Sunday, August 5, 2018

Scheduled Pickup Times

Scheduling a pickup time can be a hassle, especially if you aren't completely familiar with the traffic and travel patterns of the local area. At Merrick Taxi and Airport Service, we would like to educate you on the best practices of getting picked up and calling for transportation to any event you may have going on in and around the Long Island area.

First off, I would like to show you how we come up with the data provided here - its not pulled out of thin air, but rather a closely studied project to help us provide you with the best service possible.

If you have a domestic flight out of JFK, I would recommend leaving the local area (Merrick NY 11566, Bellmore NY 11710, East Meadow NY 11554, Uniondale NY 11553, Roosevelt NY 11575, Freeport NY 11520 and Point Lookout NY 11569) 2 1/2 hours before your flight. This allows you one (1) hour for the road (The southern state parkway due to its windiness and slopes can get severely backed up) You may try to calculate the route on your Google Maps or Waze and see a shorter time (it usually shows 28 to 35 minutes for a 19 to 22 mile trip) but those numbers could be misleading, especially during morning and evening rush hour, when the roads are twice as jammed. Even if you believe the road will be clear for the time you booked you ride for, those pickup times still apply. This is because Long Island traffic is so unpredictable and we really want to help you avoid any and all traffic if necessary.

For the same reason, I would strongly suggest leaving 3 hours before a LaGuardia flight from the same said area. LaGuardia is roughly 29 to 33 miles away from Merrick NY and located in an area that is particularly hectic at most times, even late into the night. Again, your Google Maps or Waze might tell you under an hour to get there, but for all of our years in the Long Island Transportation industry, unless you live at the Nassau/Queens border in towns like Great Neck NY, New Hyde Park NY, Lake Success NY, Bellrose NY, Floral Park NY, Elmont NY, Valley Stream NY, not all the way in the five towns, YOU WILL NOT MAKE IT TO LAGUARDIA AIRPORT FROM MERRICK NY IN LESS THAN AN HOUR!!!!! Leaving 3 hours between your scheduled pickup time and your flight helps you beat whatever scenario is thrown at you and will guarantee you arriving at your destination in a timely manner.

This brings us to our third option for an airport out of the greater Merrick Long Island area, Islip MacArthur Airport (ISP) Even though Islip MacArthur Airport is located further away from Merrick geographically speaking (roughly 30 to 33 miles according to Google Maps or Waze) It is more convenient to Merrick NY 11566 than the other two airports. This is because when you ride to Islip MacArthur Airport, it is located to the East of Merrick NY and not to the west. You get more of a stretch on Sunrise Highway, which is straighter shot than the Southern State Parkway, and other than a pocket or two, MUCH LESS TRAFFIC AND HASSLE. For this reason, I always recommend booking your flight out of Islip MacArthur Airport if you can to save yourself the stress and hassle of trying to get a flight out of JFK or LaGuardia Airport

That leads us to our 4th option for a flight, the least feasible option for those that live on Long Island, and that is Newark Liberty Airport, which according to Google Maps and Waze is 50 to 56 miles away from Merrick depending on the route necessary to complete the trip in a timely manner. This puts you right in the middle of all the chaos of New York City, making you have to choose between going through Manhattan (the worst choice of the 3 but the least amount of miles), Queens, Brookyn and Staten Island (slightly more miles but less traffic and a toll) and having to travel through the Bronx (could be either the worst route or the best, depending on the time of day, and and at least two mandatory tolls, so that must be factored into your decision. The taxi fare from Merrick NY 11566 to Newark is also very high. Merrick Taxi And Airport Service charges $205 for a basic sedan, $225 for  a minivan or a crossover or $245 for a full size SUV. That is more than 3 times the price for a similar ride booked to JFK Airport. You also must leave no less than 4 1/2 hours before your flight on a good day flying domestic.

No matter which way you decide on flying, please allow the professionals at Merrick Taxi and Airport Service guide you to making the best decision for our travel in and around Long Island, as were a 24 hour operation for your convenience.