I dislike many aspects of early morning flights. Firstly, I dislike waking up early. Additionally, determining the ideal time to leave for the airport is a challenge. In the past, we’ve faced difficulties when taking public transportation to the airport for early morning flights. Even if you opt for a taxi or ride-sharing service, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to find a driver.
There’s always the option to use a car service, but even then, you’re not immune from being scammed by a driver.
On a recent trip, when we needed an early morning ride to the airport, I decided to give the Uber Reserve service a try. Uber Reserve is a newer function in the app where you can request a ride up to 90 days in advance.
How does Uber Reserve work?
Request a ride up to 90 days in advance at any time of the day. Make sure to book a Reserve trip more than two hours prior to your departure to access the full benefits of the trip.
To book a Reserve trip, go to the Uber app on your mobile device and:
- Select Reserve on the home page in the app
- Enter your trip information and select your ride of choice
- Confirm your trip
Reserving your ride
The night before our flight, I opened the app and put in the details for our airport trip. For a 6:45 AM pickup, I was provided several options. I found it interesting that the Uber Green was the least expensive option when they would usually be the same car you’ll see with UberX.
After selecting my ride, I received a confirmation email.
Ride Experience
I didn’t know what to expect, and we were still apprehensive that the service would work as promised. We were getting ready to leave the room around 6:20 AM, and I received a notification from Uber that our driver was set for an early arrival. Looking at the app, it said our driver was 5 minutes away. The message also said that we wouldn’t be charged extra and the driver would wait until the 6:45 scheduled time. We went downstairs to the lobby, checked out, and headed to the front door. We didn’t wait outside because it was close to freezing in Minnesota.
That’s when the time for our driver went from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. Then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes.
Our driver arrived at 6:47 AM, which was the scheduled time. However, there was some grumbling between us about the system.
Watch out for extra fees
Besides the pickup time estimate, the other problem I have with using Uber Reserve is having to lock in a price in advance. Our ride from the airport only cost $20 but our ride to the airport was $35. Upon getting the receipt, it shows an extra charge of $6 for a “Reservation Fee”. This amount is added to the bill by Uber when using Uber Reserve.
Would I use Uber Reserve again?
The service delivered what it promised. Our driver showed up close to the scheduled time and we didn’t have to worry about getting a ride to the airport. Our driver explained to us that there were several road closings around the hotel during the morning hours and he had to take a different route to pick us up. That would account for the inaccurate estimates provided by the Uber app.
But with having to lock in a price and paying extra fees, the service doesn’t seem to be worth the extra cost. I might feel different if I were looking for a ride from a more remote location but when I’m looking for a ride to the airport from a city, I’ll stick to requesting a ride from the app when I’m ready to leave the hotel.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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