If you’re interested in learning how to schedule a ride with Lyft, you’re on the right guide! Many people need help to book a scheduled ride, but we’re here to hold your hand and walk you through it.
This article will focus on the following:
- Identifying What a Scheduled Lyft Ride Is
- How Scheduled Rides Work
- Why You Want to Schedule a Lyft Ride
- Scheduled Lyft Ride Availability
- Cost of Scheduled Rides
- And Many More!
Before diving deeper into that, it’s imperative to know and understand how Lyft rides are booked and caught. In a nutshell, a Lyft ride, like an Uber ride, is when a passenger books a car to get from point A to point B. You’ll be taken from a pickup location to a drop-off in a specific timeframe.
Now, what is a scheduled ride?
What is a Scheduled Ride?
A scheduled ride, generally speaking, is a ride that’s been booked ahead of time. Whether on the same day, within the week, or even a month, it’s considered an advanced or scheduled ride.
Like other gig economy rides, you can schedule a ride using the Lyft app or the website. For the app, you need to select the timeframe, which will be on the right-hand side of the “where you are going” field.
Choose a pickup location, date, and time, and then finish it up. In just a few steps, you’ll be able to schedule Lyft rides in advance!
How Do Lyft Scheduled Rides Work?
Now that you know the nooks and crannies of scheduled rides, how does it work? I mean, it’s a pretty exceptional feature for both the Lyft driver and the rider because of how organized it is.
In understanding how Lyft’s scheduled rides work, there are a few things to know first:
- How far in advance is a ride request possible?
- Is there a specific pickup time or just a pickup window?
- Are scheduled rides guaranteed?
- Is there an editing or cancellation fee?
- Do drivers see the designated time of your scheduled ride?
- Are Scheduled Rides Available For Everyone?
Now that we have all these let’s answer these questions so you don’t guess!
How Advance Can You Book a Scheduled Ride?
According to the company, a passenger can ride in advance and book it up to seven days (one week) in advance. Lyft lets passengers schedule a ride in advance so that they can be sure.
However, some regions accept scheduled rides up to 30 days or a month in advance. Furthermore, riders will get notified of the ride details and confirmation that a Lyft driver took the trip.
Can You Book a Specific Pickup Time or Just a Pickup Window?
You can choose a pickup window and then specify the time. However, Lyft gives the disclaimer that they can’t guarantee that a driver will show up during the pickup window at the location.
There can be a wait time, depending on driver availability, so use the Lyft ” schedule a ride” appropriately.
Can Lyft Guarantee Scheduled Rides?
Unfortunately, Lyft can’t guarantee the availability of drivers in the area during the pickup window you’ve set. This is the wrong part of it. Regardless of the ride type, Lyft won’t give you the guarantee that your scheduled ride will be booked.
Do Scheduled Rides Feature an Editing or Cancellation Fee?
Yes, a cancellation fee will be involved if you cancel one hour before the designated pickup. We’ll discuss more of the cancellation later!
Editing, on the other hand, won’t charge you fees. You can edit a scheduled ride by tapping the calendar icon on the top-right corner of the screen, then select Edit Ride.
Can Drivers See Scheduling Lyft Rides?
Yes. When you’re done toggling the schedule icon, drivers in the area will see your request, complete with the ride details, like the designated pickup window and pickup address. Of course, they’ll also know the price. Many drivers base it on the price, whether they’ll accept it or not.
Are Scheduled Rides Available For Everyone?
Unfortunately, no. Some areas or regions don’t have an option for scheduled rides.
These, by far, are the most important things to note about scheduled rides with Lyft you should know of. Whether you do it on the Lyft app, through the website, or if your schedule is a few hours away vs. days away, understanding these can improve your experience!
How to Book a Scheduled Lyft Ride
Here’s the quick and easy step-by-step process of booking a scheduled ride via Lyft! We’ll guide and help you book a scheduled ride via the Lyft app or the website!
Booking a Scheduled Ride via the Lyft App
- Open the Lyft app on your device.
- Then, schedule a ride by tapping the schedule button on the calendar icon. It’s usually on the upper-right corner of your screen, beside the field where you input your destination.
- After that, choose a date and time.
- Select pickup time, and there you have it!
You’ll receive a confirmation pickup message when it’s done.
Booking a Scheduled Ride via the Website
- If you’re going to book via the website, visit the scheduled ride link.
- Then, enter your phone number and click the sign up now button.
- Confirm and verify your phone number by entering it on the site.
- Once done, schedule a Lyft ride by clicking the schedule button on the selection.
So that is how you schedule a Lyft ride in advance!
Benefits of Booking a Scheduled Lyft Ride
A few pros and advantages of going for scheduled rides with Lyft are there. And while many people might disagree on this, Lyft drivers do, and they think people should start using scheduled rides more often.
You Won’t Stress Out “On the Day”
The main benefit or advantage of scheduling a ride in advance is that you wouldn’t have to stress out on the day. If it’s a typical day and you want to be hands-free, a scheduled ride may be your best bet.
