Lyft Will Test Turning Its Airport Pickups Into Taxi Lines
Ending a trip is an exhausting process. You've been in transit for hours, you still need to collect your bags and belongings and then there's the tedious commute to your home or hotel.
Well, Lyft believes that "leaving the airport should be the simplest part" of reaching your destination. The popular ride-hailing app is debuting a new feature with taxi stand-style pickup service, where riders queue up and connect with their drivers using a unique code upon pickup.
The beta launch will take place at Terminal 2 of the San Diego International Airport (SAN) beginning mid-May, and Lyft plans to expand to other airports down the road depending on how well the new feature is received. Select Lyft riders may also be invited to test out the service before the May launch date.
The service will direct all travelers to a clearly-marked Lyft pickup area in Terminal 2 where riders will wait in line to be connected with a Lyft ride.
It's a bit ironic that Lyft, which's seen by many as an innovative technology company that's disrupted the cab industry, is essentially creating its own taxi line. However, it's fair to say that this could be a useful feature at crowded airports like New York JFK, where it can sometimes take more than 15 minutes for a ride-hail vehicle to reach your location.
Here's how the new Lyft pickup format will work:
First, enter your destination and request a standard Lyft ride.
If available, you'll see the above screen pop up in your app. Tap "Get code" to receive your unique four-digit code. Then follow the directions to Terminal 2 and join the Lyft pickup area line, where a Lyft ambassador can answer any questions.
Once you reach the front of the line, show your code to the driver. After your accounts sync up, you'll be on your merry way.
As of now, Lyft has not disclosed additional airports slated for future roll-out.
Lyft has other incentives to make airport ride more rewarding, including its partnerships with JetBlue and Delta where you can earn rewards points with both airline's loyalty programs. Mastercard also just launched a program where cardholders can earn $10 in Lyft credit each month when using a World Elite credit card for Lyft purchases.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month