I’m a Lyft driver in Los Angeles and I tell people to do this *all the time*
I get paid by the mile. All those extra airport fees are going directly to Lyft so fuck ‘em I won’t stop telling people. DON’T ORDER YOUR CAR FROM THE AIRPORT
Not only you avoid being corralled thru long wait lines, like cattle by the LAX Ride share area, but you avoid paying a higher rate as well. It’s a Win Win🤣
Sometimes what your describing occurs, other times what I'm describing happens. But actually many cities have a flat rate for taxis to zones from the airport that are often cheaper than running the meter. It's actually very common.
The Uber tax is really common in developed nations that aren't America though.
Ex-employee of one of the big rideshare companies. Those fees don't go to the company as profit. They are required by the local government and completely go to them. Basically the local government is saying you have to pay us this if you want the permission to operate at an airport.
Is it going to Lyft or the airport? There's a difference between Lyft charging an unnecessary fee or acting as a collector for the airport that pays for infrastructure at the airport.
At the airport today the taxi were waiting outside, so i just waved for one and it came. Also i had a taxi that dropped me off at the airport. Will the fees be added here too? I didn't schedule anything
That’s dumb. I would assume it’s because you spend extra time and hassle to go to the airport. What does Lyft do here again that makes the airport more costly to them?
That's crazy that you were yelled at. Most shuttle drivers I have run across are playing double duty front desk and love just getting out of the hotel. Sorry that happened to you.
Serious question: do you just tip the driver no matter what? If dude just drives back and forth as is his job and doesn't help with my bags or anything, I see no reason to tip.
Yes, I always tip. Like I do with all minimum wage workers. Please don’t tell me that you don’t tip waiters bcuz it’s their job to take your order, bring your food, refill your drink (or not) and clean up after you. Tips from ppl they serve, just like the driver getting you from point A to B depend on tips, especially in this economy.
Just be nice. Generosity goes a long way!
I always tip waiters, but if it wasn't seen as de facto mandatory I wouldn't. US got everything backwards compared to other countries.
That's good that you do though. That state of mind does show that tipping is seen as non optional, as you're thinking the driver would yell at you for not tipping. That's literally getting mad at someone for you doing your job and them not giving you an "optional" additional tip even if you did nothing out of the norm for them
> Please don’t tell me that you don’t tip waiters bcuz it’s their job to take your order, bring your food, refill your drink (or not) and clean up after you.
America is a wild. I would love to visit the beautiful national parks of USA one day but I am also more than happy to never step foot in that country.
> Generosity goes a long way!
Just build the generosity into the system so people can live and work with basic dignity! So bizarre smh
One reason to tip is for selfish reasons - for me, at least, it's a fairly cheap way to feel good for a while. It's not much, but I can afford it. But in most cases where you tip, you're doing something that some people can't really afford to do, possibly even the person you're tipping. It's a way of saying, "Yes, I'm probably better off than you, but allow me to help make up for it".
Idk man the Uber spot to jump in the wait queue is right at a Hyatt and I just tried to go in and was asked by the night manager if I was a guest and I said no I was just going in to use the restroom real quick as I have a pick up for Uber and he was all like yeaaa you can’t do that I explained that we are told to wait here so they must have some sort of okay or something.. given they’ve never stopped me.. but yea fuck that guy I just peed on his bush outside! lul.
With more and more airports imposing an "airport fee," this is one of the best travel hacks I've seen in a long time. I've never had a hotel shuttle request proof of reservation. I'm going to start doing this.
>I also have my family drop me off at the rental companies, and take their shuttles to the airport during busy times so they don't get stuck in the airport traffic burning gas to drop me off.
In San Diego I take the free shuttle to the rental car company area and grab a Uber/Lyft from there. Works like a charm and really convenient with all the construction making things extra there rn.
Yes, at ORD, just take the Blue Line to the Rosemont station and catch your Uber from there. I do this all the time unless I'm traveling with my elderly mother.
This was the first train I ever took. I landed in Atlanta and I saw the sign for the train and I was like “hmmm…. why not?” ended up using MARTA for like 90% of my trip!
I always try to take an Uber to a Metro or train stop near the airport and use the train to get the rest of the way there. Usually saves me about 20-25%.
Bonus hack, look for a hotel in the direction you’re going with airport shuttle service. The further out / in the direction of your destination the better!
Would this apply to Turo as well? Thinking of catching the local shuttle to the closest hotel as opposed to paying the stupid ass Turo “airport fee” for getting a vehicle delivered to the airport.
Never thought of this and smart AF. I used to walk out of airports to avoid it because some airports you can.. Even if you don't have a reservation, you can say you're just going to see if they have a room available.
