Airport shuttle buses are the cheapest way into town at many airports, and at some they are free. Los Angeles International's FlyAway bus to Union Station costs US$12.75 one way, Montreal's 747 bus to downtown costs C$11.25, and Boston's Silver Line SL1 from Logan is free. A pre-booked private car costs more, from US$120 to US$170 in a business sedan on those three routes, but it carries the whole group for one price and leaves when you do.
So the honest answer depends on who is travelling and with what. For one person with a carry-on, the bus usually wins. For a family of four with suitcases, or anyone arriving late, the comparison narrows quickly and often flips. The sections below set out the official numbers, the waiting and luggage realities, and when each option is the right call.
Is an airport shuttle bus cheaper than a private car?
Per person, almost always: airport buses cost from nothing to about US$13 a head, while a private sedan costs from about US$120 for the whole car. For three or more people with luggage, a late arrival or a destination away from the bus terminus, the gap narrows, and the private car often wins on time, comfort and certainty.
The word shuttle covers several different services, and they behave differently. Public airport express buses run on a timetable to a fixed downtown stop. Hotel courtesy shuttles run between the terminal and one hotel. Shared-ride vans collect several parties and drop them at different addresses. A private car goes straight from the terminal to your door with only your group on board.
Three airport buses, with the official numbers
LAX FlyAway. Los Angeles World Airports runs the FlyAway bus between every LAX terminal and Union Station or Van Nuys. Its fares and tickets page lists a one-way fare of US$12.75, and two children under five ride free with each paying adult. Passengers board on the Lower/Arrivals Level at the blue FlyAway columns outside each terminal.
Montreal 747. The Société de transport de Montréal runs the 747 bus between YUL Montréal-Trudeau and downtown. On its 747 route page the STM notes that the fare on board is C$11.25, payable in coins, and fares are also sold at the usual points of sale. The STM lists the same C$11.25 as the price of its 24-hour pass, which makes the ride good value for a visitor using the metro the same day.
Boston Silver Line SL1. The MBTA states on its Logan Airport page that the SL1 bus serves every Logan terminal, connects to the Red Line, and that service from Logan Airport is always free. For a solo traveller heading downtown, nothing on the ground beats it.
| Route | Bus fare | Private car on Elly8.net | Bus is best for | Private car is best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX to Union Station or Beverly Hills | US$12.75 per adult (FlyAway) | US$170 sedan, US$225 SUV, to Beverly Hills | Solo traveller to downtown | Families, Westside hotels, late arrivals |
| YUL to downtown Montreal | C$11.25 per person (747) | US$120 sedan, US$160 SUV | Solo traveller near the downtown stops | Groups, bags, early mornings |
| BOS to Back Bay or downtown | Free from Logan (SL1) | US$130 sedan, US$170 SUV | Anyone light on luggage | Families with car seats, meetings |
Bus fares are in local currency from the operators linked above; Elly8.net fares are in US dollars, per vehicle, fixed and all-in, the same price in either direction.
Three more airports: Chicago, Las Vegas and Calgary
Not every airport has a dedicated shuttle bus, and some rely on city transit instead. At Chicago O'Hare the low-cost option is the train: the CTA says on its airports page that Blue Line trains run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a normal travel time of 40 to 45 minutes to downtown. An Elly8.net business sedan from O'Hare to the Loop and Magnificent Mile is US$215, so for one traveller with a roller bag the train is the obvious choice.
At Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, the airport's public bus page says RTC Route 108 and the Red Line both stop on Level Zero at Terminal 1. The bus is the cheapest way off the airport, but it is a city route rather than a Strip express, and the private car to a Strip hotel door is US$125 in a business sedan or US$325 in a 12-seat Sprinter.
Calgary's airport has no rail link. Its public transit page describes Route 500 as an express bus between downtown and YYC via Centre Street with limited stops, and Route 100 as the connection to the Saddletowne LRT station. The Elly8.net business sedan from YYC to downtown is US$105.
Hotel courtesy shuttles
Many airport hotels run their own free shuttle, and for a night near the airport before an early flight it is hard to beat. Ask the hotel for the pickup point at your terminal, the frequency and the last run of the evening, because each hotel sets its own schedule. The weak point is the early morning, when a busy run can mean waiting for the next one with a flight to catch.
Fewer downtown hotels run airport shuttles, which is why the comparison in most cities is between the public bus, a taxi, an app ride and a pre-booked car. Our Uber vs cab comparison covers the middle two.
The luggage reality
Bags are where the comparison usually turns. The FlyAway's baggage rules allow three stored bags and one carry-on per ticketed passenger, and no single piece over 62 inches in combined length, width and height or over 50 pounds. That is generous for most travellers, but it means lifting your own bags into the hold, and sports equipment must travel in fully enclosed containers.
On a city bus such as the SL1 or the 747, bags travel with you inside the vehicle. That is fine with a carry-on and a backpack, and harder with two large suitcases and a child at rush hour.
With a private car, the luggage limit is the vehicle. On Elly8.net, a business sedan carries three passengers and two bags, a Business SUV or First Class SUV six passengers and six bags, and an Executive Sprinter twelve passengers and twelve bags. The chauffeur loads and unloads, and the bags go to the hotel door, not to a bus stop a few blocks away.
