Important Notice About LaGuardia Airport

We are asking our customers to remain patient when flying in and out of LaGuardia Airport.

You may not be aware that the Port Authority, at any time of the day, can decide to set up blockades to prevent vehicles from entering the arrival area.

To help alleviate this situation, we are suggesting that customers communicate with their driver upon receiving a message and if they don’t hear anything to please reach out to dispatch.

We ask for your patience and understanding while we all cope with this inconvenience.

Feel free to contact us at (203) 966-5466 with any questions and or concerns. You are important to us and we truly value your business.

Holiday Travel Survey 2019

With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, how are your fellow air travelers finding the best deals? Learn this and other travel insights from a new Offers.com survey.

Holiday travel increasing

According to AAA, in 2018 more than 50 million planned to travel more than 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving, an increase of about 5 percent year over year. And more than 100 million planned to travel for Christmas and New Year’s, an increase of about 4 percent over the year prior.

To find out more about air travelers in 2019, Offers.com surveyed more than 5,000 U.S. adults who are planning to travel between November 1, 2019, and March 30, 2020 via Google surveys. They asked respondents when they plan to travel, whether they’ve booked yet and how they prefer to shop for travel deals.

Among their findings

November is the biggest travel month for those who have already booked travel, but December is the biggest month for those who haven’t booked yet.
Half of holiday travelers booked their travel by October 1.
Most holiday and early 2020 travelers don’t plan to take advantage of Cyber Week travel deals.
80 percent of holiday travelers plan to stay in the U.S.
29 percent of Americans plan to travel from November to March.
Of those, 54 percent have already booked by October 1.

When travelers are traveling

Thanks to Thanksgiving, one-third—and the biggest contingent—of holiday travelers will hit the road or the skies in November. December is close behind:

November – 33%

December – 26%

January – 12%

February – 13%

March – 17%

Looking for deals?

There are some great travel deals to be had on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, most of those traveling for the holidays and early in the new year won’t be taking advantage of them.

Yes – 11%

No – 69%

I’m not sure – 20%

Among those who will shop travel deals during Cyber Week, they’re booking winter and early-spring getaways. Among those who might/will shop deals during Cyber Week, these are the months they are looking to book:

November – 14%

December – 24%

January – 18%

February – 20%

March – 25%

A note to Cyber Week travel shoppers: Travel deals on these days tend to be very date- and destination-specific. That can make it hard for those traveling during specific dates, but good for those who want a spontaneous getaway.

Online booking/comparison sites are top sources

Those looking for travel deals gravitate toward sites where they can easily see and compare all their options. The survey results show:

Booking sites (Hotwire, Trivago, Expedia) – 30%

Flight search sites (Google, Skyscanner) – 26%

Price-comparison engines (Kayak, Priceline) – 17%

Review sites or forums (e.g. TripAdvisor) – 13%

Airline websites – 4%

Travel agent – 1%

Other – 9%

All three of the top options are aggregators in some form. And travelers’ preferences for these types of sites are clear from the results. In fact, today it’s extremely rare that travelers turn to travel agents or specific airlines’ sites for deals.

Even though consumers’ deal-hunting behavior suggests they’re not loyal to any single airline or hotel, most of them do have travel loyalty accounts (either frequent flier accounts or hotel rewards accounts).

Friends suggest travel destinations

When it comes to choosing a destination, more than half of travelers say they turn to people they know for advice.

Recommendations from friends or relatives – 54%

Price comparison sites (e.g. Kayak) – 18%

Social media feeds (Pinterest, Instagram) – 11%

Travel lifestyle magazines or blogs – 10%

Travel/lifestyle influencers and bloggers – 9%

Travel agent – 8%

Most plan to travel domestically — and with family

For many, “home for the holidays” means staying stateside. The vast majority (80 percent) of U.S. travelers will travel within the U.S. over the holiday season, through spring break.

Because the holidays are such a family-oriented time, it’s no surprise that more than 70 percent of travelers will be traveling with family members.

Who traveling with?

