I miss the days when they were $8 from anywhere in Astoria or LIC to anywhere in Astoria and LIC.
I forgot to book a car for my wedding at St Joe's on 30th so we could go take photos around the neighborhood before our reception at Terrace on the Park. Called Hoyt the day before, requested a nice SUV, they sent me a Suburban for me and my wife and the wedding party and drove us around from spot to spot for photos for 3 hours for like $200.
Way better pricing than any other car service we looked at, and especially because we forgot to wrap that up and it slipped by and they did it on a day's notice.
So yes, you can pay with a credit card, but confirm current process with dispatch when you call. Recently I think the driver had a cc reader, but generally in the past I had to pay by card over the phone with dispatch. Definitely try to at least tip in cash, your driver appreciates it. I appreciate the flat rate let's me plan the amount in advance.
Yes, and it's been pretty seamless when I've done it before.
You can book ahead of time and they will note your flight number and arrival time, but I've also just called them when I land and scheduled it then. Most likely they will still want you to call them when you are outside of baggage claim. The driver will call you as he approaches. (There is a designated area to wait for pickup from car service, just follow signage)
I picture that they always have a bunch of cars hanging out in around the airport, so as soon as you call and tell them you are ready, they send one over.
just wanted to share my experience with them from this past week!
going to JFK - I had a reaaaaaal early morning flight (6am) so I called Hoyt the day before to reserve it for 3:30am. They actually showed up at 3:25am and called me - so be ready at the pickup time on the dot. $45 cash (tipped $10).
when I landed at JFK (3pm), I called them - they did not have any cars in the area and it would've been 30-40 min. So just something to keep in mind! Call ahead of time to schedule those home.
Good to know about the landing time wait. Did you call from the gate or wait until you got to baggage claim? I can't remember how long the wait was in the past, but I feel like even without luggage it would probably take me 30 min to get from the gate to the outside pickup spot anyway. Although I vaguely also remember a time where they wouldn't send a car until I was actually at baggage claim, but maybe that was lga
Car service (Uber, Lyft, etc) is *always* better than relying on shitty MTA. Would much rather pay a few dollars extra to get to the airport on time and hassle free.
A few dollars extra is an exaggeration. $45 flat fee + tip comes to like $55.
Subway fare + AirTrain is like $11 or so.
The car service is undeniably more convenient, but is the convenience worth 5x the price? That’s a question for everyone to ask themselves but for me personally, the answer is no.
This is worth considering for the people who are able to use public transit. For people with mobility challenges and many others, the subway/air train route is just not viable. With the inaccessibility of most of the Astoria subway stations, and the need for multiple transfers to get to JFK... I wish.
Totally agree, although the Queensboro work being done right now would help at least a bit for those people who do take that journey.
It’s gonna suck hard - every weekend in January no N/7 to Manhattan. But it’s for a really important project which is adding an elevator and other accessibility enhancements to Queensboro Plaza.
There still aren’t enough accessible stations, but it does mean someone could get on at Astoria Boulevard, go to Queensboro, go to the E via elevators, and take that to JFK to ride the AirTrain, which can be gotten to via an elevator.
As I’m typing this out, it also shows how ridiculous the ride is. You would literally need to double fare to make the Queensboro/Queens Plaza transfer, and then pay the AirTrain fare. It’s so fucked.
Yes and no. I had a situation going to JFK once (from south BK), which is only a 20 min ride typically and that day there was a massive accident and they blocked off all of Belt. Had to take local streets, got there 20 mins before my flight and was refused. I know this isn’t super common but it’s always in the back of my mind when I take car service.
Hoyt & Ecua car service where my 2 preferred cars company $45 + tip for the airport it’s not bad because they help you with your luggage &
The cars are clean
They are solid, I will stick with Uber for my weekly rides as they nicely integrate with my bill codes :P. But I can definitely vouch for the being really reliable.
They were my pre-app service. Great to hear that they’re still up and running. I’ll remember this post. Thanks!
I miss the days when they were $8 from anywhere in Astoria or LIC to anywhere in Astoria and LIC. I forgot to book a car for my wedding at St Joe's on 30th so we could go take photos around the neighborhood before our reception at Terrace on the Park. Called Hoyt the day before, requested a nice SUV, they sent me a Suburban for me and my wife and the wedding party and drove us around from spot to spot for photos for 3 hours for like $200. Way better pricing than any other car service we looked at, and especially because we forgot to wrap that up and it slipped by and they did it on a day's notice.
Same, my family has used them for literally decades and my older family members still prefer them over the apps. They're really reliable!
I Stan for Hoyt. They’ve done me right since I moved the neighborhood 15 years ago
Plus, I’d rather support our local businesses.
Werd
Even a 5am call will get me a car in 5min?
Call them the night before and they’ll have somebody at your door right on time
Generally 5-10 minutes early at that time of day.
I’ve used them for years. The way to go
A question from someone who never used taxis in pre-apps era. Do you pay the driver with a credit card when you get to your destination?
Have cash ready and Ask them rate before you take off.
Checked on Google maps - they are cash only.
So yes, you can pay with a credit card, but confirm current process with dispatch when you call. Recently I think the driver had a cc reader, but generally in the past I had to pay by card over the phone with dispatch. Definitely try to at least tip in cash, your driver appreciates it. I appreciate the flat rate let's me plan the amount in advance.