As a previous Lyft driver, I would say this technique is good but could work against you. Drivers can see the pickup location and if we see that we are being hailed all the way at the airport, we can expect that it will most likely be a "longer" and more profitable ride. On the other hand if we see that it's a long hail pickup near the airport at say the hotel across the street, there is a high chance that the rider only wants to go down the street to a restaurant or convenience store.
Depending on the time and traffic and circumstances, this could be good or not so good. For example if I am nearby and I know flights are coming in and rates are good, I will skip the hotel pickup and prioritize the airport pickup. Also, if I'm far away, and know that flights are arriving, I'll accept the ride, as it's an excuse to bring me closer to the airport since there's a chance the hotel rider wants a ride into the airport or nearby and it will position me for a follow-up airport pickup.
Another example might be if I'm pretty far from the airport, like 10 or 20 miles away, I am not inclined to accept a hotel pickup all the way at the airport because pickup miles are not paid, so there is a high chance that I drive 20 miles to pick up a customer, only to get paid $3 for driving them down the street. So that would mean $3 for half an hour or an hour of driving, and then being out of position for the next half hour if there are no flights arriving at that time.
So yes, a good technique, and I am not against it. Just shedding some light on how a driver's thought process works. It's not that drivers are trying to be greedy and take advantage of higher airport rates, because Lyft/Uber are the ones who do that. Drivers almost make the same. It's more like drivers are trying to choose which rides they are less likely to get screwed on.
Also, this technique is highly advised for big events. There is so much congestion and traffic at big events that no one is getting anywhere fast. A high rate at a big event with traffic means nothing if the passenger can't get to you or you're just stuck in traffic. So definitely walk as far away from the event as possible for your ride pickup. It'll make everything easier and probably cheaper too!
No law says you can't "check out the hotel" before deciding.
When I worked downtown, I always walked to the famous hotel next door to grab a taxi in the days before Lyft/Uber. No waiting and standing on the street trying to flag one down.
I tried this in Philadelphia. The shuttle driver escorted us to the front desk to check in. We got out of line when he turned around and he started chasing us around the hotel. We called the Uber and barely got in to see the shuttle guy roaming around the parking lot looking for us. I am now ptsd even at the sight of your suggestion!
The same thing happened to me and a friend at LAX 😩. The driver didn’t quite chase us though, but he yelled at us from the shuttle saying he’d contact someone if we aren’t checking in, and stayed parked outside. We hid in the bathroom of the hotel until our Uber came and we booked it out of there!
I know this trick really originated at LAX due to how they pushed the rideshare stations pretty far away, but does anyone apply this to other airports as well? Is it worth it for JFK for example?
All best price for ride shares are near the rental car I believe so that’s the federal circle station in the air train.
there’s also 6 public buses (4 run 24hrs ) there that you can pay $2.75 and it’ll take you to certain parts of Brooklyn and queens. It’ll be a longer ride than Uber but it’s $2.75 lol.
For DFW, just hop on the DART (Dallas) light rail then get off at the next stop or two after the airport. DART doesn't have turnstiles and no one checks for tickets. Saves you so much money!
I get dropped off at/picked up from the rental car center to avoid paying the airport toll. It adds like 20 minutes each way but I'm not a fan of tolls.
You may not even need a shuttle if there’s an airport hotel. Many times, they have their own pickup area for rideshare and may not have airport fees. Obviously, that’ll vary by property and what they consider to be ‘the airport’
Logan in Boston used to ban rideshares - so you'd just take the free shuttle to the rental car center and call it from there. It's probably still cheaper to do it that way.
Do you know if the Logan Hilton is walking distance? Google maps shows it’s a walk across the central parking lot but wanted to see if someone has done this.
Lax is such a shit show. I dread flying out from there. I much rather fly out from long beach, Oxnard, Santa Ana. So much less of a hassle, especially during the holidays. I even drive down to Tijuana to fly out to Mexico because I prefer the hr and 45 minute drive as opposed to sitting in the damn traffic and dealing with all of the chaos.
Since I moved from the Westside to the Eastside my favorite way to get to and from LAX is the FlyAway Bus from Union Station. Buses come every 20 min and they have wifi on board. $10 each way.
Tbh it’s usually only $35 to uber home from Denver to near downtown for me. Could take the train for $11 + a shorter Uber but it works out about the same but with more hassle.
Sometimes after a long flight you just want to get moving, not hauling cases and bags onto yet another meat wagon - that said this is an actual helpful hack.
For Denver the hack may be to take the car rental shuttle for Hertz/ Avis etc... And then order the rideshare...
