGuardia are directed to destinations within 2,400km. Most of the flights are domestic; however, there are international flights since Canada, Aruba, Bahamas is Bermuda. The Marine Air Terminal, now known as Terminal A, is one of the oldest airport terminals in the world still in use. It opened in 1939 and initially served the iconic PanAm "Clipper" seaplanes, a heritage that is visible in its Art Deco architecture and large mural from the era of the Great Depression.
LaGuardia gained a shoddy reputation in the 21st century, and politicians described it as a "Third World airport" while calling for infrastructure investments. In 2009, LaGuardia ranked last among major US airports for both on-time arrivals and customer satisfaction. Hopefully, the ongoing rebuild and refurbishment project, which is expected to be completed in 2021, will improve the traveler experience in LaGuardia and add some missing amenities.
In 2019, LaGuardia hosted 373,356 flights serving 31.1 million passengers: 28.9 million domestic and 2.2 million international. Nearly 15,000 people work at LaGuardia.
Flights
LaGuardia has four passenger terminals, separate by airline.
How to get
LaGuardia Airport: full screen map.By car
On the train
By bus
Costing $ 2.75, local buses are the cheapest means of transportation, albeit the slowest for Manhattan. Buses have little space for luggage. Some, notably the Q70 SBS listed below, are usually equipped with roof racks. These buses offer connections to the subway and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).
Free transfers between bus and metro are only available with a MetroCard; the single journey ticket does not allow free transfers. Coins are required to board buses without MetroCard. There is a change machine in the airport terminal and MetroCards can be purchased at the airport from Hudson News. The MetroCard vending machine at the airport does not accept cash.
- M60SBS serves all terminals, with connections to:
- Astoria Blvd at 31st St and Hoyt Ave (15-25 minutes): N and W lines (W line only operates on weekdays)
- 125th St and Lexington Ave (30 minutes): Lines 4, 5, 6 and 6d
- 125th St and Park Ave (30 minutes): Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines of the Metro-North Railroad. On the way to LaGuardia, the bus stops at Madison Ave instead.
- 125th St and Lenox Ave / Malcolm X Blvd (30 minutes): Lines 2 and 3
- 125th St and St. Nicholas Ave (35 minutes): Lines A, B, C and D (the B only works on weekdays)
- 116th St – Columbia University and Broadway (40 minutes): Line 1 is especially useful if you are staying on the Upper West Side, including Hostelling International New York, which is close to the last bus stop at 106th St and Broadway.
- Q70 LaGuardia Link SBS serves all terminals except Terminal A e Q47 only serves Terminal A. Both have connections with:
- Jackson Heights – Roosevelt Ave / 74th St (10 minutes): Lines 7, E, F, Fd, M and R
- 61st St – Woodside (15 minutes): Lines 7 and 7d and Long Island Rail Road
- Q48 serves all terminals, with connections to:
- Flushing – Main St (30 minutes): Lines 7 and 7d and Long Island Rail Road
- Q72 serves all terminals except Terminal A, with connections to:
- Junction Blvd & Roosevelt Ave (30 minutes): Lines 7 and 7d
- 63rd Dr – Rego Park (45 minutes): M and R lines
- Go Airlink Shuttle. Door to door service with shared van. $ 16 for Manhattan. 10% discount for online purchase.
- NYC Airporter bus. Provides services to Grand Central Terminal and Port Authority Bus Terminal for $ 13 one way, $ 23 round trip (return ticket). Buses depart every 20-30 minutes, and the journey to Grand Central Terminal can take up to 65 minutes. While online show times stop at Penn Station, the bus doesn't go there between noon and 6pm.
By taxi
- Taxi. Taxis cost $ 21-30 to Manhattan plus tips, tolls, a $ 0.50 New York tax, and a $ 1 surcharge during peak hours. You can save on tolls by asking the driver to use the Queensboro Bridge for points in Midtown and Upper East Side, the Williamsburg Bridge for the Village and downtown, or the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridges for downtown points. If your destination is above 72nd Street, it's best to pay the toll ($ 5.50) and take the RFK (formerly called Triboro) bridge to Manhattan.
How to get around
For quick transfers between Terminal B concourses without having to go through security again, American Airlines operates a shuttle bus. Apparently for American Airlines passengers, they can allow flyers from other airlines to drive it. The shuttle stops at:
- Terminal B, East Concourse, Gate 50-51
- Terminal B, West Concourse, Gate 22-24
- Terminal B, western concourse, gate D2B
For all other transfers, free LaGuardia Link shuttle buses connect all terminals and parking lots, running every 8-10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours. If you are transferring from one terminal to another, you will need to go through security again to reach the gate. There are multiple routes, so ask the driver if they will stop at their destination.
Wait
- 1 American Airlines Admirals Club (Terminal B, western concourse, between gates D1-D10).
