A flight arriving at MacArthur Airport
here are three airports servicing the NY metro and Long Island (LI) area. Depending on your starting point and means of transportation, you may find one preferable to others. Carpooling is greatly encouraged as there is virtually no public transportation on LI. When doing flight searches on sites like Orbitz and Travelocity, you can plug in “NYC” and see which airport has the best deals. Remember that some airlines, such as Southwest, do not participate on those sites.
The options:
MacArthur Airport: The only airport actually located out on Long Island, it is the most convenient and least difficult to navigate having only one terminal! The Wingate Hotel, Hampton Inn Hotel and La Quinta Hotel all offer free shuttle services to this airport. Alternatively, you can take a cab or rent a car. The major drawback is that it only services a few airlines: Southwest, Delta, Northwest and US Airways.
LaGuardia Airport: Most domestic flights come through LaGuardia Airport in Queens, NY. The major drawback of this airport is that there is no public transportation other than a few shuttles/buses into Manhattan. To travel to LI, a rental car is recommended. A cab ride to the Jamaica Long Island Railroad (LIRR) station is moderately pricey ($25-35) but from the station you can take the LIRR to the Deer Park station where shuttles from the Wingate Hotel and Hampton Inn Hotel provide free shuttle service.
John F. Kennedy Airport:. Mainly used for international flights, but some domestic flights come into JFK almost exclusively, most notably Jet Blue. JFK also has an AirTrain that leads directly to Jamaica station, where you can transfer directly to the LIRR. Take the LIRR to Deer Park station, where you can catch free shuttles to the Wingate Hotel and Hampton Inn Hotel. Renting a car and driving from here is not that bad, either.
And for the sake of completeness:
Newark International Airport: The black sheep of the NY metro airports, Newark is actually in New Jersey. It’s a hike, as you’ll need to take the Airtrain to the NJ Transit station, take that to Penn Station where you catch the LIRR to Deer Park station to catch the free shuttle to the Wingate or Hampton Inn Hotel. Driving from NJ is also painful. But sometimes you can get some great deals on flights.
| Airport | Distance (Driving) | Public Transportation Available | Car Rental Recommended? | Driving Maps to Hotels |
| MacArthur | close (20 min) | hotel shuttles, cabs | useful, not necessary |
MacArthur to Wingate Hotel MacArthur to Hampton Inn Hotel MacArthur to Bay Shore Inn |
| LaGuardia | moderate (50 min) | cab to LIRR Deer Park station (hotel shuttle pickup) | recommended |
LaGuardia to Wingate Inn Hotel LaGuardia to Hampton Inn Hotel LaGuardia to Bay Shore Inn |
| JFK | moderate (50 min) | airtrain to LIRR Deer Park station (hotel shuttle pickup) | useful, not necessary |
JFK to Wingate Hotel JFK to Hampton Inn Hotel JFK to Bay Shore Inn |
| Newark | far (90 min) | airtrain to NJ transit to LIRR Deer Park station (hotel shuttle pickup) | good luck |
Newark to Wingate Hotel Newark to Hampton Inn Hotel Newark to Bayshore Inn |