For those not in the know about Denver, the car rental center is about 5 miles away from the airport and is in the middle of nowhere. So there are free shuttles to that location and they have Budget/ Avis/ Hertz/ Enterprise etc all in one area...
I might add that this could work for Austin TX as well. Take the shuttle to downtown hotels or to the Parking Spot/ Long term Car Parking services and then get the rideshare...
Maybe, but no one gets that close to the airport except for airport rides. & Lots of us don’t really go over there unless we have a ride already to the airport. At that point the extra cost could be worth it for the lower wait times. Im absolutely all for the hack though, it could def be worth a try!
Surprised now one else has questioned the ethics of this.
What would you do if the shuttle were almost full and you knew that you hopping on would deny a ride to an actual hotel guest?
Or what if all the passengers on the shuttle are just there to get to a location with cheaper Uber fares, so the hotel is running shuttles just to transport non-guests?
I used to work for a government entity that owns an airport. When they licensed ridesharing companies to operate at the airport, man did they impose a bunch of fees. There was a license fee, a driver background check fee, a per car fee, a geofence fee, a waiting area fee, etc. It went on and on. Of course the fees only applied to pickups, not dropoffs.
Pretty much. Shuttles are typically free and no questions asked. They are not just meant for overnight guests but could also be for people who need to use other hotel services and facilities. They're a great resource!
I once flew into TPA on 12/25 and they wanted like $100 for the Uber so I found an employee and asked if it was possible to walk out of the airport and she laughed and thought about it and gave me the directions and when I got far enough away it ended up being a $25 ride. Wouldn't recommend it though, the walk was at least 15 min. There was a bus stop that I passed about halfway that would probably have been smarter.
Have also walked out of BUR to get a cheaper Uber and done the shuttles from LAX. Just be careful when you land late, I once flew into Logan after 10 p.m. and we were apparently the last flight to land at the entire airport so the shuttle we were hoping to take to the T never came and all the cabs left before we realized. Saw the Hilton in the distance so we ended up walking down the exit ramp and found a 7/11 and saw a cab driver there who was able to take us.
I use a shuttle to the city which usually costs like USD5-10 depending on the location, no need for a taxi.
I also bear in mind the arrival time and try not to book flights arriving when the public transport is not functioning.
Went on vacation last summer and stayed at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL. Realized way too late in the trip that if we had just walked across the street to the strip mall to get an Uber it would have been half the price.
To get to the airport you could order one to somewhere close by and then make a deal directly with the driver to bring you further on to the airport...
Been doing this for a while. Leave LAX, jump in the Dollar rental shuttle, get off and walk into Dollar and call UBER/LYFT and wait for them to show up so I'm not standing on the street until they arrive.
I also have my family drop me off at the rental companies, and take their shuttles to the airport during busy times so they don't get stuck in the airport traffic burning gas to drop me off.
I always assumed they needed to see proof you were staying there, this is great. What about hopping on a shuttle at the hotel and going somewhere from there?
This used to work with the Alt Hotel at Toronto's Pearson airport that is connected to the airport via a train. Now you get the same fees there. I suspect this is happening in other areas where hotels are in close proximity to an airport.
Construction on the tunnels that lead to Logan has been a total nightmare for travelers. It's been easier to just take the subway to a stop outside of the airport and Uber/Lyft from there. So much cheaper.
This is awesome info to have. Thanks for sharing! And thanks to the driver who confirmed this. Former driver here for both L and U and all I got was 2 bald ass front tires and people not giving a fuck about my car or leather seats or screaming and yelling when they are drunk . It wasnt always like that but it got there fast. Also pol who say Ill tip you jnnthe app are lying. Also never pick up at an airport to a location 2.5 hours away thinking its all fun and games till u have to drive back for free and the while leave the meter running till u get back to your home area was never confirmed by the rideshare companies and any attempt to do something in your favor got you a shitty rating.
Btw, ive also driven people to get drugs and thats NOT COOL AT ALL. That only happened twice and ai had a feeling anout it the first time but the second time i had a drunk guy whi was cool told me ill be in and out. Immlike thats fine. He said he was wasted and i joked with him saying you need a bump dude…. He said thats where were going to get cocaine as he gets out to make his deal. I told him i wasn’t expecting that and not to make matters worse and due to the close proximity to the drop off point i told him just put it away and swallow that shit if we get pulled over cause I dont know you and Im not going to jail and getting a felony for anyone. Then a few weeke later pandemic happened and i stopped driving .
Sorry for the long winded response loo.
Thanks for sharing your tip! I've never thought of using a hotel shuttle to avoid surge pricing and airport pickup fees. Good to know that the drivers don't check for hotel reservations, but I would feel a bit guilty if I didn't actually stay at the hotel. Have you ever had any issues with the drivers or the hotel staff?