Just beware of the notifications nearing your pickup time (within your pickup window) to see if a Lyft driver is on the way.
Nonetheless, you’ll be fine while waiting at your scheduled time.
You’re More Flexible
With you having a ride prepared for you, you become more flexible. I’m not talking about flexibility in terms of ride modes, pickup location, or variables alike, but in terms of what you can do with your time.
Sometimes, it takes a passenger 10 to 15 minutes to book a Lyft for regular rides. It may even take half an hour if the designated time is terrible, if there’s traffic congestion, etc.
With a scheduled ride, you don’t have to do anything on the day. You must wait for the notification, and you’re gone for good.
You Have Options
And the primary thing that passengers love about a scheduled ride is their opportunity to have different options. You see when a passenger cancels a ride, it’s one of two things: they decide to go for an additional service, or they find another ride.
That’s what cancelations and the “wait time windows” are for.
Disadvantages of Booking Scheduled Lyft Rides
There are, however, a couple of disadvantages of a scheduled Lyft ride, and these include:
Your Lyft Driver Might Show Up Early… Or Not At All
One of the things that could happen when you book in advance is to see your driver’s minutes — even an hour earlier than your specific time. This has been a common notion, especially in inner cities.
Besides being an early bird, a no-show is also at stake. Some passengers don’t receive notifications because no driver accepted or the driver canceled the ride earlier.
Extra Costs Are Possible
Don’t ever think that a scheduled ride entails standard pricing. That is not usually the case. Surge pricing can affect your fare frequently, especially if you schedule at a busy time.
Anticipate a few dollars more than you expect to pay to avoid being shocked by pricing.
Hard to Book if You Cancel Ride
When a passenger cancels, it may be hard to catch a ride, especially if it’s during demon hours. This, though, will depend on your pick-up location and the area where you live in. So, if you don’t receive a notification a few hours before your window, it will be best to find an alternative.
What is the Availability of Scheduled Lyft Rides?
A scheduled Lyft ride can be booked for up to seven days in most cities and up to 30 days in some. Take note, though, that the availability of scheduled rides is the same as standard ones.
There is no guarantee of acceptance and confirmation; it will still depend on the drivers within the area whether they’ll accept your booking or not.
How Much Does a Scheduled Lyft Ride Cost?
People who schedule rides often know this, but generally, you wouldn’t have to pay for anything for a scheduled ride. The fares are typically based on time, distance, and traffic situation in areas you’ll be passing by.
Unless the time you booked had a surge in pricing, you don’t have to worry about paying extra.
What is Lyft’s Cancellation Policy?
So far, what we know of Lyft’s cancellation fee is that when a passenger cancels in any of the following scenarios, a cancellation fee will apply:
- After matching with a driver
- Within one hour of pickup
- When the driver is on the way to pick you up
- When the driver has the schedule to arrive within the pickup window
Basically, you can cancel your ride request ahead of time, but by doing so within the hour of your pickup, you’ll be subject to the fees.
How Do You Cancel Your Scheduled Lyft Ride?
Here’s a quick and easy guide of canceling a scheduled Lyft ride:
- On your smartphone, access the Lyft app.
- Then, tap the calendar icon in the upper-right hand corner of the home screen. You should see it immediately.
- After that, select Cancel Ride under the Scheduled Ride option.
NOTE: This is also where you can edit the scheduled ride. Instead of choosing “cancel,” you can choose “edit” and change up the details of your scheduled trip there.
FAQs
If you have questions about scheduling a ride, whether about your pickup location, the window, or scheduled rides in general, we have got you covered!
Is Lyft Cheaper Than Uber?
When it comes to price, Uber is generally cheaper than Lyft. Why? Because they tend to have higher rates for their per-mile and per-minute charges than Uber. The benefit is less demand because almost everyone uses Uber.
How Reliable is Scheduling a Lyft in Advance?
Personally, we can say that ordinary or standard Lyft rides are reliable. However, if you schedule Lyft rides, that’s a totally different story. Since there is no guarantee, the company isn’t actually fully reliable for your ride.
Is it Cheaper to Schedule a Lyft Ride or Wait?
Contrary to what most people believe in, scheduling a ride either through the Lyft app or the website, would have extra costs because of advanced timing. However, that’s not correct. In fact, the price will still depend on the same variables such as the pickup time and location, destination, and traffic.
Can You Book Lyft in Advance For Airport?
Yes, in fact, some regions allow a scheduled ride for up to 30 days in advance. So, if you need to book in advance with the fear of not being able to get a ride, you can take advantage of Lyft’s scheduled trip feature!
Final Verdict
So, in case you want to schedule a ride with Lyft and you know little information about it, here’s everything you need! With most ride-hailing services and companies, you can schedule a Lyft ride so long as you have the app or the website and you have the specifics of where you’re going to be picked up from and where you’re going.
