Uber’s New PIN Feature Will Reduce Waiting Times At Airports

It can often be difficult to find an Uber when you’re looking to make a quick exit from the airport. That’s because you’re not the only one looking for an Uber. Airports, particularly those that are major hubs, are busy with tens of thousands of people going through them daily. This can lead to increased waiting times for cars but Uber is now trying out a new PIN feature in a bid to reduce waiting times at airports in the United States.

The PIN feature is currently being piloted at the Portland International Airport. It’s an appropriate location to test this out as Portland Airport can average around 400 Uber rides per hour during peak times. Riders will be given a one-time 6-digit numeric code that they can give to the first available driver. It’s basically like lining up for the taxi rank and waiting your turn to take one that’s free.

Riders will walk to the Uber pickup zone and join the line. They will request the ride and get the PIN in the app. They then give the PIN to the first available driver before they get in the car and they can then be on their way.

Uber will think about rolling out the PIN model to other airports if the trial in Portland is a success. However, it may not offer the feature at all airports, as the existing pickup models may be retained for some locations due to capacity limitations.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Transportation
Tags: Uber