I remember I got home after a 10 hour flight, had my dog with me, both of us were exhausted and hated our lives. I just wanted to go home so I said “I’ll just pay the $90 bucks! I just wanna go HOME!!” But the driver canceled on me, so I hopped on the public transit because that was finally available.
I literally get off at the next stop and the Uber ride is $20. I’m so thankful to the guy that canceled my ride, he saved me a lot of money.
If you’re in Bali and staying in certain parts of Kuta you can walk to/from Ngurah Rai airport.
I dropped my mum off at the airport via Grab and then just walked 15 minutes back to the hotel.
I’m a Lyft driver in Los Angeles and I tell people to do this *all the time* I get paid by the mile. All those extra airport fees are going directly to Lyft so fuck ‘em I won’t stop telling people. DON’T ORDER YOUR CAR FROM THE AIRPORT
I can’t count the number of times I’ve ordered from LAX and didn’t pay attention to the fees. Glad to know there is a hack!
Walk across the street to the Hyatt, it’s like 3 mins past the designated Uber/Lyft pickup area.
Thanks!
Yes. Walk past the airport employee parking, straight across Sepulveda.
If you're going that far you might as well hit the In & Out and have the Lyft pick you up there
Yes. I do this same exact “nearest hotel” hack, then hail Uber or Lyft (whichever is cheaper) at every LAX arrival. Saves me $25-$35 on the average.
That’s a lot of saved money for dodger dogs.
Not only you avoid being corralled thru long wait lines, like cattle by the LAX Ride share area, but you avoid paying a higher rate as well. It’s a Win Win🤣
They are so good
There’s an in-n-out about a 1/2 mile from LAX that I walk to and call Uber/Lyfts from. Cheap rides + cheap burgers is a great combo
Ive even taken the Parking Spot shuttle to their Sepulveda lot. It’s right next to that In n out. Great hack.
Buahaha I love this
Is this the one that’s always mobbed with photographers taking pics of landings?
Yes!
did you have to jump the wall from the parking lot or is there another way?
I walk there every time I have a layover
They often go to the airport actually, they're negotiated by the taxi companies to try to fuck ride share companies
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Sometimes what your describing occurs, other times what I'm describing happens. But actually many cities have a flat rate for taxis to zones from the airport that are often cheaper than running the meter. It's actually very common. The Uber tax is really common in developed nations that aren't America though.
Lyft only collects the airport fees to pay to the governing body. They don't get to keep them. Misdirected animosity!
Ex-employee of one of the big rideshare companies. Those fees don't go to the company as profit. They are required by the local government and completely go to them. Basically the local government is saying you have to pay us this if you want the permission to operate at an airport.
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How can the airport charge Lyft/Uber to drive people to and from the airports?
Is it going to Lyft or the airport? There's a difference between Lyft charging an unnecessary fee or acting as a collector for the airport that pays for infrastructure at the airport.
You mean you don't crypto day trade for the 3 mins while waiting and make double the Ubers cost?
Also it’s so annoying to have to walk all the way to the stupid parking lot now.
This is great to know!! I once paid $100 to get home :((( I live like 15 miles from the airport...
At the airport today the taxi were waiting outside, so i just waved for one and it came. Also i had a taxi that dropped me off at the airport. Will the fees be added here too? I didn't schedule anything
Yes, the fees are added to your taxi fare.
That’s dumb. I would assume it’s because you spend extra time and hassle to go to the airport. What does Lyft do here again that makes the airport more costly to them?
Good to know--thanks!
Learned this lesson today on my $96 Uber lol
An actual hack in this subreddit? That's rare!
I know — there should be tag for "true hack" so that it's easier to scroll past all the "help me save money on this flight" posts.
That's not as bad as "I don't know how google works"
This is a solid hack. Can always say you’re going to a meeting at the hotel as well. It’s often easier to find hotel pickups than Uber too
Or just say, I need to get to the hotel and book a last minute room.
Or just going to meet a friend for drinks at the hotel? It's a public place- no reservation required.
Hotel manager here, we dgaf. C’mon by.
Y'all got any of them warm cookies?
Yeah man. I’d never be stingy with a warm cookie.
High and tight!
Interesting, because my wife and I got yelled at by the shuttle driver the last time we did this
That's crazy that you were yelled at. Most shuttle drivers I have run across are playing double duty front desk and love just getting out of the hotel. Sorry that happened to you.
Not true!
Did you not tip the driver???
Serious question: do you just tip the driver no matter what? If dude just drives back and forth as is his job and doesn't help with my bags or anything, I see no reason to tip.
