I arrived at JFK at 1 AM.
If you choose the cheap option at this point,
you almost always arrive later.
This is not a money issue.
This choice decides whether tonight ends here or keeps dragging on.
Q. Why does arriving at night feel so different? What makes it different from daytime?
A.
In the daytime, it is okay to get something wrong. Trains come often, and there are many people around, so even if you head the wrong way, you can correct it quickly.
But late at night is different.
I once arrived at 1 AM and chose the subway. I got off the AirTrain and tried to transfer, but there were more than 20 minutes left until the next train. From that moment, it stopped being travel and became waiting.
Then I missed one transfer, and 30 minutes were added immediately. I spent more time trying to find the right direction again, and I had to keep standing, keep moving.
By the time I finally got to the hotel, it was 3 AM.
That day was not just delayed. It was a state where the day had already fallen apart before it could even begin.
So this is what I do. At night, I do not choose options that need recovery if something goes wrong.
Q. Still, the subway is so cheap. Is it really something worth giving up?
A.
At first, it looks that way. If it costs about 10 dollars, of course it seems like the right choice.
But in reality, it plays out differently.
If you get it wrong once, 30 minutes are added. If you get it wrong twice, more than an hour is added immediately.
And on top of that, you still have to keep moving. You have to carry your luggage, check directions, and keep making decisions.
And that is not the end of it.
In the end, if you get too delayed, you take a taxi anyway.
You started by trying to save 10 dollars,
but in the end you spend money twice by taking a taxi again.
So this is what I do. At night, I do not choose the cheaper option.
Q. Isn’t Uber or a ride service the middle option?
A.
A lot of people think that.
But at night, the price keeps changing.
If international arrivals pile up or the weather turns bad, the price jumps immediately.
I have personally seen a fare that was 60 dollars turn into 90 dollars just a few minutes later.
The problem is the moment you start hesitating.
If you lose timing while comparing prices,
you end up paying more anyway.
So this is what I do. At night, I do not waste time comparing prices.
Q. Then why is a taxi a good option? Isn’t it just expensive?
A.
It is expensive. That part is true.
But it is fixed.
Once you get in, you go right away.
No transfers.
No waiting.
When I take a taxi at night, it usually takes about 45 minutes.
With the subway, if things go wrong, it goes past 2 hours.
This is not just a simple time difference.
It is a difference in condition.
A taxi is a choice where you spend money and lock in the result,
and the subway is a choice where you save money and leave the result open.
At night, once the result is left open, it almost always turns into a loss.
So this is what I do. At night, I choose the option that fixes the time.
Q. What should you do if you have a lot of luggage or you are with family?
A.
There is no need to think about it.
If you have a lot of luggage, the movement itself becomes stressful. Stairs, transfers, platforms, all of it becomes a burden.
If you are with family, the impact of getting it wrong even once becomes much bigger.
I once chose the subway on a family trip, and everyone got exhausted and the whole schedule fell apart.
What I realized then was simple.
This is not a transportation issue. It is a risk issue.
So this is what I do. If I have a lot of luggage or I am with family, I take a taxi right away.
Q. So what is the conclusion?
A.
The answer is already there.
If you arrive after midnight,
almost every option with transfers gets tangled up.
The subway is cheap but uncertain.
Uber has unstable pricing.
A taxi is expensive but fixed.
This is not about preference. It is about outcome.
So this is what I do.
If this is your situation, do not overthink it. Just take a taxi.
Publication date
2026-04-21