4:30-17:00. - 2 Delta Sky Club (Terminal C, gate C26). 5:15-20:00.
- 3 Delta Sky Club (Terminal D, gate 2). 5:15-20:00.
4:30-17:00.Shopping
Terminal B
- 1 Sunglass Hut, ☎ 1-718-565-2423. 6:00-20:00.
- 2 Duty Free Americas (DFA), ☎ 1 718-803-3920. 6:00-21:00.
- 3 Express food. Market gourmet.
- 4 Hudson News.
Terminal C
- 5 Express food (Gate C3-4). 5:00-22:00. Market gourmet.
Terminal D
- 6 Bisoux Market (Gate D3). 7:00-22:00.
How to have fun
Terminal B (beyond security checkpoints)
- 1 Brewery Heights (West atrium, gate D7). Mon-Sun 11: 00-18: 00. Beer, wine and pub food.
- 2 Starbucks (West atrium, gate D3). Mon-Sun 5: 00-17: 00. Resistance is useless. This Seattle-based coffee chain is "everywhere," including the airport.
- 3 Tap and Pour (West atrium, gate D4-D6).
Terminal C
- 4 World Bean (Food Hall, gate C28 - C29), ☎ 1 718-533-3400. Mon-Sun 5: 00-22: 00. Coffee and bakery products.
Terminal D
- 5 World Bean (Food Hall), ☎ 1 718-656-6210. Mon-Sun 5: 00-22: 00. Coffee and bakery products.
Where to eat
Terminal A
- 1 Living room (Departures area).
Terminal B
Before security checks
- 2 Dos Toros Taqueria (Level 4). Burritos, tacos, quesadillas, bowls, salads and nachos.
- 3 Dunkin 'Donuts (Level 1). Mon-Fri 7: 00-2: 30. An offshoot of this northeastern chain, which is primarily known for its coffee and donuts but also has sandwiches, etc.
- 4 Dunkin 'Donuts (Level 4). 4:30-13:00.
- 5 Junior's (Level 4). An offshoot of the Brooklyn classic.
- 6 Tony & Benny's (Level 4).
- 7 Zaro's Family Bakery (Level 4). Mon-Sun 5: 00-18: 00. Founded in the Bronx in 1927, this small New York area chain offers baked goods and coffee.
Beyond the security checkpoints
- 8 Shake Shack (East atrium, gate 40–59). Mon-Sun 5: 00-21: 00. New York chain, now present nationally and internationally, known for its burgers, hot dogs, fries and smoothies.
Terminal C
- 9 Artichoke (Food Hall, gate C28-C29). Mon-Sun 8: 00-20: 30. An offshoot of this small chain serving its own signature take on New York-style pizza that started in New York and now has branches across the three-state area, plus a couple in California and one in Arizona.
- 10 Cooked (Gate C30).
- 11 Custom Burgers (Food Hall, gate C28-C29).
Terminal D
- 12 Bar Brace (Gate D4-D10).
- 13 Custom Burgers by Pat LaFrieda (Food Hall), ☎ 1 718-656-6210. Mon-Sun 5: 00-24: 00.
- 14 Prime Tavern (Food Hall).
- 15 To cut (Food Hall), ☎ 1 718-656-6210. 5:00-24:00. Take New York-style pizza and stromboli.
Atrium G
- 16 H&H Bagels (AM) (Gate 92). A popular New York bagel joint.
- 17 Rossi Pizzeria, Gate 92-98 (Gate 92).
Where stay
- 1 Airway Inn, 82-20 Astoria Blvd, East Elmhurst, ☎ 1-718-565-5100, ☎ 1-800-356-0250.
$ 117-$ 165. Check in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. - 2 Comfort Inn & Suites LaGuardia Airport, 60-30 Maurice Ave, Maspeth, ☎ 1-347-448-3197. $ 95-$ 174. Check in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00.
- 3 LaGuardia Plaza Hotel, 104-04 Ditmars Blvd, East Elmhurst, ☎ 1-718-457-6300, ☎ 1-800-692-5420. $ 137-$ 271. Check in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00.
$ 117-$ 165. How to keep in touch
Around
- The neighborhood that includes the airport is called East Elmhurst. Other nearby neighborhoods with easy bus connections from the airport are Jackson Heights, Flushing, Astoria, Corona and Woodside.
Useful information
- Terminal A charging stations (At the departure gates).
- Terminal B charging stations (At all departure gates).
- Terminal A welcome center (It is located in the arrivals area).
- Guest Service Desk Terminal B (Between gates 40 and 59).
Rent with driver
- Rent with driver. An alternative to taxis, chauffeured rental services are useful for getting to the airport from outlying districts where taxis are more difficult to find, or if you prefer to have your transport booked in advance. Typically $ 40 or more between LaGuardia and Manhattan.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning LaGuardia Airport
Commons contains images or other files on LaGuardia Airport
