Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Chart Or Publication; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Human Factors
With this pandemic situation many airports don't have Ramp Control open and when Tower instructed us to stay with them we assumed ramp was closed and never called them since it was almost mid night; also the airport page doesn't clarify Ramp Control has to be contacted to enter the gate just for pushback and since Tower never instructed to contact anybody it makes the situation a little confusing.As we landed Tower told us to taxi to the ramp and remain on the frequency with them; we did as instructed and never changed to Ramp Control as we taxi to the gate; we stopped short of Gate XX at Spot XX noticing there wasn't any ground crew at the gate; we tried to contact operations; but they never answer the radio call; finally a Ground Agent showed up and instructed us to move over to the next terminal to Gate XXX. The Captain made a small turn and taxi to the gate with no issues.
Looking at the airport chart the labeling of the X terminal is unclear and somewhat hidden. On the ground the X terminal gates only have numbers and not labeled with X. Also I would suggest the ramp frequency be added to the ramp chart to make it clear. On landing in LGA we told ground we are going to Gate XXX and Ground Control instructed us to taxi Bravo; Echo; Alpha to the ramp. We tried to call company operations numerous times and never got an answer. Given that it was almost midnight we assumed that the ramp was closed And we were to taxi in with ground. Looking at the ramp diagram the gates are quite confusing and we mistakenly taxied to the entrance of Gate XX but it was actually the X terminal not the Y terminal. A ramp worker came over and directed us to turn around and go to other gates. We contacted Ground Control to let them know and they advised us we should have called Ramp Control. Once back on Taxiway A we contacted Ramp Control and got clearance into the gate. Ramp Control informed us that they had been trying to get a hold of us.
Air carrier flight crew reported taxiing to the gate at LGA airport without contacting Ramp Control. The crew cited as contributing factors a confusing ramp diagram and the expectation that Ramp Control was closed due to the pandemic situation.