I’ve documented struggles getting into the city from JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. Ambassador Limo was a quick, comfortable ride into the city.
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Booking
I am done with rideshares from New York area airports to Manhattan. I sought out Ambassador Limo and they offered me a lift. Ambassador has an easy booking engine on its website that allows guests to secure transportation one-way, roundtrip, and even more than one vehicle for large parties.
For those who like booking airport transfers the old fashioned way, you can just call them ( and make future arrangements or email them with your requirements.
I’ve outlined in the past rideshare issues with services like Uber that haven’t really cracked the “schedule-ahead” code. For example, when a user requests an Uber ride in the future, the app logs it but doesn’t put it out on the market until 30 minutes prior. If there are no cars in your area, your scheduled ride won’t be coming. If drivers don’t want to pick up the fare, you’re stuck sitting there. In our case, a confirmation email arrived a few days prior, and a confirmation text was waiting for us when we landed.
The Ride
We used Ambassador in both directions (John F Kennedy International Airport to Manhattan, Manhattan to LaGuardia) and were fortunate to have the same driver and presumably the same vehicle.
Following the instructions from our driver, Jack Diamond, (an all-time great name) exiting baggage claim, we walked across the street with our things to rideshare pick ups and drop offs and airport transportation services to JFK. Thanks to flight tracking he arrived moments after we exited the airport reducing waiting time to seconds.
He parked the 2024 black Cadillac Escalade in front of us, and got out to welcome us inside and assist opening doors. We were traveling with my infant son, and the car seat had already been installed prior to our arrival.
As we loaded in, water awaited each of us, heated seats even in the back made some of us more comfortable, I volunteered to man the AC control.
Jack Diamond took us into Manhattan, advised us of our expected arrival time, and was engaging, friendly, and informative. The vehicle was immaculately cleaned and we reflected on our last two entrances into the city. The last with a taxi driver in a vehicle less than spotless and cramped. The time before I discussed here with cancelled ride after cancelled ride from Uber drivers.
Value
The cost was certainly more expensive than most Uber rides at $195 one-way in a sedan, or $250 in an SUV like ours – though not all as Ambassador doesn’t have surge pricing. But it was well worth it for a few reasons. The vehicle was clean, and luxurious. We knew what to expect from the start rather than rolling the dice. And our driver was happy to pick us up, on time, and communicated well. Those are all pluses over taxis or rideshares.
The biggest plus was what it saved us not in time but in hassle. Our ride from start to finish was stress free as it should be. We knew who would pick us up, the vehicle, and when. He was on-time in both instances and we were able to get to the airport and from it in about 45 minutes without a panic and rush. But it also saved us from dragging a car seat along with us during our 16-day trip for which we would need it just twice. That is worth the price difference alone.
We loved Ambassador and will call on them whenever we return to the New York City metro.
What do you think?
Good to see a genuine comfortable Car , driven by a professional .
( The “climate change idiots” wish to outlaw them .)
… Or just take the train? LIRR from JFK is fast, and the train from EWR is pretty convenient as well.
Not so easy will children, luggage and car seat. First hand experience.
Yep, kids are a travel game changer. Post-kid, we entered into the “let’s make it as easy as possible” stage of travel.
Yes.
We’ve definitely started booking more car services since we have a toddler. It eases the anxiety and stress when landing. The drivers are professional and always help with our (enormous amount of) luggage.
We especially appreciate this when we are visiting a new country. It removes a ton of hassle and stress.
@Maryland … +1 . Also people with disabilities .
Truth. I have been using owner operated car services for 16 years. I need the reliability and safety of knowing my driver and his vehicle.
Speaking as someone who always looks to mass transit first, both in the US and abroad, it depends on the circumstances. If I’m by myself, and don’t have a lot of bags, then sure, I’ll figure out a way to use the train or bus to wherever I’m headed. If my wife and kid are with me, though, and I have all of their crap to lug around, and an antsy kid who gets impatient waiting? No thanks. I’ll pay the extra money for the convenience and certainty.
I’d also add, if you don’t have the cash for a car service like this, or just would rather not pay, there’s plenty of cheaper shuttle services to get you to the city. It just won’t be as nice, and you’re probably sharing the ride with others. Whether any of that is a big deal is in the eye of the beholder.
Exactly
There are several car services in New York City. My favorite is Dial7 (212 777-7777) which offers similar service to Ambassador. I even used them to book a luxury bus for my son’s wedding party (40 plus persons) on the night of his rehearsal dinner.
