Why Getting an Airport Uber Has Become an Obstacle Course

Image Name: Uber’s on airport

Touring comedian Jake Cornell complained in a recent video about his difficulty locating an Uber at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Cornell sarcastically compared his experience negotiating a labyrinth of parking garages to reach the proper zone for ride-hailing pickups to following a “yellow brick road.”

Cornell’s experience at Austin reflects a more general problem at big airports all throughout the country, where getting an Uber has grown ever more difficult. At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), for example, visitors must ride a long bus to a dedicated area for ride-hailing pickups—a trip Cornell described as like having a “connecting flight” to one’s car.

The fundamental dilemma confronting airports, ride-hailing firms, and passengers is whether these convoluted processes are required or if simpler solutions could be applied. Since Uber first opened for business in 2011, airports have had to adjust to the growing demand for ride-hailing services—also known as transportation network companies (TNCs.). While smaller airports have succeeded with little modification, larger airports have added sophisticated systems sometimes including long treks or shuttle trips to reach collection areas.

In a perfect world, passengers could get off their planes and right away locate an Uber at the curb. At first, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) followed this strategy permitting curbside pickups and drop-offs. But ride-hailing firms immediately caused extreme traffic congestion, which forced authorities to change their approach.

The mass of vehicles fighting for curb space caused “absolute gridlock” on the airport’s roadways, according to Doug Yakel, SFO’s public relations officer. For many people, the situation grew so bad that getting a pickup turned into a nightmare.

Logan International Airport in Boston suffered comparable difficulties. Director of Aviation Services David Ishihara of the Massachusetts Port Authority clarified that the infrastructure of the airport was not built to manage the extra traffic from ride-hailing companies. Along with ride-hailing cars, the resultant congestion hampered buses and hotel shuttles.

Traffic congestion is not a problem exclusive of SFO and Logan. With around 250,000 daily travelers, LAX likewise battled with too heavy curbside traffic. The congestion might cause an Uber to reach its passenger in up to 20 minutes, according to David Reich, deputy executive director for mobility strategy for Los Angeles World Airports.

Airports have developed several workarounds to handle these problems, however these often create fresh difficulties. Older airports with locked-in infrastructure find great difficulty designating areas for ride-hailing pickups. For instance, Chicago O’Hare, which first opened in 1944, now limits ride-hailing to the upper-level departure deck of Terminal 2, therefore forcing most passengers to use a people-mover train.

Introduced in 2019, LAX’s answer consists of the LAX-it system, which calls for passengers to ride a bus to a lot close to Terminal 1. Although this technique has cleared 15 percent of vehicles off airport roadways, therefore improving traffic congestion, it has also caused passenger confusion and irritation.

At places like LAX, the long-term objective is to enhance traffic flow for everyone—not only ride-share drivers. To find better answers, airports are working with ride-hailing firms concurrently. For pickups in quieter parking locations, SFO, for instance, teamed with Uber and Lyft to provide discounted rates; this approach only helped to somewhat ease the traffic congestion.

Officials used the ground floor of a central parking garage for ride-hailing in Boston, figuring that the walk to these locations wouldn’t take more than waiting for a vehicle among existing traffic congestion.

Travelers sometimes stay unhappy with the modifications despite these efforts. Using services like LAX-it or going to far-off pickup sites can aggravate travel-related stress. Jake Cornell underlined this annoyance, pointing out that following a flight, travelers simply want to get at their destination fast and the extra burden of locating an Uber is unwanted.

These systems provide drivers difficulties as well. New York Uber and Lyft driver Khalid Khattak said that driver’s day suffers when airport traffic causes canceled rides or clients who start their trip in an irritated state.

Positive instances of airports effectively meeting ride-hailing demands exist, nevertheless. Both drivers and customers have complimented LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal C for providing a specific “inner lane” for ride-hailing pickups.

Future new airport terminals are being built considering ride-hailing services. By the time JFK’s new Terminal One is finished in 2030, airports might already be handling the next wave of transportation technologies including electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft or self-driving autos. As Doug Yakel from SFO pointed out, airports have to constantly change with future transportation developments to prevent repeating past mistakes.

This content was adapted from an article in the Washington Post