Airport regulations
Pickups:
- Drivers are to stage in the shared Rideshare and Taxi lot off of Loyola Dr.
- Once a trip has been confirmed, drivers should proceed to the in-app indicated zone at Rideshare Pickup on the Arrivals level middle curb.
- Drivers must show their waybill via the driver app upon request from airport officials or law enforcement at the airport.
Dropoffs:
- Drivers may drop off passengers only on the departures level.
- Drivers must display trade dress on their vehicles.
Driver-partners must adhere to the terms below:
Failure to do so may result in the receipt of a citation or even restriction of access to airport trips. Please note that Uber will not pay for any citations that driver-partners may incur.
- When on airport property, the Uber driver app must be open at all times (driver-partners must not go Offline until exiting the airport area)
- We’ve instituted a special first vehicle in is the first one out (FIFO) system at MSY. The FIFO system only works within the designated, geofenced area and driver-partners waiting elsewhere will not receive trip requests through the Uber app.
- The Uber vehicle decal (trade dress) must always be displayed on the front passenger windshield facing outward. Driver-partners can obtain this Uber decal by filling out this form to receive one by mail.
Pro tips
- Driver cancellations: Trip cancellations 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 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.
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 the lot behind Cell Phone Lot C (see map below).
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 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, the pickup location at MSY is located at The Ground Transportation Center (see map below). In the Ground Transportation Center, you must go to the area designated “App Based Ride Services” area and park in a number spot.
UberX pickups
In partnership with MSY, between the hours of 8am and 11pm, the UberX process for picking up riders at MSY will differ from the usual process (as detailed above). At all other times, please follow the usual process (detailed above) for picking up at MSY.
Once you reach the top of the UberX driver queue, you will receive an alert to head to the Uber Pickup Zone. Upon arriving at the terminal, you will see signage and parking staff instructing you to the arrivals curb (which, as a reminder, is on the Arrivals level, on the middle curb, at Zone 4).
Once there: Join the queue of UberX drivers and keep pulling forward until parking staff directs a rider to your vehicle. Your rider will provide you with a unique 6-digit PIN code; swipe up and tap Enter rider PIN on the bottom of your Driver app and input the code. After entering the PIN, you can start your trip.
Note: In order to unlock access to the PIN feature, you’ll need the latest version of the Uber Driver app, so we recommend updating your app. In order to qualify for a ride, you’ll still be required to enter the airport’s waiting lot first, located off Loyola Dr next to the Taxi staging area. Starting on Wednesday, November 6th, MSY will be running PIN dispatch during he new hours of 8am - 11pm, daily.
Dropoffs at the airport
Based on the operating agreement with the airport, riders can be dropped off at their terminals. If you’d like to receive a trip request afterward, you’ll need to keep the Uber app on to maintain your place in the FIFO queue.
Re-Match feature
We’ve also launched the Re-Match feature at this airport. To qualify for Re-Match, driver-partners must first complete a dropoff at the airport. Re-Match then allows any driver-partner who just completed an airport dropoff to temporarily receive a pickup request without having to go to the staging lot. Once you drop off at the airport, if you wish, you can head toward the staging lot behind Lot C to wait in the FIFO queue for an airport request. Upon navigation to the staging lot, you may receive a Re-Match request. Airport regulations prohibit loitering in the terminal area. Idling at the curb may result in a citation from airport authorities.
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