Getting Your Next Uber Ride to JFK or LGA Might Be a Little Easier
Uber announced a change to its app on Monday that streamlines passengers' trips to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
Now, Uber riders can select their airline after they choose either JFK or LGA as their destination. On the driver side, the app will show the terminal and the airline's exact door where the passenger should be dropped.
Uber says this change will help riders have more accurate pricing and ETAs. It will also save passengers the trouble of telling their drivers what airline, terminal and door they're departing from once they enter the vehicle. The app feature is already available with Uber's chief ride-sharing competitor Lyft.
In addition to LGA and JFK, the new app feature is launching at airports around the US and a couple international locations, including Atlanta (ATL), Paris (CDG), Mexico City (MEX), Oakland (OAK), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA) and San Francisco (SFO).
Uber's Head of Product for Expansion Marcus Womack says the company wants to make the airport arrival process "as seamless and stress-free as possible," and says that more airport updates are coming soon.
Although the drop-off service at the two New York airports might be getting more streamlined, the pickup process at both LGA and JFK is still a headache. In April, LaGuardia did overhaul its process for arriving passengers meeting a for-hire car. The airport and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, working with the ride-sharing companies, opened up a floor of Terminal B's new parking garage dedicated to app-based car service pickups. But recent data from Lyft shows that passengers trying to leave the two New York City area airports face the longest rides in the US to their ultimate destination, with passengers leaving JFK facing the longest average ride time in the country.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.