Are there any advantages to still use a metrocard or is OMNI the best new thing? Are there any disadvantages of OMNI compared to Metrocard or in general?
I’ve recently switched over to using OMNY. So far, I’ve found no drawbacks. It correctly calculates when I make a bus-train transfer and does not charge me another fare.
The plus side, of course, is that I always have my phone with me, I don’t have to look for my MetroCard and I don’t have to stop by the kiosk to have it refilled every now and again.
Any credit card with the contactless feature (it’ll have that wireless symbol on your card), which is almost any card issued these days, can be used to pay the bus/subway OMNI system, without anything else. No smartphone or special card needed.