Simple questions for those who know how to fly from Boston to LaGuardia

August 7, 2024 5:19 PM

Next Friday I'll be at Logan Airport, looking to fly on one of the major (comfortable) carriers from Boston to New York/LGA. The wrinkle is that I don't know exactly when I'll be able to leave Boston, so I can't make a reservation.

What are the chances I can show up at the airport and get on a flight without a reservation, without a long delay?

Do they still have unlimited-capacity Air-Shuttles where you just walk on?

Will I run into a steep penalty if I do make a reservation, and then have to change it (fly either earlier or later)?

Is there a big discount for reserving in advance, i.e., a penalty for buying a ticket at the airport?

I realize this question is extremely elementary but I'm lacking spoons and I hope y'all can spare a moment and give me some quick answers.

posted by JimN2TAW to Travel & Transportation (15 answers total)

Best answer: What are the chances I can show up at the airport and get on a flight without a reservation, without a long delay?

On a summer non-holiday Friday the odds are reasonably good that there will be availability -- Friday is not one of the heavy business travel days and August 9 (or 16) is not a holiday.

This is, of course, assuming "operations as normal" -- all bets are off if there are major storms, another Crowdstrike-like incident, or any other major disruptions of that nature.

Do they still have unlimited-capacity Air-Shuttles where you just walk on?

Delta still operates "shuttles" but fundamentally it's mostly marketing and they're not that different from other flights. The main difference is the high frequency, short check-in time, gate predictability and in some cases free snacks. But you still have to book it, provide passenger information and buy a ticket for a particular flight (it's not like a bus where you can just walk on).

Will I run into a steep penalty if I do make a reservation, and then have to change it (fly either earlier or later)?

Since COVID, all mainline US carriers -- Delta, American, United and also Southwest and JetBlue, but NOT Spirit or Frontier -- do not have change or cancellation fees on itineraries starting in the US, even for nonrefundable tickets, as long as you do NOT book Basic Economy.

This means that if you make a reservation and have to change it, you do not get charged any change fees. Keep in mind only the FEE is waived -- not the fare difference. In other words, if you buy a $200 ticket and need to change at the last minute to a $250 ticket, you still have to pay the $50 fare difference.

If your new ticket is less (say $150), you will get a credit for the difference on that airline (e.g. $50) that is typically good for a year.

Is there a big discount for reserving in advance, i.e., a penalty for buying a ticket at the airport?

Two things on this:

First, in this day and age, assuming normal operations*, you should if at all possible be prepared to book the ticket yourself online, whether that's via a computer or a phone. There is very little advantage to waiting in line at the airport to have an agent buy the ticket for you. If they can buy a flight (especially a straightforward one-way domestic US flight) you can buy the flight yourself -- e.g. I can at this very moment (8:45pm on Friday) book a ticket myself on Delta's website for tonight's 10:30pm flight departing JFK for Paris.

*If things are fucked up because of terrible weather, IT failures, etc., in some cases an agent can work things for you that you can't do yourself. But in many cases they can still only see the availability that you yourself can see.

Second, yes, last minute tickets are expensive, because in the large majority of cases the only people who fly last minute are (1) business travelers who don't care about the cost, because their company is paying for it or (2) "leisure" travelers who absolutely have to travel that day and are pretty cost-insensitive.

For example, right now all flights tomorrow (August 8) from BOS to LGA on Delta are minimum $200 each way. Even just a week out, there are plenty of $100 tickets available, half the price.

***

If I were you, I would make a reasonable guess at when you think you might leave and book a NON-Basic Economy Delta ticket for BOS-LGA that day, right now. When the day comes, either:

- You realize you can make that flight so you keep the reservation, or

- You realize you have to take a later flight, and change to that flight**. You will almost certainly end up paying the fare difference, but if this happens you won't be any worse off than if you had waited to buy the ticket at the last minute anyway.

**Important: you have to make the change before your original flight leaves. If you wait until your original flight leaves, you typically lose the entire value of the ticket.
posted by andrewesque at 5:56 PM on August 7 [8 favorites]

Best answer: Both JetBlue and Delta (and possibly other airlines that fly BOS-LGA) have fare classes that allow for same-day changes for no charge. Buy a ticket for the latest possible flight you think you'll take, then change it the day of if you end up being able to leave early. Delta has flights every hour, JetBlue like every 2-3 hours.

