It's a Christmas miracle! App-based ride-hailing services Lyft and Uber were in the long, arduous race to the airport together but looks like Lyft has pulled ahead. Lyft has been cleared to pick up passengers at LAX starting Wednesday, reports the LA Times—making it the first service of its kind to be allowed to get travelers from the airport. Previously, Uber and Lyft were only allowed to drop off, meaning the airport was one of the last holdouts of taxi supremacy in Los Angeles.
Lyft's pick-ups will happen at the upstairs, in the departures area, which Lyft "originally opposed" because it does mean that their riders with luggage will have to haul their stuff up from baggage claim. For each pickup and dropoff at the airport, Lyft will tack on an extra $4 to the ride—a cost that will be passed on to riders.
What about Uber? So far, the news is just that they haven't been approved for pickups yet. No Uber reps have yet returned the Times's request for comment on what their timeline for pickups might be. But seeing as how reports earlier this week made it seem like neither ride-hailing service was going to be able to offer rides home from the airport this season, maybe there's still hope for Uber. Both services were given the go-ahead to apply to pick up passengers at the airport earlier this year.
· Lyft can pick you up at LAX starting Wednesday [LAT]
· Why Can't Uber and Lyft Make Pickups at LAX During the Holiday Travel Season? [Curbed LA]
· [Curbed LA]