So as a driver your choices are to wait forever in a line to pick up a fare from the airport, or beeline it back to Manhattan as quickly as you can with an empty car. Neither are great choices.
Which is why you should use the AE/Penn Station train during rush hour (it'll be faster than a cab), or tip your cabbie very well (30%+), though it still ends up being sucky for them and stressful for you.
Where People Are in NYC ? Look at places where taxi pick up their passengers :
Guide To Uber Drivers : Where to get passengers at given time of day
The driver thought Uber didn't provide the information because they want to be able to charge surge pricing, but that cannot be right. Uber doesn't want to charge surge prices unless they absolutely have to because they reduce the number of rides people take.
Considering how much money Uber invests in giving away free rides and temporarily reducing prices to increase ridership, they clearly see a lot of value per ride, especially for travelers who are more likely to be at an event, try Uber for the first time, and then bring that demand home to their own cities.
Surge pricing only makes sense in situations where drivers need additional incentive to go out in the first place.