Can You Get A Lyft At 4am

Ride-hailing services accept made our lives a lot easier in many ways. When I lived in New York City on the West Side over a decade ago, I found it nearly impossible to hail a cab without first walking several blocks east. Just a yr subsequently, in that location was a dramatic shift as I could and then order an Uber easily from my iPhone.

Traveling to and from airports also seemed easier back then, and maybe even more affordable. Instead of renting a car in sure cities, you could rely on Uber to take you practically anywhere. Usually when traveling to Los Angeles I'd rent a car, but with parking expensive and often hard to observe, I decided instead to use a ride-hailing service on my terminal trip.

I found it more affordable and a timesaver since I no longer had to drive around searching for a parking infinite. For reasons similar this, I will go along to rely on these culling transportation options on my travels. Nonetheless, a few contempo incidents have caused me to re-evaluate whether we tin fully count on ride-hailing services, especially in certain areas and at sure times of the mean solar day.

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In 1 example, I had a 6:xv a.grand. flight from Gainesville, Florida (GNV) to LaGuardia Airdrome in New York City (LGA) that first went through Charlotte, North Carolina. The driver that picked me up around four:30 a.m. told me I was lucky to get a driver that early in the morning time as normally no 1 is on the road at that fourth dimension.

On a trip the next month to Anaheim, I was flying out of LAX, as well effectually 6 a.m., and was concerned it might exist a similar situation. Since Anaheim is 50 minutes from LAX on the rare LA solar day without traffic, I decided to switch hotels to be right next to LAX. Luckily the Marriott I was staying at let me make the switch the dark before, and I had no effect getting to the airport on fourth dimension.

Why nosotros missed our flight

Fast forward to a recent trip to Paso Robles, California. Since we were taking a 6:xxx a.m. flight out of San Luis Obispo Airport, which is 25 minutes abroad, I was once again concerned. I attempted to change hotels, simply this time the Marriott we were staying at wouldn't let me make the switch (considering information technology was prepaid and a franchise).

The front desk clerk suggested I apply one of the schedule-a-ride services that Uber and Lyft offer. I scheduled an Uber for 4:30 the next morning. It showed the ride was confirmed and it still showed that when we woke up the adjacent morning. Then at 4:30 a.m., exactly when the ride was supposed to show upward, I got a notification that information technology was canceled. My husband and I and so tried for the next ninety minutes to become some other motorcar on both the Uber and Lyft apps, but nosotros had no luck. Both showed no cars in the expanse.

There were no machine services, no rental cars, and no taxi options either at this time of the day, so we missed our flight. To their credit, Uber sufficiently apologized. This did lead me on the path, however, to figure out how to brand sure this doesn't happen to other travelers. Information technology was a helpless feeling, sitting in the hotel lobby watching the fourth dimension become past and knowing nosotros were non going to make our flight. Needless to say, it was complicated to become another flying out that twenty-four hours (which required getting a lift from a friend to LAX). I've since learned my experience is far from an isolated one.

Passengers sound off

Lily Augustadt from Knoxville, Tennessee, told TPG, "I had an Uber scheduled from my house to the airport several days in advance, and morning of, all I got was 'no drivers in the area.' I had to drive to the airport and pay to park terminal minute to avoid missing my flight."

Stephanie Hardiman Simon was attempting to fly out of Memphis terminal year for a six:30 a.chiliad. flight and said she tried in existent-time to get an Uber around four a.m. She says hotel staff bodacious her she shouldn't have an issue considering "people are out late coming back from the clubs." Just things didn't go as planned. "No Ubers, Lyfts, etc. were to exist found the next morning. And neither was the hotel staff when I left. I had to randomly look up livery services on Yelp and institute a wonderful guy that came to become me within 15 minutes. Thankful I was up early enough to account for the madness and my constant need to exist at the airport early on."

No guarantees

I reached out to both Uber and Lyft to get some insight into all of this.

