OP-ED: The New Changes for Rideshares at Boston Logan Airport Hurt Passengers

27.07.2023 - 18:05 / smartertravel.com

As I dragged my suitcase past the dozens of purple signs and arrows pointing to the new “Rideshare App” pickup at Boston Logan, I realized everyone around me was just as confused about the new process as I was. Here’s what I experienced recently with the new Uber/Lyft changes at Boston Logan Airport. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t good.

On a recent rideshare to Boston Logan, my driver dropped me off at the new “Central Parking” area. But neither my driver nor I could not figure out where I should go to enter the terminal, since we were in a mostly vacant lower level parking garage and there were no signs pointing me where to go, only just curbside labels of Terminal A, B, and C. Once I got out and walked to the other side of the drop-off curb, a parking attendant directed me to the elevators to take me up to my terminal. After about a seven to 10-minute walk through elevators, moving walkways, and escalators, I finally recognized something familiar in the airport (an airport I’ve been to probably over 100 times mind you) and found my way to the security lane at Terminal C.

The Massport website says “For departing passengers, the walk from this new Uber and Lyft area is approximately 5-7 minutes to the ticket counter, or shorter depending on your airline and terminal.” I had a light carry-on and walk faster than average, and there is no way someone would make that walk in five minutes. There is a curbside check-in available for departing passengers at the drop-off location; however, the line was long when I walked past and passengers were being told to go up to the normal check-in lines. If I were traveling with multiple suitcases, strollers, children, or a pet, I would be extremely frustrated with this new, added inconvenience of airport rideshare. The only win for passengers with this new plan is that if you’re getting dropped off for a departing flight between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., you can be dropped off at your terminal (but at the arrivals rather than departures curb).

Lesson learned: Leave at least an extra 15 minutes for the new Uber/Lyft drop-off at Logan if you’re coming between 10 a.m. and 4 a.m.

In fairness, I didn’t love the pickup situation at Logan previously for Terminal B, but as a passenger, I felt that the Terminal C lot option worked fine. The parking lot was large enough to accommodate traffic flow, it was close to the baggage claim area, and there were climate-controlled waiting vestibules. For drivers though, it was a nightmare of circling the airport until matched with a rider. There were numerous times where I did encounter long wait times for pickups at Logan, as well as increased surge