Discount travel to and from New York, NY exists today primarily in the form of reduced-fare buses, on lines such as the Fung Wah bus from Boston, Eastern Travel from Washington, D.C. and Megabus, which provides travel to New York from a variety of destinations for as little as $1 per ride.Though more expensive than their automotive counterparts, there also exist discount airlines such as Southwest Airlines, that fly directly into New York.

Megabus
Megabus, the cheapest way to travel to New York, is a discount bus company, owned by Stagecoach Group, that sells tickets solely from its Megabus.com Web site. It is distinguished from Chinatown buses in that it typically employs double-decker buses, services many cities uncovered by Chinatown companies, and significantly reduces its fares, depending on how far in advance they are reserved. For instance, a ticket from Pittsburgh to New York, purchased on June 21, 2010, for travel on September 15, 2010, costs only $1.

Chinatown Bus
A New York "Chinatown bus" refers to any bus that runs to and from New York's Chinatown neighborhood in lower Manhattan. Chinatown buses typically run from locations along the Eastern Seaboard, from cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia, and require a fixed fare (for example, a ticket for a ride on a Fung Wah or Lucky Star bus from Boston will always be $15, no matter when it was purchased). The Chinatown buses tend to operate from specified street corners as opposed to bus stations.

Chinatown Bus Controversy
In March of 2008, officers from New York's Fifth Precinct proposed a ban on New York's Chinatown buses, in response to the "fractious and sometimes violent scene" ("The New York Times") that some thought the buses engender. Indeed, several acts of violence between competing Chinatown bus companies have been recorded. However, as of the summer of 2010, at least a dozen bus companies are still operating from the Chinatown neighborhood.

Southwest Airlines and Jetblue
Southwest Airlines and Jetblue airlines both provide daily flights to New York's Laguardia Airport. These flights can often be found for under $100 (from cities not served by discount buses, such as Albany, NY; Buffalo, NY and Manchester, NH) through airfare aggregate sites such as Orbitz, or, in the case of Southwest Airlines, directly from their site at Southwest.com.

Rideshare
Travel to New York is also provided from many cities via the "rideshare" program featured by on-line community Web site craigslist.com. By first choosing the city from which he wishes to depart, then continuing on to the "rideshare" tab, a traveler can often find commuters who are willing to transport passengers for a small fee. These commuters may range from one-time travelers looking to make an extra buck to seasoned veterans who supplement their income by transporting passengers on a daily or weekly basis.