Waiting time and the last mile
A bus timetable is a promise about departures, not about your arrival. If your flight lands as one bus pulls away, you wait for the next one. Then the bus stops at a fixed terminus, and the rest of the trip, the last mile to the hotel, is up to you: a walk with bags, a metro connection, or a taxi.
The private car reverses that. The chauffeur tracks the flight, meets you inside arrivals with a name board, and you get complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. The trip ends at the address you booked. For a traveller whose hotel sits next to the bus terminus, that advantage is small, and the bus is the better buy. For one staying across town, it is most of the journey. The meet and greet page explains how the airport pickup works.
The arithmetic for families and groups
Bus fares are per person and private car fares are per vehicle, so the comparison changes with the head count.
- Two adults, LAX to downtown. FlyAway: two fares of US$12.75, or US$25.50, plus the last mile from Union Station. Private car: US$170 to Beverly Hills in a business sedan. The bus wins clearly.
- Four adults with four suitcases, YUL to downtown. 747: four fares of C$11.25, or C$45. Private car: US$160 for a Business SUV with room for six bags. The bus is still cheaper; the car is faster to the door and keeps the group together.
- Twelve colleagues, BOS to a Back Bay hotel. SL1: free. Private car: one Executive Sprinter for US$340, with twelve seats and twelve bags. The bus costs nothing but may not fit the whole group at once when it is busy; the Sprinter moves everyone together.
Dividing the Sprinter fare across twelve people comes to about US$28 each, but that is arithmetic for comparison only: the fare is one price for one vehicle. For larger groups, the group transportation and Sprinter van with driver pages explain how several vehicles are booked for one arrival.
Comfort, children and late flights
Comfort is not only about seats. It is the difference between standing at a kerb in February and walking straight into a warm car, and between keeping a toddler in a lap and having a proper child seat. Child seats are available on request with Elly8.net, while on a city bus a child seat has nowhere to be fitted.
Late flights are the other turning point. Airport buses keep timetables, and a flight that lands after the last useful departure leaves a traveller with a taxi queue. A pre-booked car adjusts to the actual landing time. The same applies to very early departures: a 5 a.m. hotel pickup for a 7 a.m. flight is a simple booking with a private car and a difficult one by bus.
When to take the bus, honestly
Take the airport bus when you are travelling alone or as a couple, with luggage you can lift yourself, at a time of day when the bus is running frequently, to a hotel near its downtown stop. In Boston, Montreal and Los Angeles, that describes a lot of trips, and the savings are real.
Book a private car when the group is three or more with suitcases, when children need seats, when the flight lands late or leaves early, when the hotel is far from the bus terminus, or when a meeting or a dinner cannot slip. Business travellers on a corporate account also get one monthly invoice rather than a pile of receipts. The chauffeur vs airport shuttle comparison covers the general case, and our taxi fare calculator guide does the same for metered taxis.
What the private car price includes
Each Elly8.net airport fare is fixed when you book and includes the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet inside the terminal; tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. Because the gratuity is included, there is nothing to add at the kerb, though our tipping guide explains when guests choose to.
In Toronto and the GTA, rides run on the Elly8 fleet and chauffeurs. In Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston and every other city, rides are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network, with Elly8.net taking the booking, fixing the price and running the 24/7 desk. The city pages list every airport: see the Los Angeles car service, the Montreal price panel and the Boston car service page.
Booking an airport car in three steps
Enter the airport, the flight number and the drop-off address. Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags. Then press Reserve now or use the web booker, and the confirmation arrives by email. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% applies at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the LAX FlyAway bus?
Los Angeles World Airports lists the FlyAway one-way fare at US$12.75, with two children under five riding free with each paying adult. Each ticketed passenger may bring three stored bags and one carry-on. An Elly8.net business sedan from LAX to Beverly Hills is US$170 for the whole car.
Is the bus from Boston Logan really free?
Yes. The MBTA states that the Silver Line SL1 from Logan Airport is always free and serves every terminal, with a connection to the Red Line. For a solo traveller with light bags heading downtown, it is the best value in the city.
What does the Montreal airport bus cost?
The STM's 747 bus between YUL and downtown costs C$11.25, payable in coins on board or bought at the usual points of sale, and the STM's 24-hour pass is the same price. An Elly8.net business sedan from YUL to downtown is US$120.
Is a shared shuttle van the same as a private car?
No. A shared shuttle van carries several parties and drops them in turn, so the ride can take longer and depends on the other passengers. A private car carries only your group, goes straight to your address, and the price is per vehicle.
When is a private car cheaper than the airport bus?
On price alone, rarely for one or two people, and never against a free bus such as Boston's SL1. With a large group, the per-vehicle fare can come close: twelve people in one Executive Sprinter from Logan cost US$340 for the vehicle, about US$28 each as arithmetic only. The car wins more often on time, door-to-door service and late arrivals.
Is there an airport bus in Las Vegas or Calgary?
Yes, and both are part of the city transit network rather than a separate airport service. In Las Vegas, RTC Route 108 and the Red Line stop on Level Zero at Terminal 1. In Calgary, Route 500 is an express bus between YYC and downtown via Centre Street with limited stops, and Route 100 connects to the LRT.
