Landing at LaGuardia Airport

What LGA is like

LaGuardia is mostly a domestic airport, so most people arriving have already flown in from somewhere else in the United States rather than stepping off an intercontinental flight. The terminals have been rebuilt over the past few years and are now bright and straightforward to move through, a long way from the airport's old reputation. Its real advantage is how close it is to the city. The trade-off is that it has no rail line of its own.

On arrival

If you have flown in domestically your line is already working from before departure, and there is no immigration step to think about. For the smaller number of international arrivals that do land here, the process is noticeably shorter than at the city's two big gateways. Coming off the baggage belt, decide how you are leaving before you walk out of the doors, because the kerb outside is narrow and cars cannot wait long. Open the ride app while you are still standing inside, then walk to whatever pick-up point it names. The short distance to the city means a slow booking costs you more of the journey than the ride itself does.

How far the airport Wi-Fi gets you

The new buildings carry Wi-Fi that is faster than people expect, but it follows the usual American pattern: a sign-in page with an advertisement, then a portion of time. In practice most people here use it while waiting to depart rather than on arrival, because arrivals get out of the building quickly. The place with no coverage at all is the island where cars pull in, which happens to be exactly where you need to speak to a driver.

Getting into town

No train reaches the terminals here, so the ways out are taxis, app-booked cars, and buses that connect to subway stations in Queens. The distance into Manhattan is much shorter than from the city's other airports, but the time depends entirely on the bridges and expressways, and on a weekday evening it can take as long as coming from somewhere further away. This leg uses little data because it is short, though you should leave room for a map with live traffic and for a call to the driver, which is normal here because the pick-up points are not obvious. If you are taking a bus to the subway, load the route before you leave the building. Once you are on the subway, the tunnels will interrupt you as usual.

What people ask about this airport

• Book from inside — The kerb is narrow and cars cannot linger, so order the ride while you are still inside and walk out to meet it.
• Close is not fast — The distance is short but the route crosses bridges and expressways that clog in the evening, so keep a buffer.
• The subway needs a bus first — If you want the cheaper subway route, check the connecting bus in the app before you step outside.