Uber pointed out their Reserve and new Travel options may be best for those looking to schedule rides in advance. Through my research, I learned that the old schedule feature on Uber doesn't friction match a driver with a rider ahead of time, but the newer "Reserve" option attempts to practice just that. According to Uber.com, "An Uber Reserve trip is reserved, and a driver assigned in advance of the trip time. Once a driver has been assigned to the trip, the fare is so locked and will non change." Even when using this pick, the ride isn't confirmed until you get alerted that y'all have been matched with a driver. This nonetheless isn't a guarantee.

However, if you reserve 1 of Uber's Premium options, Premier Blackness or Premium Blackness SUV at least ii hours in advance, you will get $50 in Uber Cash if the driver cancels or is more than 5 minutes late. On the flip side, annotation that with the Reserve option, if you cancel less than an hour earlier pickup y'all will face a fee for canceling, which could exist equivalent to the total fare (depending on which class you booked).

Lyft has a schedule option too, merely the company'south website makes it articulate, "We can't guarantee a driver will be available in your area at the specific time the ride is existence requested for." The company does, however, tell us they leverage electric current market place conditions and historical patterns to attempt to incentivize drivers to come online during times of high demand, including early on mornings and late nights.

What to do when a ride isn't bachelor

If you lot are relying on a ride-hailing service early in the morn or tardily at night, and don't want to hazard a scheduled ride, you may want to seek other options that you can ready up and confirm in advance. Christine Parfitt Schwartz says when she flies out of Medford, Oregon (MFR) and tries to order an Uber, she always gets "non available." She says she now goes old school and calls a cab.

CF Gilberg adds that on two occasions he has had to pin from getting a ride at an airport to spontaneously renting a car. He recalls on one trip into Denver, he tried to become an Uber/Lyft to go downtown. "I couldn't become i to go far in under 45 minutes, and costs ranged from $125-$150 when one became bachelor. I concluded up getting an Avis car … a make-new Escalade. $35 for the dark, plus $4 in gas, and free street parking overnight. I dropped it off at the downtown site the adjacent 24-hour interval."

At that place are likewise blackness car services that can be pre-ordered. When using these services, just retrieve to read reviews and book ahead of fourth dimension. These services ofttimes take cancellation fees and, in some cases may exist significantly more expensive than ride-hailing services or cabs.

If you demand a ride to the drome in your hometown and have a car, information technology'due south likewise a expert idea to do some math.

Information technology may exist worth information technology to drive your own car to the airdrome and park. In Miami, I volition park at Miami International Airport if the trip is 4 days or less. It's $17 a 24-hour interval in MIA'southward primary garages, so iv days comes out to $68. That would be the equivalent of a round-trip Uber or Lyft for me. If you are gone for a week or more, nonetheless, that could testify to be price-prohibitive. A 10-day trip would exist $170. Many airports do besides have park-and-ride lots that offer lower prices, so if time isn't an issue, y'all may likewise want to explore that option.

LAX's parking lots fill up quickly. (Photograph via Getty Images Steve Whiston - Fallen Log Photography)

To be fair though, I've never had an issue getting an Uber in Miami. Also, in that location have been bug lately with finding parking spaces at MIA. In fact, many airports around the country are experiencing parking issues due to more than travelers driving themselves to the airdrome. If your local aerodrome has similar issues, just make sure to add together extra fourth dimension for parking.

Related: Aerodrome parking crunch? How to salve money while securing a space

Bottom line

There are a lot of factors to consider when arranging a ride to an aerodrome. The key to information technology all is planning ahead and doing your research. If you are in a large city like Chicago, Miami, or NYC, ride-hailing options may still be the easiest (and potentially the most affordable style to go). If yous are in a smaller city or a significant distance from the airport, depending on the fourth dimension of your flight, this is when you may desire to explore other options.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed hither are the author'due south alone, not those of whatever bank, credit bill of fare issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.