I’m too poor to do this. LIRR for me. It’s probably faster too.
“ If there are no cars in your area, your scheduled ride won’t be coming. If drivers don’t want to pick up the fare, you’re stuck sitting there.”
This describes why we are done with Uber.
This isn’t a criticism of you directly, Kyle. If you have the means, than pay. Why not? This is more of an indictment of public transportation in America…
JFK is actually well connected by rail to the city, and once you’re in Manhattan it’s easy to move around. People love riding the train in Europe, and lament that US transit sucks. Yet when presented with safe, clean, and efficient transit options, people opt to spend hundreds of dollars to avoid it. It’s both a shame, and uniquely American.
I’m a frequent user of public transit — especially to New York area airports where rideshare tends to be expensive — but I don’t think we should confuse connectivity with ease.
JFK is well-connected yes, but none of the public transit journeys are especially easy: it’s an expensive schlep on the AirTrain between Jamaica and the terminals and the E train at Jamaica feels like it’s in a different zip code entirely. If you’re taking the LIRR to/from Penn, you’re in for $20 minimum — now multiply that by 1-3 additional people for a family and you see why car service pricing starts to seem more attractive.
I agree with you that avoiding public transit is uniquely American, but so is building the least cohesive public transit network/integration.
@Taylor – It’s mostly this. We were just in Paris and the RER goes right from the terminal. At Heathrow you’ve got the express to Paddington or the Piccadilly line. The notion that it’s so complicated and expensive from both JFK and LaGuardia is confusing but I understand that process is being rectified.
You people are all insufferable bores. Proclaiming this is strictly an American issue. Good lord, and you people say you travel. In the same situation, kids and bags, you are no more going to take the Piccadilly line or, God forbid, the nasty graffitti strewn RER, and then hoof it to some hotel than you would in NYC. Total ignoramus liars.
Europe being raised up as some public transportation nirvana is also garbage. The RER, sure, Miserable, long ride into Paris and then try navigating a connection or Les Halles with bags. Hell on Earth. Barcelona? A misery of choices. Uncomfortable and probably dirty suburban train or the slowest metro ride in existance. Munich? Long ride that dumps you at the station and then what? Trundle your luggage around. Rome? Another suburban train to Termini and then what? Five metro connections to then another cobblestone nightmare. Tokyo? Hahahaha. Even “close in” Haneda will take a good hour plus with numerous connections just to get to Shinjuku. Two more hours once you’ve figured out you got lost. Mexico City? You’re joking. Sao Paolo? Not happening. Toronto? Pfffft.
@Jerry – Even on my own, I am probably not opting for rail just due to the connections and hassle but I probably wouldn’t arrange a Sedan necessarily either. It’s worth the extra expense to get into the back seat of a car, open my laptop and get an hour of work done over walking to the train, buying a ticket, sitting and waiting for the next one, getting on for a little bit. Getting off to switch. Maybe another line change in Manhattan. What did I gain from that experience and what did I lose? It’s not a class thing, “I’m too good for public transport” we were glad to use it all over Europe. In Manhattan, we descend the stairs with baby and stroller too. But the JFK connection is just not as smooth as sitting in the back of a car and getting some work done with nothing else to do.
I agree sitting in the back of a car is easier, but $500+tip for a round trip car ride is a lot of money.
I go to New York at least twice every year for business and while I get a taxi from LGA Ialways book Dial7 or one of those organizations for the rides back to the airport in the early morning or two and from EWR. Never had any issues. Very prompt and cost-effective.
$250 for a one way in an SUV you got ripped off
Carmel a big service will do that in an SUV for $89 from kennedy, extra $15 if you want the driver to meet you inside with a sign. $51 for a luxury sedan.
I used Carmel before and service was great. Agree they are way cheaper than this one.
Have used a car service (Blackberry) between Southampton (docking of Queen Mary II) and London. Train service between these two points is very good from an American prospective. However, had a very elderly person in the group plus all the luggage. Car service picked us up at the dock, got us thru traffic on the M3 which is a bad as I95, and dropped us off in front of the hotel, and helped with the bags. Driver was surprised when we gave he a £40 tip. Well worth the out of pocket expense.
Agreed. I have a 22 month toddler and my wife and I made the same decision for a recent 14 day international trip from LAX. Hiring a car service was slightly more expensive than off-airport parking and about 2x the price of rideshare, but it was worth it. We knew the car there would be (Suburban), could request a carseat, and had competent, communicative drivers. Very happy we did that and would do it again.