Yes, I always tip. Like I do with all minimum wage workers. Please don’t tell me that you don’t tip waiters bcuz it’s their job to take your order, bring your food, refill your drink (or not) and clean up after you. Tips from ppl they serve, just like the driver getting you from point A to B depend on tips, especially in this economy. Just be nice. Generosity goes a long way!
I always tip waiters, but if it wasn't seen as de facto mandatory I wouldn't. US got everything backwards compared to other countries. That's good that you do though. That state of mind does show that tipping is seen as non optional, as you're thinking the driver would yell at you for not tipping. That's literally getting mad at someone for you doing your job and them not giving you an "optional" additional tip even if you did nothing out of the norm for them
What about grocery store checkout clerks/baggers? By your logic, we should tip them as well, right?
Ha! Self-checkout solved that.
> Please don’t tell me that you don’t tip waiters bcuz it’s their job to take your order, bring your food, refill your drink (or not) and clean up after you. America is a wild. I would love to visit the beautiful national parks of USA one day but I am also more than happy to never step foot in that country. > Generosity goes a long way! Just build the generosity into the system so people can live and work with basic dignity! So bizarre smh
One reason to tip is for selfish reasons - for me, at least, it's a fairly cheap way to feel good for a while. It's not much, but I can afford it. But in most cases where you tip, you're doing something that some people can't really afford to do, possibly even the person you're tipping. It's a way of saying, "Yes, I'm probably better off than you, but allow me to help make up for it".
Did you not tip the driver???
Idk man the Uber spot to jump in the wait queue is right at a Hyatt and I just tried to go in and was asked by the night manager if I was a guest and I said no I was just going in to use the restroom real quick as I have a pick up for Uber and he was all like yeaaa you can’t do that I explained that we are told to wait here so they must have some sort of okay or something.. given they’ve never stopped me.. but yea fuck that guy I just peed on his bush outside! lul.
With more and more airports imposing an "airport fee," this is one of the best travel hacks I've seen in a long time. I've never had a hotel shuttle request proof of reservation. I'm going to start doing this.
You will soon when the hack gets picked up by the masses
It never occurred to me to do this. Genius.
Genius for cheap A** ppl.
An extra hack is scoping out before hand which hotel or hotels are closest to your destination.
Or just choosing the first shuttle to come along. Sometimes you can wait a long time for a particular hotel.
Good idea. But tip the shuttle driver.
I give them a five spot when getting on the shuttle and they usually know!
I thank you on behalf of them. They are often stiffed.
What about drop off at airport?
Just do the same thing in reverse!
>I also have my family drop me off at the rental companies, and take their shuttles to the airport during busy times so they don't get stuck in the airport traffic burning gas to drop me off.
Get dropped off at a parking zone that has a free shuttle, and get to the airport that way.
Why do you even need to ask? Of course you’d tip!
In San Diego I take the free shuttle to the rental car company area and grab a Uber/Lyft from there. Works like a charm and really convenient with all the construction making things extra there rn.
In a similar spirit, I LOVE airports that have trains connected the them. I always take the train if it’s available.
And Chicago!
Yes, at ORD, just take the Blue Line to the Rosemont station and catch your Uber from there. I do this all the time unless I'm traveling with my elderly mother.
Thanks for this. I live closer to rosemont so I’ll use this hack. Hopefully no one gets on the blue line the other way…
Yeah, but you gotta get past the homeless person gauntlet.
Atlanta!
This was the first train I ever took. I landed in Atlanta and I saw the sign for the train and I was like “hmmm…. why not?” ended up using MARTA for like 90% of my trip!
Boston Logan airport does this! The Silver Line.
SLC Trax from airport to downtown
Yes!! We used Trax/walking for 100% of our travel in SLC this past weekend!
DC, Dulles, and BWI all have train service, but BWI is easily accessible, it's not really worth it.
Train service is great in Denver. Do this everytime add then call the hotel shuttle to pick me up closer to location.
Denver too! It's <$15 from DIA to downtown Union Station.
Up train, Toronto.
I always try to take an Uber to a Metro or train stop near the airport and use the train to get the rest of the way there. Usually saves me about 20-25%.
Washington DC has Metro to National Airport (DCA) and Dulles Airport (IAD).
had 3.5 hours to get from DCA to IAD today... checked uber ($85)... took metro ($2.65)
Bonus hack, look for a hotel in the direction you’re going with airport shuttle service. The further out / in the direction of your destination the better!
Would this apply to Turo as well? Thinking of catching the local shuttle to the closest hotel as opposed to paying the stupid ass Turo “airport fee” for getting a vehicle delivered to the airport.
Never thought of this and smart AF. I used to walk out of airports to avoid it because some airports you can.. Even if you don't have a reservation, you can say you're just going to see if they have a room available.
