The Annoying Thing You Probably Do When You Take A Rideshare To The Airport

Getting to and from the airport is one of the downsides of traveling. You can beg a friend to take you there (the truest test of friendship). You can call a taxi, though there are many common travel scams that are associated with them. You can drive yourself, though first-time flyers often make the mistake of parking in an expensive or remote lot, adding to travel stress. The clear option, besides public transportation, is taking a rideshare to the airport. However, there is something you're probably doing that is very annoying for the driver and can end up costing them — and you — money. It might even get your ride canceled. The practice is called "anchoring," and it involves having one person sit in the ride to hold it for a travel companion who is running late, "anchoring" them to the spot.  

Say you've called an Uber or a Lyft but your companion isn't ready. You message the driver over the app and let them know, but then you get in the car and wait until the other person comes out. This is wasting time the driver could be using to pick up other passengers. In fact, if you take too long, it could get your requested ride canceled by the driver. You can also be charged a wait-time fee.

When you order a rideshare, you can see how long it's going to take the driver to reach you. In fact, there is a countdown on the app, so you know (barring traffic issues) exactly when they're going to arrive. Everyone should be ready to go once the vehicle pulls up. Of course, things happen, but if one of your party is running late, cancel the ride and request another when you're actually ready. If you're taking a trip that's shared with strangers, you're costing them precious minutes as well.

Uber and Lyft allow a short wait period, and if your entire party isn't in the car by the time that stretch ends, you're going to be charged a per-minute fee before your ride begins, or it can be canceled. For instance, Uber's website explains that you have two minutes for an UberX and five minutes for a Black or Black SUV from the time the driver arrives before a fee is charged. There may also be additional fees if it's a busy time. This is to help compensate the driver, who could be doing another pickup. (The wait-time fee is waived if the driver cancels and you're charged a cancellation or no-show fee.) 

Lyft's website explains that it also charges a per-minute fee for waits longer than two minutes, or five minutes for Lux Black and Lux Black XL, from the time the driver said they'd arrive. Again, if it's busy, the wait fee can go up, but you won't be charged the fee if you're charged for cancellation, and there are exceptions for Healthcare riders, Concierge rides, and Lyft Assisted rides. To avoid hassle, be kind and make sure you're ready to go before you order your ride. And once you arrive at the airport, be sure to avoid these time-wasting airport security mistakes.