Uber, Lyft fees to increase at SFO in July Curbside charge rises to $5, cheaper garage fee introduced

Photo: SFO FILE-- A new ride-sharing pick up and drop off area on the top...

Curbside pick-ups and drop-offs for Uber, Lyft and Wingz rides at San Francisco International Airport will cost more starting Sunday, July 1 when a new two-tier traffic congestion pricing system goes into effect.

Trips that begin or end at the curb in front of terminals will see a new $5 fee, an increase from the current $3.80 fee the airport charges ride hailing companies every time they begin or finish a trip at SFO.

Airport trips that begin or end at the new ride share and limo pick-up zone located on the top-level of the central garage (the big one that connects all the domestic terminals- see image above) will be charged a slightly cheaper fee of $3.60. The passenger loading zone went into operation Monday and is designed specifically for use by ride hailing vehicles and limousines.

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FILE-- Curbside pick-ups and drop-offs for Uber, Lyft and Wingz rides at San Francisco International Airport will cost more starting Sunday, July 1 when a new two-tier traffic congestion pricing system goes into effect. less FILE-- Curbside pick-ups and drop-offs for Uber, Lyft and Wingz rides at San Francisco International Airport will cost more starting Sunday, July 1 when a new two-tier traffic congestion pricing system ... more Photo: Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills Photo: Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Uber, Lyft fees to increase at SFO in July 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Uber tells TravelSkills they will pass the new costs to its customers — meaning some airport rides will become slightly costlier or cheaper depending on where trips originate or end at SFO.

Lyft tells us customers using classic non-shared Lyft rides will see a $1 increase, but fees will remain unchanged for shared Lyft rides, like Lyft Line.

Wingz has not yet gotten back to us on whether its respective airport surcharges will change to reflect the two-tier pricing structure, but we'll update this post when we hear from them. The three companies currently pass on airport fees to their customers.

On Monday, Uber POOL and Uber Express POOL pick-ups began to use the new passenger loading zone. An Uber spokesperson said all drop-offs can still happen at terminal curbs. Uber riders who order an UberX or Uber Black ride can still be picked-up and dropped-off curbside at the terminals — so aside from the higher fee, there's really no change if you're riding in a non-shared Uber car.

The main change for riders is that you now have the option of facing congestion at the curbside (and paying more for it), or a slightly longer walk to your gate by choosing to be dropped in the central garage area. My take is this: If you have lots of luggage or difficulty walking, it will make more sense to use the curbside. If you are in a hurry and only have carry on luggage, then opt for the central parking lot.

Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel said some Lyft rides will do pick-ups in the central garage passenger loading zone during peak congestion periods — between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6 p.m. -11 p.m.

Lyft plans to move all shared ride pick-ups (Lyft Line) to the loading zone within the next two weeks, according to the company. Until then, customers can still hail curbside pick-ups for all Lyft rides.

There are no changes to the way Wingz picks-up and drops-off customers yet, Yakel said.

Why is this being done? The airport is rolling out an aggressive plan to alleviate worsening traffic congestion at the airport where an estimated one out of every two vehicles using roadways around the terminals is a ride-hailing vehicle.

Ride hailing companies currently pick-up and drop-off passengers on the upper departures level of the airport, but airport officials want to steer those drivers and riders away from congested terminal curbs. If you do not mind a walk, or an AirTrain ride, the central garage loading zone may be a perfect solution to avoid SFO's curbside gridlock.

"Our analysis of roadway traffic indicates that reducing even a portion of Transportation Networking Company traffic at the terminals should be sufficient to reduce congestion issues," Yakel said. "So the changes launched Monday by Uber, and mid-July by Lyft, should be enough to achieve this, but we will be evaluating and adjusting as needed."

On Monday, the airport also began waiving parking charges for all vehicles in the hourly garages for cars staying 30 minutes or less. That should provide ample time for both private vehicle drivers or ride-share drivers to pick-up or drop-off fliers and avoid terminal roads altogether. You may remember, SFO tested this concept during the busy 2017 holiday travel season.

When the TNC fee changes were first proposed last month, Uber opposed the concept saying it would not help traffic congestion, but after discussions with San Francisco Airport officials, the ride share giant has changed its position.

"Uber's investment in this pilot program is a testament to the priority we place on constantly improving the customer experience," said Tom Maguire, Uber's West Coast General Manager. "With deep collaboration between our teams, we're proud to be partnering with SFO to promote speedy, efficient pickups and drop-offs for Uber Pool and Express Pool riders and drivers."

Lyft has maintained a softer stance on the issue.

"Like any other transportation provider, there are fees associated with being able to operate on airport property," said Bakari Brock, Senior Director of Lyft Business. "We are always focused on providing the most affordable, reliable ride option for our passengers."

The TNC fees collected by SFO have proven to be extremely lucrative to the city. The airport has collected $39 million from ride hailing companies since 2014 when Uber, Lyft and other companies agreed to pay a $3.80 per trip airport surcharge in return for providing rides at SFO.

If all of these changes seem to be confusing, they can be. Uber has sent "brand ambassadors" to the airport this week to help guide riders to the new passenger loading zone. We will also monitor the situation here so stay tuned for any changes.

What do you think of SFO's solution to traffic woes at the airport? Will this help? Will you use the new pick-up or drop off area at SFO or stick to the curbside? Please leave your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.