Uber expands airport reserve pickup ahead of summer travel congestion
Editor's note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Following its initial rollout in the fall, Uber has expanded its Reserve feature to allow users to reserve a ride from more than 55 global airports in advance, as of June 16.
Travelers can use Uber Reserve to book an Uber Black or Black SUV up to 30 days ahead of scheduled arrival at nearly 39 major U.S. airports, just in time for the busy summer travel season.
Uber Reserve now available at 55 airports
Uber Reserve is available to travelers who want to book cars prior to landing at airports, including new additions such as Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). These new airports nearly double the Reserve footprint in North America.
Uber Reserve has also expanded to airports in Europe and Africa, including Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ); Milan Linate Airport (LIN) and Malpensa Airport (MXP) in Milan; Giovan Battista Pastine International Airport (CIA) and Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) in Rome; Nice Cote d'Azur Airport (NCE); Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG); Cape Town International Airport (CPT); and O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) and Lanseria International Airport (HLA) in Johannesburg.
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How to book Uber Reserve
To book an Uber Reserve, simply open your Uber app and hit the "Reserve" icon on the right-hand side.
From there, the app will inform you that your driver will wait up to 60 minutes after your scheduled arrival time, should you encounter any flight delays. For flight delays outside of that window, Uber says its flight tracking integration will automatically adjust a reservation time based on flight information to ensure your driver is ready and waiting at the airport when your flight lands; this applies whether your flight is on time, early or delayed. Uber did not specify the rider-driver protocol should unforeseen circumstances arise not communicated by the tracking service.
Next, click the "Let's go" button to proceed with the booking.
From there, use the calendar to select the date you want to schedule a pickup and enter your flight information. Once you put in your flight number, that specific flight should populate. Select your flight and hit the arrow to go to the last step.
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After confirming everything looks correct, select your payment method and vehicle type before hitting "Reserve" to finalize the reservation.
Other Uber airport features
If your travel plans change, know you can cancel an Uber Reserve booking at no extra charge up to one hour before your reservation. Travelers also have the option of using the "Ready When You Are" feature to request rides at a specific time upon landing at the airport.
For example, you can schedule a ride to pick you up in 10 minutes, 20 minutes or as soon as possible at certain airports; this includes airports in New Orleans, Philadelphia and Seattle, with more airports expected later this year. The feature is currently available on both Android and iOS.
Read more: $100-plus fares and 2-hour wait times: What the Uber and Lyft driver shortage means for you
As is the case with Uber Reserve, drivers booked via the "Ready When You Are" feature will wait for up to an hour at no additional charge; this is to account for travelers gathering their bags and freshening up, though additional charges may occur should you hold your driver for more than an hour.
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There's also curbside pickup and mobile ordering for pickup at restaurants in select airports, including those in the U.S. and Canada. You can read more about it here. Keep in mind that when booking an Uber curbside pickup, all ride-hailing service pickups are restricted to designated areas within airports as indicated on the app and on airport grounds. For example, travelers at LAX must take a shuttle to a designated area off of airport grounds in order to order an Uber, Lyft or taxi.
Bottom line
These Uber features provide travelers the flexibility of booking a ride to or from an airport in advance, but should you encounter delays or disrupted travel, taxi cabs can come in handy.
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