Super Shuttle in PHX really works!

ByGrace Alexander

Invalid request error occurred.I take SuperShuttle periodically because I won’t need a car at my destination or I’m traveling with enough coworkers that it doesn’t make sense for me to have a car. (Heck, I took Bart/AC Transit a couple weeks ago!)

Super Shuttle vs Taxi vs public transit

I try to avoid public transit with luggage as a courtesy to other passengers, but with Google Maps it is easy to route plan so I do use it if it is convenient and I have cash. A taxi is always more convenient because it will take you away right away and you get to your hotel without any stops along the way.  This is usually also 2-3x more than a shared-ride service.  The past few times I took Super Shuttle in LGA I was the dead last stop on a van of 15 passengers resulting in ~2 hours of transit instead of less than 30 (in traffic) in a taxi.  I stopped taking SuperShuttle there and opt for a taxi, especially with NYC’s easy credit card readers these days.

in BWI I’ve tried a mix of SuperShuttle, light rail, and taxis.  Taxis run ~$50 while Super Shuttle was $13 and I was usually the first drop off/last pickup.  I was told to never ride the light rail again by locals so I stopped that.  It also required walking a few blocks after getting off at my stop which is annoying with rain or bad weather.

I took Super Shuttle from LAX to my hotel a few weeks ago, but since I had a meeting that I wasn’t sure when it would end and Super Shuttle isn’t good for last minute TO the airport (but are fine with last minute FROM the airport) I took a cab instead.  Gasp!  It was $16 with Super Shuttle to my hotel and it was $95 from my meeting to LAX!  Quite a difference!

So fast forward to this week.  I booked Super Shuttle since I couldn’t coordinate times and I didn’t want to hang out at PHX for hours.  I’m also grateful I wasn’t hanging around when the Southwest plane diverted here!  $16 each way and the drivers didn’t drive like maniacs.  I always buckle up out of habit, but it was nice to not have to white knuckle it.  The vans also didn’t sound like they were on their last leg like the ones in LGA and BWI did (please note, I haven’t taken SS from either airport for a couple years due to changes in travel plans so they may have upgraded their equipment).

6 Comments

  1. I’ve had great experiences with SuperShuttle in some areas such as Sacramento, Austin, Texas and San Francisco. You can’t beat the cost savings and convenience over taxi service. But my experience in NYC to LGA last December was a nightmare, and it has bittered me on the service overall. My pickup time was at 5 a.m. – four hours before my flight, we were packed in like sardines, and I get an accidental automated call at 4 a.m. stating that the shuttle will be picking me up in 5 minutes. I won’t use SuperShuttle there again.

    1. I agree, Denny. I never took a SuperShuttle out of LGA that wasn’t completely full and no matter where I was staying on manhattan I was always the last dropped off. If you have a limited budget it can make sense. I just try to “spend it like it’s my own” and for personal travel I don’t take SS in LGA anymore opting for the bus if i have cash and a cab if I don’t.

  2. I prefer taking it from the airport instead of to, since when you take it to the airport, the pick-up is way earlier than I’d rather leave. Used it a few times to get to downtown San Diego hotels which was reasonable considering the airport is also near downtown. In Denver, I came in late in an evening and they were only scheduling shuttles once an hour and I didn’t want to wait 50 minutes.

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