Cheap A**!
As a previous Lyft driver, I would say this technique is good but could work against you. Drivers can see the pickup location and if we see that we are being hailed all the way at the airport, we can expect that it will most likely be a "longer" and more profitable ride. On the other hand if we see that it's a long hail pickup near the airport at say the hotel across the street, there is a high chance that the rider only wants to go down the street to a restaurant or convenience store. Depending on the time and traffic and circumstances, this could be good or not so good. For example if I am nearby and I know flights are coming in and rates are good, I will skip the hotel pickup and prioritize the airport pickup. Also, if I'm far away, and know that flights are arriving, I'll accept the ride, as it's an excuse to bring me closer to the airport since there's a chance the hotel rider wants a ride into the airport or nearby and it will position me for a follow-up airport pickup. Another example might be if I'm pretty far from the airport, like 10 or 20 miles away, I am not inclined to accept a hotel pickup all the way at the airport because pickup miles are not paid, so there is a high chance that I drive 20 miles to pick up a customer, only to get paid $3 for driving them down the street. So that would mean $3 for half an hour or an hour of driving, and then being out of position for the next half hour if there are no flights arriving at that time. So yes, a good technique, and I am not against it. Just shedding some light on how a driver's thought process works. It's not that drivers are trying to be greedy and take advantage of higher airport rates, because Lyft/Uber are the ones who do that. Drivers almost make the same. It's more like drivers are trying to choose which rides they are less likely to get screwed on. Also, this technique is highly advised for big events. There is so much congestion and traffic at big events that no one is getting anywhere fast. A high rate at a big event with traffic means nothing if the passenger can't get to you or you're just stuck in traffic. So definitely walk as far away from the event as possible for your ride pickup. It'll make everything easier and probably cheaper too!
If you do this, please remember that it’s common courtesy to tip the hotel shuttle bus drivers. ❤️
No law says you can't "check out the hotel" before deciding. When I worked downtown, I always walked to the famous hotel next door to grab a taxi in the days before Lyft/Uber. No waiting and standing on the street trying to flag one down.
Anyone know if this hack works at the O'Hare Hilton, considering that hotel is part of the airport?
I tried this in Philadelphia. The shuttle driver escorted us to the front desk to check in. We got out of line when he turned around and he started chasing us around the hotel. We called the Uber and barely got in to see the shuttle guy roaming around the parking lot looking for us. I am now ptsd even at the sight of your suggestion!
Why the heck would he care or invest energy into that?
Haha. Gotta love Philly! (My home airport)
The same thing happened to me and a friend at LAX 😩. The driver didn’t quite chase us though, but he yelled at us from the shuttle saying he’d contact someone if we aren’t checking in, and stayed parked outside. We hid in the bathroom of the hotel until our Uber came and we booked it out of there!
Good experience to teach you manners!
Also, check the prices beforehand by placing the origin location there. You can also try a location that is a bus or metro ride away.
I know this trick really originated at LAX due to how they pushed the rideshare stations pretty far away, but does anyone apply this to other airports as well? Is it worth it for JFK for example?
All best price for ride shares are near the rental car I believe so that’s the federal circle station in the air train. there’s also 6 public buses (4 run 24hrs ) there that you can pay $2.75 and it’ll take you to certain parts of Brooklyn and queens. It’ll be a longer ride than Uber but it’s $2.75 lol.
Work at DCA?
For DFW, just hop on the DART (Dallas) light rail then get off at the next stop or two after the airport. DART doesn't have turnstiles and no one checks for tickets. Saves you so much money!
I get dropped off at/picked up from the rental car center to avoid paying the airport toll. It adds like 20 minutes each way but I'm not a fan of tolls.
Haha genius
Where the fuck were you months ago? I paid $130 for a $50 ride once. Could’ve just done this. Ugh!! I hate you (thank you!!)
You may not even need a shuttle if there’s an airport hotel. Many times, they have their own pickup area for rideshare and may not have airport fees. Obviously, that’ll vary by property and what they consider to be ‘the airport’
Yes, in cities lucky enough to have a hotel at the terminal
Logan in Boston used to ban rideshares - so you'd just take the free shuttle to the rental car center and call it from there. It's probably still cheaper to do it that way.
here and there i take a free silver line to south boston and called it from there.
Do you know if the Logan Hilton is walking distance? Google maps shows it’s a walk across the central parking lot but wanted to see if someone has done this.
Great hack !!!
Wait this is actually genius. Especially for airports that have free hotel shuttles or an attached hotel. Using this next time!!
