Want to know how much a taxi from JFK to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn costs? According to my partner, who just landed in the city, it’s over $100.
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For context, the distance between New York City’s largest international airport and its cross-town neighborhood is 13 miles. The drive takes about one hour.
Again, this taxi ride costs over $100 (including tip), which rounds out to $7.60 a mile. (Welcome to New York.)
But that’s in a yellow taxi—not a private rideshare like Lyft.
For whatever reason, JFK’s rideshare apps weren’t loading after my partner’s plane landed. After waiting around twenty minutes, my partner called it a day and hopped into a city taxi.
If you’ve been following my airport resources content, then you already know that booking a rideshare ahead of time is one of the most seamless ways to save time and money on airport transportation. That’s doubly true during the holidays when airports are at their busiest and flights at their priciest.
Lucky for us, the great minds at Lyft have scoured the data to determine the best airports in the US when it comes to ground transportation and rideshares.
Data study & metrics
This year’s Lyft Airport Report takes a close look at the rideshare’s annual data and public data related to airports, ground transportation, and other metrics that create a more seamless, integrated airport experience.
To name a few: download speed, TSA wait time, the cost of a bag of Chex Mix, and cancellation rates.
Using this type of data, Lyft determined the most convenient airports, the most affordable, the most efficient, the best amenities, and the best overall airport.
But let’s stick to the list that implicates rideshare apps like Lyft the most: According to their latest studies, which airports are the easiest to get to?
The easiest airports to get to according to Lyft
The average American spends 26 minutes in a car to reach the airport. By contrast, public transportation can take up to 41 minutes from a city center.
In terms of waiting for a pickup, Americans wait an average of nine minutes at US airports. That time might be as low as six minutes for locations that have specific rideshare pickup spots.
Okay, now onto the fun stuff. Here are the easiest airports to get to according to Lyft, in order of speed.
AUS – Austin
- Rideshare commute: 21 minutes
- Public transit commute: 35 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 6 minutes
SLC – Salt Lake City
- Rideshare commute: 19 minutes
- Public transit commute: 25 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 8 minutes
BOS – Boston
- Rideshare commute: 21 minutes
- Public transit commute: 20 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 8 minutes
BNA – Nashville
- Rideshare commute: 18 minutes
- Public transit commute: 30 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 8 minutes
ATL – Atlanta
- Rideshare commute: 26 minutes
- Public transit commute: 20 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 7 minutes
SAN – San Diego
- Rideshare commute: 20 minutes
- Public transit commute: 25 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 9 minutes
LGA – New York City
- Rideshare commute: 28 minutes
- Public transit commute: 30 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 6 minutes
PHX – Phoenix
- Rideshare commute: 20 minutes
- Public transit commute: 30 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 9 minutes
DCA – Washington DC
- Rideshare commute: 19 minutes
- Public transit commute: 40 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 9 minutes
MSP – Minneapolis
- Rideshare commute: 20 minutes
- Public transit commute: 35 minutes
- Wait time for pickup: 10 minutes