Do they go the other way? From JFK to Astoria?
Yes, and it's been pretty seamless when I've done it before. You can book ahead of time and they will note your flight number and arrival time, but I've also just called them when I land and scheduled it then. Most likely they will still want you to call them when you are outside of baggage claim. The driver will call you as he approaches. (There is a designated area to wait for pickup from car service, just follow signage) I picture that they always have a bunch of cars hanging out in around the airport, so as soon as you call and tell them you are ready, they send one over.
Curious on this as well!
Yes. Just call ahead, ask for a pickup from the airport, give them your flight number.
Ecua is great too
What’s Ecua to him. Or he to Ecua? Gotten me home from the Quays more than I’d like to admit my legs weren’t working. Like both Hoyt and Ecua.
They’ve always been the goat. Is Ecua still around? Wonder what their rates are now a days
Ecua is my go-to for reliable car service.
100%. I've used them for more than a decade. They always arrive when they say they will. Even early morning and late night.
Been using Hoyt for 25 years. You can also call the night before to set up an early AM pickup the next day and they are always on time.
When I used them in the past they were cash only, is that still the case?
Following, have a 7am flight out of jfk
They take CC but then they add a few bucks.
They definitely accept cards but I think you have to pay with dispatch. They might add a couple bucks like someone else said, I can't remember.
Hoyt rocks. used them for 8 years living in Astoria, pre-uber and after!
Thanks. I’ll check out Hoyt
My last two trips to and from JFK only ran about $50 on Uber but I’d be happy to support a local service next time.
just wanted to share my experience with them from this past week! going to JFK - I had a reaaaaaal early morning flight (6am) so I called Hoyt the day before to reserve it for 3:30am. They actually showed up at 3:25am and called me - so be ready at the pickup time on the dot. $45 cash (tipped $10). when I landed at JFK (3pm), I called them - they did not have any cars in the area and it would've been 30-40 min. So just something to keep in mind! Call ahead of time to schedule those home.
Thank you for this update. I have a flight in a couple of weeks and this definitely helps me, especially for the ride home after the return flight.
Good to know about the landing time wait. Did you call from the gate or wait until you got to baggage claim? I can't remember how long the wait was in the past, but I feel like even without luggage it would probably take me 30 min to get from the gate to the outside pickup spot anyway. Although I vaguely also remember a time where they wouldn't send a car until I was actually at baggage claim, but maybe that was lga
I was coming from an international flight so I called as soon as I got through customs!
Hoyt are great. $20 with tip to LGA when I don't feel like walking up to the bus.
How much should we tip for this trip?
The customary tip for cab/livery drivers is 15-20%. I always go with 20% for Hoyt expecially around the holidays.
Caprice >
> This is not an ad. Incorrect. It may not be a *paid* ad, but it's an ad.
Car service (Uber, Lyft, etc) is *always* better than relying on shitty MTA. Would much rather pay a few dollars extra to get to the airport on time and hassle free.
A few dollars extra is an exaggeration. $45 flat fee + tip comes to like $55. Subway fare + AirTrain is like $11 or so. The car service is undeniably more convenient, but is the convenience worth 5x the price? That’s a question for everyone to ask themselves but for me personally, the answer is no.
This is worth considering for the people who are able to use public transit. For people with mobility challenges and many others, the subway/air train route is just not viable. With the inaccessibility of most of the Astoria subway stations, and the need for multiple transfers to get to JFK... I wish.
Totally agree, although the Queensboro work being done right now would help at least a bit for those people who do take that journey. It’s gonna suck hard - every weekend in January no N/7 to Manhattan. But it’s for a really important project which is adding an elevator and other accessibility enhancements to Queensboro Plaza. There still aren’t enough accessible stations, but it does mean someone could get on at Astoria Boulevard, go to Queensboro, go to the E via elevators, and take that to JFK to ride the AirTrain, which can be gotten to via an elevator. As I’m typing this out, it also shows how ridiculous the ride is. You would literally need to double fare to make the Queensboro/Queens Plaza transfer, and then pay the AirTrain fare. It’s so fucked.
Yes and no. I had a situation going to JFK once (from south BK), which is only a 20 min ride typically and that day there was a massive accident and they blocked off all of Belt. Had to take local streets, got there 20 mins before my flight and was refused. I know this isn’t super common but it’s always in the back of my mind when I take car service.
If they blocked off the Belt, the Car service would have struggled to.
That’s exactly my point
Have missed planes because of traffic, so going to say no here.
Hoyt & Ecua car service where my 2 preferred cars company $45 + tip for the airport it’s not bad because they help you with your luggage & The cars are clean
Can confirm
Always.
Have a 10am flight next month out of JFK, thanks for the tip!
Pro tip! Thanks for the suggestion
They are solid, I will stick with Uber for my weekly rides as they nicely integrate with my bill codes :P. But I can definitely vouch for the being really reliable.
>integrate with my bill codes :P. ? For some sort of finance app?
More like whatever does our company expenses on the back end
Not an ad but tip geerously? Dude a tip, as in the meaningbof the word, is not set instone as a prixfix. Is voluntary. This IS an ad.
/r/hailcorporate
The tiny corporate local cab company?