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Newark, LaGuardia Ranked Among Most Expensive Airports in U.S.

Newark, LaGuardia Ranked Among Most Expensive Airports in U.S.

(Bloomberg) -- If you’ve got a flight from LaGuardia, Newark or JFK, there’s a chance you’ve paid more for the ride to the airport than you did on the plane ticket.

That’s according to a new ranking by the website Points Guy, which used the cost of airfare, a cab, parking, baggage carts and a cup of coffee to declare all three New York City-area airports the most expensive in the nation.

Newark Liberty International topped the list, John F. Kennedy was No. 2 and LaGuardia ranked fifth. Dulles International near Washington and San Francisco International rounded out the top 5.

An Uber ride from Newark to midtown Manhattan set travelers back more than $130. Judged solely by ride-hailing costs, Newark, JFK and LaGuardia are the three most-expensive airports in the U.S.

LaGuardia has the most expensive Smarte Cartes ($6.39 each) and cup of coffee ($3.10), and one of the steepest overnight-parking fees ($39). The airport is in the midst of a multiyear expansion that has some passengers spending more time waiting for or riding in an Uber than on a flight from New York to Washington.

Parking maxed out at $40 for 24 hours at Los Angeles International and Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports.

The editors of ThePointsGuy.com suggest paying a little more for a flight that departs or arrives ahead of rush hour to avoid congested-pricing surcharges.

“Sometimes it might actually be cheaper to pay $10 more per ticket in order to save much more on a taxi or food at the airport,” said Scott Mayerowitz, executive editorial director at the website, which tracks travel rewards programs and publishes travel advice.

On the flip side, the most-affordable airports are in two major hubs of U.S. tourism: Las Vegas and Orlando.

The 10 Most Expensive Airports of 2019

1. Newark Liberty International (EWR) (Newark, New Jersey)

2. John F. Kennedy International (JFK) (New York City)

3. Dulles International (IAD) (Dulles, Virginia)

4. San Francisco International (SFO) (San Francisco)

5. LaGuardia (LGA) (New York City)

6. Salt Lake City International (SLC) (Salt Lake City)

7. George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) (Houston)

8. Philadelphia International (PHL) (Philadelphia)

9. Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) (Charlotte, North Carolina)

10. Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) (Hennepin County, Minnesota)

To contact the reporter on this story: Hailey Waller in New York at hwaller@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, Steve Geimann, Matthew G. Miller

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.