It will generally cost A LOT more to buy a same-day ticket, plus you're often subject to additional security screening. You could probably buy two fully-refundable tickets (e.g. one each for Delta and JetBlue) today for less than the price of a same-day ticket purchased next Friday.
posted by mskyle at 6:01 PM on August 7 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Specifically regarding your 2nd question — none of the shuttle providers guarantees a seat for walk-ups anymore (the practice of making another plane immediately available if a flight gets overbooked). Delta was the last one to offer that and they stopped doing it in the mid 2000s.
posted by theory at 6:15 PM on August 7 [3 favorites]

OK, I'll be the first to admit that this isn't what you're asking for, but I've got another suggestion. Once upon a time I used to travel between Boston and NYC a lot, and by the time you factor in getting to the airport on time, going through security, etc, the time delta between taking the train and flying was not particularly significant but the train was *far* more comfortable and significantly less stressful.
posted by Runes at 6:29 PM on August 7 [25 favorites]

Came here to second the idea of taking the Amtrak. On that route it's nearly as fast, door to door, as flying, and as Runes said above WAY more comfortable. Depending on where you're going in NYC, it's also got the advantage of dropping you right in the middle of the city, bypassing having to get a taxi in if you're staying somewhere in Manhattan that's on a subway line. It's at least worth a look!
posted by griffey at 6:34 PM on August 7 [8 favorites]

The train takes 3 1/2 hours and leaves from the city(South Stn) and arrives in the city(designator NYP, Moynihan Stn is across from Penn Stn), and it's pleasant. The Acela is faster. It uses less fossil fuel, too.
posted by theora55 at 7:30 PM on August 7 [4 favorites]

We used to make this drive often, but with Wormtown or NH as the other side of the trip. Could you rent a car and drive?

Beyond that, I don't fly much these days but after a terrible flight on some other airline back in 2016, I will only fly Jetblue if I have to or want to. I once missed a flight from FLA to Logan and they just put me on the next plane, an hour and a half later, no questions asked. I was amazed.
posted by vrakatar at 8:41 PM on August 7

As a former quite frequent Boston-NYC traveler, I strongly agree with the suggestions to seriously consider taking the Acela instead.
posted by Perplexity at 8:49 PM on August 7 [2 favorites]

nth-ing that Amtrak is the better way to go from Boston to New York. About the same time, less stress, and actually takes you to the city vs LGA.
posted by zippy at 11:54 PM on August 7

As a former frequent BOS-NYC traveler, I 100% agree with everyone who says the train will be a much better experience, especially if your final destination is Manhattan or the Bronx. The seats are wider and more comfortable, there are no middle seats, you can get up and walk around, there's a quiet car, you don't have to deal with TSA liquid limits, and you're leaving from downtown Boston to arrive in downtown Manhattan. But for a Friday Amtrak departure, book now, and make sure you buy a Flex fare which lets you change your itinerary as necessary, as opposed to a Value fare which does not. Note the Acela will be 30-45 minutes faster than the Northeast Regional because it makes fewer stops.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 12:13 AM on August 8 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Just fyi. Delta has a flight every hour until. 9pm today from bos to kga and only the 8am flight (I'm writing this at 735am) isn't available. Most tickets are $199. You might not know today, but you'll know sometime before you arrive at bos your arrival time. You should absolutely be able to grab a delta ticket day of with little issue or penalty.
posted by chasles at 4:36 AM on August 8

How does the train look if the OP's destination is on Long Island? Per Google, a bus ride from Grand Central to either LGA or Jamaica (for the LIRR) takes an hour. Taxi/Lyft would be half the time.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:59 AM on August 8

Another vote for Amtrak.

Depending on where you're going in NYC, it's also got the advantage of dropping you right in the middle of the city, bypassing having to get a taxi in if you're staying somewhere in Manhattan that's on a subway line.

And with Amtrak, the inverse can also be true in Boston. If you're already out in the suburbs, you can stay away from the city and board at Route 128 Station. Both Acela and the Northeast Regionals stop there, and it's right off the highway with ample long term parking.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:32 AM on August 8

Best answer: I wouldn't count on getting a flight last-minute if it involves NYC airports in the itinerary right now. I hear this is because of lingering complications from the most recent hurricane and the whole CrowdStrike thing. I couldn't get one out of NYC on Sunday, and the person in line in front of me when I therefore had to rent a car was renting a car so she could drive to Boston, because she couldn't get a flight either. This included all NYC-area airports, including LGA, JFK, and EWR. I know multiple other people who had to drive to other cities to actually be able to book a flight at all. Amtrak's Acela is the way right now.
posted by limeonaire at 5:40 AM on August 8

Response by poster: Thanks for your help, friends.
posted by JimN2TAW at 6:28 AM on August 8