With adult family members – 50%

With children – 21%

With friends – 20%

I’ll be traveling alone – 19%

With my pets – 6%

Hotels and motels are top accommodations choice

Whether because staying with family is just a bit to close for comfort, or because holiday travelers are visiting new places (instead of relatives), hotels, motels and inns are the top choice for holiday accommodations, by far:

Hotels, motels or inns – 45%

Staying with a relative or friend – 25%

House rentals (e.g. Airbnb) – 14%

Cruise or train – 7%

Camping or recreational vehicle (RV) – 4%

Other 5%

Food is the top expense for holiday travelers

Besides transportation and accommodations, food is the biggest line item in travelers’ budgets over the holidays. Still, more than one-fourth say they’ll spend money on entertainment, car rentals and souvenirs during their travels.

When you’re booking your holiday travel, let Hoyt Livery help you with all of your ground transportation at home and at your destination. We’ll get you to and from home, and all around more than 450 destinations in the U.S. and Canada. Contact us today.

Source:

Laguardia Terminal Upgrades Continue

Delta Air Lines new Terminal C is opening at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), part of an $8 billion renovation that’s pushing the entire airport closer to Grand Central Parkway.

“We had to do it—we are better than what LaGuardia is,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the recent opening celebration, referencing former US Vice President Joe Biden’s 2015 description of LGA as a third-world country.

As a result of both Biden’s brutal honesty and Cuomo’s vision, LGA—known for its threadbare atmosphere, constant delays, never-ending construction and all-round inefficiency—is undergoing a $8 billion overhaul.

First phase of Delta overhaul

The Delta concourse, more than two years in the making, is the first phase of the airline’s new $3.9 billion terminal at the airport. What began in August 2017 is slated to be finished by 2026, according to Ryan Marzullo, the airline’s managing director of corporate real estate in New York. In all, says Marzullo, the project includes four concourses connected to a headhouse, the central part of the terminal where passengers check in and go through security.

Delta is spending around $3.3 billion for the redesign, while the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is contributing a large amount as well—about $600 million.

Remake of Terminals C and D

The terminal is only one part of a massive renovation that’s pushing the entire airport closer to Grand Central Parkway. Delta is just one phase of the renovation, and not the first one either. That designation belongs to United’s new concourse B, which opened in December 2018.

The seven-gate concourse sits on the water on the eastern side of LaGuardia and boasts dramatic views of Citi Field, home of the Mets. But the new concourse has more amenities than pretty panoramas, including a nursing room and a relief room for dogs, who are increasingly popular travel companions.

In addition, all of the seats at the spacious gate areas are equipped with electrical outlets, an essential item for the modern traveler. A given at most major airports around the world, for LGA, it’s a noteworthy advancement.

Also, there’s dining.

To up LaGuardia’s dining offerings, Delta has teamed with the airport hospitality group OTG, its current partner in Terminal C and D, on five concepts including beloved New York cult brands Birch Coffee, H&H Bagels and Juice Press.

Chef Mark Iacano of Brooklyn’s legendary pizza joint Lucali, consulted on Rossi Pizzeria, a Neopolitan-style pizza spot. New Yorkers not keen on waiting hours to get a table at Lucali can queue up at Rossi for a similar taste and decidedly less hassle.

Chefs Jess Shadbolt and Clare de Boer of Soho’s King Restaurant consulted on Flatiron Tavern & Provisions’ menu of burgers, fish and chops.

“I’m encouraged to see the old terminals finally being replaced,” says Larry Studdiford, the founder of Studdiford Technical Solutions, an airport security and baggage systems consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia. “It’s time to upgrade the facilities with amenities and operational technologies that meet the demands of record growth in passenger numbers.”

LaGuardia’s upgrades continue to cause delays at any time of the day because Port Authority can decide to setup blockades to prevent vehicles from entering the arrival area. If you’re traveling from LaGuardia with Hoyt Livery, to help alleviate this situation, please communicate with your driver upon receiving a message and if you don’t hear anything to please reach out to dispatch. Learn more.

Source: cnn.com