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Driving at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

Airports can be complicated places, especially for drivers. But knowing the basics, and getting information in advance about your local airport, can help make sure you’re prepared for your first pickup or dropoff.

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Airport regulations

Regulations for driver-partners

  • Driver cancelations: Trip cancelations can take away from the great Uber experience that both riders and driver-partners expect. Please remember that driver-partners who improperly use the app and intentionally disrupt the service, including excessively canceling rides or asking riders to cancel rides, may lose the ability to receive trip requests to and from the airport through the Uber Driver app.
  • Ground transportation and airport security staff: Airport rules are as important as traffic rules. Airports expect driver-partners to follow the instructions of the airport staff.
  • Trade Dress: The Uber decal (trade dress) must always be displayed on the front passenger windshield facing outward. Driver-partners can request to receive replacement Uber decals by mail.

Pickups at the airport

Pickups at the airport

It is easy to receive trip requests from riders leaving the airport. However, these trips work a little differently than other requests.

Waiting for requests

Uber’s technology uses a first-in-first-out (FIFO) queue. This means that, in order to receive a trip request, you need to enter the designated waiting area, located within a “FIFO zone”. You will then be placed in a virtual queue where the first driver-partner to enter will be the first to receive a trip request.

Based on the operating agreement with the airport, the waiting area is located at 6135 Will Clayton Parkway.

Some things to know about FIFO queues:

  • Proximity to the terminal within the FIFO zone does not create an advantage for driver-partners or move you closer to the top of the queue.
  • If there are no driver-partners in the FIFO zone, trip requests will go to Uber driver-partners in the area—outside of the FIFO zone—based on proximity and other factors.
  • You can lose your place in line if:
    • You go offline on your Uber driver app
    • You drive outside the FIFO zone
    • You do not accept multiple incoming trip requests in a row
    • You cancel multiple rides (if the rider cancels, you will remain at the top of the queue)

Picking up your rider

Once you accept a trip request, check your app for the terminal and pickup location. * In Terminal A, pickups occur in the former employee parking lot on the western side of the terminal building. * In Terminal B, pickups occur on the ground floor of the Terminal AB Parking Garage. Enter from the leftmost lane of South Terminal Road and follow signs for the rideshare pickup zone. * In Terminal C, pickups occur on the ground floor of the Terminal C Parking Garage. Follow signs for the Uber pickup zone. * In Terminal D & E, pickups occur on the Arrivals level curb along the outermost lane. Follow signs for Ride App pickup zone.

Dropoffs at the airport

Dropoffs at the airport

Based on the operating agreement with the airport, riders can be dropped off at the arrivals area of their terminal. If you’d like to receive a trip request afterward, you’ll need to keep the Uber Driver app on to maintain your place in the FIFO queue.

Rematch feature

We’ve also launched the Rematch feature at the airport. To qualify for Rematch, driver-partners must first complete a drop off at the airport. Rematch then allows any driver-partner who just completed an airport drop off to temporarily receive a pick up request without having to go to the Staging Lot. Once you drop off at the airport, if you wish, you can head towards the waiting lot to wait in the queue for an airport request. Upon navigation to the staging lot, you may receive a Rematch request. Airport regulations prohibit loitering in the terminal area or idling at the curb.

IAH pickup maps