I’m flying to New York for work soon, but my boss let me bring my wife along, so it’s sort of a mini-vacation. We’ll be arriving at JFK exhausted after a long flight, with a bunch of suitcases, and we’ve booked a hotel right in the heart of Manhattan. Dragging our luggage through the subway with transfers at Jamaica is definitely not an option, and regular yellow taxis scare me with their long lines and confusing extra charges for tips and tolls during rush hour.

For those who’ve made it to downtown before, can you tell me if it’s actually possible to get a comfortable car with a fixed price, so the driver meets us right at the terminal with a sign? And if we get stuck in traffic somewhere on the East River Bridge, will that fixed price stay the same? Traffic in New York is unpredictable, and I don’t want to see an astronomical amount on the meter instead of the quoted price when we arrive.

Congratulations on your trip! New York is awesome. We flew this route last year, too. To avoid standing in a long line for official taxis on the street, we booked a transfer through GetTransfer before we left. I highly recommend it. The price is locked in at the time of booking and won't increase, even if you're stuck in traffic in Midtown. A polite driver met us at the terminal and helped with our luggage. So finally, for trips across the U.S., we found a great service where you can choose a minivan or sedan yourself, and the car had excellent Wi-Fi. If you decide to book, search for taxi from JFK to Times Square on their website. This will show you all the available cars from local carriers with reviews. Which hotel are you staying at, and what time does your flight arrive? If it's Friday evening, it's best to allow extra time for the trip.