Arriving at LAX may be the easy part. Finding your way to an Uber can be a different story.
As Los Angeles prepares for an influx of World Cup visitors, some travelers are already criticizing the airport’s much-debated LAX-it rideshare pickup area, saying the journey from the terminal to the lot can tack on as much as 30 minutes after a long flight.
The centralized pickup zone opened in October 2019, after Los Angeles International Airport restricted most curbside rideshare pickups and redirected Uber and Lyft passengers to a lot located east of Terminal 1.
“It’s confusing,” said Kirsten Bolton, who had just landed from Austin. “I usually fly into Burbank for this reason.”
Travelers can reach the lot on foot, though the walk is generally manageable only for those arriving at Terminals 1 and 7.
“It just seems really far away,” Bolton said. “And it just doesn’t flow very well.”
For many passengers, the alternative is a free shuttle bus, but riders frequently describe the buses as crowded, slow and difficult to navigate.
“It was pretty cluttered and we were jam packed in there,” Leanne Dupuis said after arriving from Boston. “And I didn’t really know where we were going, which seems to be the sentiment from a lot of folks.”
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Depending on the terminal and time of day, the shuttle ride can take upwards of 30 minutes.
“It’s not really close,” Ada Cruz, visiting from Delaware, said. “You have to get through traffic before you get here to even request a rideshare.”
Another frustration for passengers: Many rideshare apps don’t allow travelers to request a car until they reach the lot.
“When I got here, I’ve had to request Uber a couple different times… which was inconvenient to say the least,” said James Stephenson after arriving from Fort Lauderdale. “Waiting 15-20 minutes after your six-hour flight, you want to be able to get an Uber as quick as possible.”
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When Stephenson first left the airport, he was approached by a private driver, but the ride would have cost about $20 more than an Uber.
“Going through with my guitar, with my carry-on, with everything through the bus, I can do it, but it is very convoluted,” he said. “It would be a lot more fluid and easy if I was picked up from the terminal, and I’d pay for expense for that.”
Travelers can still be picked up curbside — but only if they pay for premium services such as Uber Black.
“I’ve seen influencers do it, but I looked at the cost and it was like double the price of the current Uber,” said Jenny Liu, who just graduated from USC. “I wish there was a better option. Having friends and family come to pick me up isn’t really feasible… a lot of students don’t have the means to come pick me u
