Limousine Finder: UberX Starts Picking Up Arriving Passengers At LAX

Thursday, January 21, 2016

UberX Starts Picking Up Arriving Passengers At LAX

<p>UberX cars will have to pick up arrivals on the departure level, requiring passengers to head upstairs after collecting bags. </p> After months of negotiations and political infighting, the wait is over: Drivers for Uber’s lowest-cost ride service will be allowed to pick up travelers at Los Angeles International Airport starting at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Uber is the second [transportation network company] to be granted full access to one of Southern California’s most lucrative ride markets. Its main rival, Lyft, started working at LAX in December.

Passengers seeking a ride in an Uber driven by a state-licensed town car operator — the UberBLACK, UberSUV or UberLUX services — will catch those rides on the lower level, where taxis and limos pick up.

Drivers for both companies are required to wait in a holding area east of 96th Street until they get a request for a ride through the company apps. No more than 40 drivers per company are allowed in that area at one time.

The LAX permit requires Lyft and Uber to each pay the airport a minimum of $25,000 per month from $4 fees for each drop-off and pickup. The fees, passed along to passengers, will go to the airport’s general operating budget.

Taxis pay a similar fee, passed on to passengers, to make pick-ups at LAX, but drop-offs are free.

Los Angeles Times article here