Angry Travelers Face Long Lines at LAX's New Rideshare Pickup
Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport endured wait times of over an hour for Uber, Lyft, and taxi rides. Airport officials have banned curbside pickups so travelers must board a shuttle or walk to the new pickup area.

For most travelers, wait times for Uber and Lyft rides exceeded an hour.
Photo via Brendan C/Flickr.
Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) faced packed shuttle buses and long wait times using the new Uber, Lyft, and taxi pickup system, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.
For most travelers, wait times for Uber and Lyft rides exceeded an hour. On Tuesday night, LAX officials apologized to travelers for an “unacceptable level of service,” says the report.
Under this new system, travelers board a shuttle or walk to the new pickup area (LAX-it lot) – east of Terminal 1 – to get a taxi or to find their Uber or Lyft driver. Airport officials banned Uber, Lyft, and taxi curbside pickups to try to mitigate airport congestion, especially with construction beginning on several projects at the airport.
“Construction of the Automated People Mover train and stations is beginning in the Central Terminal Area, and LAX-it is needed to relieve the pressure of construction impacts that would make traffic unbearable if nothing were done,” said Keith Wilschetz, deputy executive director for operations and emergency management at the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
The congestion was caused by several issues, including large numbers of travelers and Uber and Lyft drivers who were confused by the new pickup system, according to the LA Times report. Uber and Lyft also had problems with matching riders with drivers.
As of Wednesday, the airport started making changes to signage, road striping, traffic patterns, and adding more traffic officers, according to a press release by LAWA.
Other changes that will occur during this first week of operation, include adding and redeploying staff to assist with LAX-it guests at the curb and at the LAX-it lot, adding video messages to the shuttles to inform guests about how to use LAX-it, and sending the Airport Response Team to provide more staff at certain locations to help travelers.
More Rental Operations

What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers
The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.
Read More →
Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service
Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.
Read More →
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
