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It took them a while, but UberX will finally be allowed to pick up passengers from LAX.After being beaten to the punch by their rival Lyft last month, Uber's lowest-priced service will begin pickups at LAX at 8 a.m. on Thursday. "We are bringing LAX passengers what they have been asking for — better access to reliable, convenient transportation from the airport," said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement. "Tomorrow, those options expand dramatically with the arrival of UberX."
Just Announced: Starting January 21st, travelers can call #UberX for pickups at #LAX! pic.twitter.com/UZZKvFXPyd
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) January 20, 2016
Much like Lyft, UberX drivers will have to pick up passengers from the upper departures level, in an area marked "ride services." Riders will also be subject to an additional $4 airport surcharge. According to L.A. Weekly, UberX will also have a limit on the number of available drivers available at a time.
The announcement comes many, many months after Garcetti's promise during the State of the City address in April to bring ride-sharing services to LAX by the summer. Although the City Council finally gave the ridesharing services the green light in August, it wasn’t until December that Lyft was allowed to do pickups.
"As with any airport negotiation, it's a very extensive process," Christopher Ballard, Uber's general manager of Southern California, told the L.A. Times. "A lot of work went into this on both sides of the aisle."