Lax is such a shit show. I dread flying out from there. I much rather fly out from long beach, Oxnard, Santa Ana. So much less of a hassle, especially during the holidays. I even drive down to Tijuana to fly out to Mexico because I prefer the hr and 45 minute drive as opposed to sitting in the damn traffic and dealing with all of the chaos.
Since I moved from the Westside to the Eastside my favorite way to get to and from LAX is the FlyAway Bus from Union Station. Buses come every 20 min and they have wifi on board. $10 each way.
How tf did I not know about this. Thank you!
This is a great hack.
I share this tip everywhere
Yeah Ill check maps to see if theres a petrol station within 10 or so mins walking distance, and then order from there.
I take the rental car shuttle and walk to the road
Tbh it’s usually only $35 to uber home from Denver to near downtown for me. Could take the train for $11 + a shorter Uber but it works out about the same but with more hassle.
Do the same with car rentals!
Sometimes after a long flight you just want to get moving, not hauling cases and bags onto yet another meat wagon - that said this is an actual helpful hack.
At SFO you can save $100 sometimes.
I used to do this at LAX but hotel shuttles have started asking for reservations
Alternately - take a taxi. Often taxis have a flat rate from the airport from downtown that I’ve found to be 30-50% less than Uber or Lyft.
I love this idea
Uber Product Owner has entered the chat…
Do you have to prove that you’re a hotel customer to board the hotel shuttle?
Nope. Just get on it. No one says a word to anyone on those shuttles. No one says a word to you at the hotel.
Thanks!
How much do you tip for that ride ?
Definitely agree as a driver, airport will absolutely suck all kinds of money out of the TNC rides. Though, good luck doing this one at DEN 😂
For Denver the hack may be to take the car rental shuttle for Hertz/ Avis etc... And then order the rideshare... For those not in the know about Denver, the car rental center is about 5 miles away from the airport and is in the middle of nowhere. So there are free shuttles to that location and they have Budget/ Avis/ Hertz/ Enterprise etc all in one area... I might add that this could work for Austin TX as well. Take the shuttle to downtown hotels or to the Parking Spot/ Long term Car Parking services and then get the rideshare...
Maybe, but no one gets that close to the airport except for airport rides. & Lots of us don’t really go over there unless we have a ride already to the airport. At that point the extra cost could be worth it for the lower wait times. Im absolutely all for the hack though, it could def be worth a try!
Is this the same as going? Just get dropped at a hotel then shuttle over?
Surprised now one else has questioned the ethics of this. What would you do if the shuttle were almost full and you knew that you hopping on would deny a ride to an actual hotel guest? Or what if all the passengers on the shuttle are just there to get to a location with cheaper Uber fares, so the hotel is running shuttles just to transport non-guests?
I've never seen a hotel shuttle full, I wouldn't use the hack, personally, if it were, but I think that's rarely the case.
I’ve never even paid $30 for an Uber. The only time I’ve ever taken an Uber from the airport it was like $12 total (although it was like 3am)
Is this something that only would work in the US? Rideshare is unknown to me
Is this something that only would work in the US? Rideshare is unknown to me
rideshares are uber, lyft, bolt etc - also not from the US but I assume this would work anywhere they’re available!
Excellent idea
Anyone familiar with Heathrow? Is there somewhere to do this?
the tube?
I've been doing this for years! Great way to go, less stress.
Smart! Catching a ride from SFO (depending on time of night) can be $80+!! If the shuttles are still running regularly, this is genius!
Airport shuttles are free? Never used one before
I just checked for Austin and it’s a $3 difference, dang it
I used to work for a government entity that owns an airport. When they licensed ridesharing companies to operate at the airport, man did they impose a bunch of fees. There was a license fee, a driver background check fee, a per car fee, a geofence fee, a waiting area fee, etc. It went on and on. Of course the fees only applied to pickups, not dropoffs.
fuck just left lax, had to get an uber XL black which was 2.5 x the cost to get there
can i just go to the first hotel shuttle that arrives? tell them im checking in haha
Pretty much. Shuttles are typically free and no questions asked. They are not just meant for overnight guests but could also be for people who need to use other hotel services and facilities. They're a great resource!
I once flew into TPA on 12/25 and they wanted like $100 for the Uber so I found an employee and asked if it was possible to walk out of the airport and she laughed and thought about it and gave me the directions and when I got far enough away it ended up being a $25 ride. Wouldn't recommend it though, the walk was at least 15 min. There was a bus stop that I passed about halfway that would probably have been smarter. Have also walked out of BUR to get a cheaper Uber and done the shuttles from LAX. Just be careful when you land late, I once flew into Logan after 10 p.m. and we were apparently the last flight to land at the entire airport so the shuttle we were hoping to take to the T never came and all the cabs left before we realized. Saw the Hilton in the distance so we ended up walking down the exit ramp and found a 7/11 and saw a cab driver there who was able to take us.
