InfoForNYC.com » Travel http://www.infofornyc.com/blog Blog for InfoForNYC.com, a superior site search for info on NYC / Manhattan Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:33:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Dishonesty & Scams – Taxis to and from JFK http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/dishonesty-taxis-to-and-from-jfk/ http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/dishonesty-taxis-to-and-from-jfk/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:22:27 +0000 infofornyc http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/?p=29 I’ve had too many bad experiences taking taxis to JFK.

Here’s the scoop for Manhattan. Any trip between JFK and Manhattan (whether to or from) is a flat fee of $45 (as of 8/18/2009; latest info here: Taxi pricing). The only extra is tolls for bridges but if you take Queensboro Bridge, there is no toll although that might not be the best one depending on where you are going.

Most common scams:
- Not setting the fixed fee on the meter and then giving you a hard time when you want to use a credit card at the end of the ride
- Saying there is a surcharge for you if you use a credit card

My advice:
- Avoid the trouble and use a car service which is only a few bucks more: Carmel #1 Car and Limousine Service in America – Best Service for the Lowest Price

- If you use a taxi, tell them up front that you are using a credit card and they should set the flat fee
- Call 311 and get help from the taxi hotline

During my last trip, once again, the driver didn’t turn on the flat fee and drove without the meter. It has happened to me before, and I just tell them at the end that I’m using a card. This time though, at the end, he insisted that there was a surcharge for using the card. I fly once a month. I know how it works, but I guess he thought I was some tourist. Infuriating. He wasted my time, but I called his bluff and dialed 311. I got the person to tell them what we all already knew. Flat fee of $45 plus tolls and that’s it.

There are honest taxi drivers, but I have seen some pretty dishonest drivers as well. Aside from airport runs, sometimes you may want to whip out your GPS for you iPhone or GPS enabled folks to make sure you’re not taken for a ride. Use technology to your advantage. For airport runs though, it is a flat fee so don’t worry too much about that.

]]> http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/dishonesty-taxis-to-and-from-jfk/feed/ 0 Penn Station – Information http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/penn-station-information/ http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/penn-station-information/#comments Tue, 26 Dec 2006 04:23:46 +0000 infofornyc http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/?p=21 Happy Holidays everyone!

One of our popular searches is about Penn Station, but there aren’t too many good pages gathering all the necessary information so we decided to create one to help you out. This can be found here: http://www.infofornyc.com/travel/penn_station_new_york.html

Leave a comment and let us know what you think or what other kinds of info you need.

Thanks!

]]> http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/penn-station-information/feed/ 0 Kayak – Best Way to Search for Flights, Hotels, and Cars http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/kayak-best-way-to-search-for-flights-hotels-and-cars/ http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/kayak-best-way-to-search-for-flights-hotels-and-cars/#comments Mon, 02 Oct 2006 05:27:13 +0000 infofornyc http://www.infofornyc.com/blog/?p=15 When you use it, the service speaks for itself. Basically the site scans a whole bunch of travel sites for the best price and let’s you find the one that fits your schedule and price best. Then, you can click on the result to get sent directly to the site to buy tickets at the cheapest price. Try it below. I have also included a more lengthy description underneath. Enjoy!



“Co-founders of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia created Kayak.com to provide consumers with more comprehensive travel options in one place. The site searches more than 100 different travel sites and provides real-time prices and availability for hundreds of airlines, 103,000 hotels and all leading rental car companies. Kayak.com displays more choices of available itinerary/price combinations than any other travel site. Kayak.com even offers consumer comments and professional reviews to assist with trip planning decisions.

Kayak.com is a travel search engine or “meta-search site” and not a retailer, so the site does not sell anything. Kayak.com is especially helpful because it links travelers directly to the airlines, hotels and rental car companies to make their reservations, which means users avoid paying the high service fees charged by online agencies and benefit from incentives offered on supplier sites such as reward points, upgrades, etc. “

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