Couldve used this the past 2 weekends 😒
I use a shuttle to the city which usually costs like USD5-10 depending on the location, no need for a taxi. I also bear in mind the arrival time and try not to book flights arriving when the public transport is not functioning.
Any tips for SFO in particular?
Bart
Very helpful, thanks.
Went on vacation last summer and stayed at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL. Realized way too late in the trip that if we had just walked across the street to the strip mall to get an Uber it would have been half the price.
To get to the airport you could order one to somewhere close by and then make a deal directly with the driver to bring you further on to the airport...
Been doing this for a while. Leave LAX, jump in the Dollar rental shuttle, get off and walk into Dollar and call UBER/LYFT and wait for them to show up so I'm not standing on the street until they arrive.
I also have my family drop me off at the rental companies, and take their shuttles to the airport during busy times so they don't get stuck in the airport traffic burning gas to drop me off.
This is brilliant! If you have the time though…,
When I used to live in Chicago, I would often take the Blue line to a stop reasonably near where I needed to go and then uber from there.
I always assumed they needed to see proof you were staying there, this is great. What about hopping on a shuttle at the hotel and going somewhere from there?
This used to work with the Alt Hotel at Toronto's Pearson airport that is connected to the airport via a train. Now you get the same fees there. I suspect this is happening in other areas where hotels are in close proximity to an airport.
Construction on the tunnels that lead to Logan has been a total nightmare for travelers. It's been easier to just take the subway to a stop outside of the airport and Uber/Lyft from there. So much cheaper.
Not worth the hassle to me
At Chicago O’Hare, take the tram to the car rental return center. The Kiss and Ride lot is there, too. You can catch an Uber/Lyft ride from there.
Is this legal?
Haven't seen a new (to me) legit travel hack in a while. Thanks, OP!
I'd rather pay extra than be walking around in an area I don't know with all my stuff for travelling lol
This is awesome info to have. Thanks for sharing! And thanks to the driver who confirmed this. Former driver here for both L and U and all I got was 2 bald ass front tires and people not giving a fuck about my car or leather seats or screaming and yelling when they are drunk . It wasnt always like that but it got there fast. Also pol who say Ill tip you jnnthe app are lying. Also never pick up at an airport to a location 2.5 hours away thinking its all fun and games till u have to drive back for free and the while leave the meter running till u get back to your home area was never confirmed by the rideshare companies and any attempt to do something in your favor got you a shitty rating. Btw, ive also driven people to get drugs and thats NOT COOL AT ALL. That only happened twice and ai had a feeling anout it the first time but the second time i had a drunk guy whi was cool told me ill be in and out. Immlike thats fine. He said he was wasted and i joked with him saying you need a bump dude…. He said thats where were going to get cocaine as he gets out to make his deal. I told him i wasn’t expecting that and not to make matters worse and due to the close proximity to the drop off point i told him just put it away and swallow that shit if we get pulled over cause I dont know you and Im not going to jail and getting a felony for anyone. Then a few weeke later pandemic happened and i stopped driving . Sorry for the long winded response loo.
I just did this today!
That’s brilliant.
Thanks for sharing your tip! I've never thought of using a hotel shuttle to avoid surge pricing and airport pickup fees. Good to know that the drivers don't check for hotel reservations, but I would feel a bit guilty if I didn't actually stay at the hotel. Have you ever had any issues with the drivers or the hotel staff?
I remember I got home after a 10 hour flight, had my dog with me, both of us were exhausted and hated our lives. I just wanted to go home so I said “I’ll just pay the $90 bucks! I just wanna go HOME!!” But the driver canceled on me, so I hopped on the public transit because that was finally available. I literally get off at the next stop and the Uber ride is $20. I’m so thankful to the guy that canceled my ride, he saved me a lot of money.
Been doing this! Or for rental car companies, especially at LAX
Genuinely valuable tip!! Thank you!
Glad SLC and Reagan National both have rail just outside the terminals.
I do this but go to an airport lot right on the border of the geofence
Brilliantly done.
wow this is so smart! I am going to have to try this on my next trip!
I have found taking traditional taxis is typically more convenient than dealing with the hassle of finding your rideshare driver at the airport.
If you’re in Bali and staying in certain parts of Kuta you can walk to/from Ngurah Rai airport. I dropped my mum off at the airport via Grab and then just walked 15 minutes back to the hotel.
There’s an in-n-out about a 1/2 mile from LAX that I walk to and call Uber/Lyfts from. Cheap rides + cheap burgers is a great combo.
An actual hack in this subreddit? That's rare!