How to Schedule a Ride in Advance with Lyft

Evan Gower August 12, 2019

Lyft is one of the most popular transportation apps in the US. It’s used daily by hundreds of thousands of users. Many of them are working on tight schedules, and they don’t have a lot of time to waste on getting a cab.

How to Schedule a Ride in Advance with Lyft

Lyft has recognized that issue, so it introduced an option that allows you to book a ride in advance. That will enable you to plan your trip ahead of time, so you can get to where you’re going without having to worry about transportation. Read on and learn how to schedule a Lyft ride in advance.

The Benefits

Lyft is a very convenient app that allows you to get from point A to point B, much like Uber. The fact that you can schedule a ride 24 hours in advance makes life more comfortable when you’re on a tight schedule. For example, if your plane departs in the morning and you need to be at the airport at 4 AM, the last thing you want is to spend an hour looking for a cab in the middle of the night.

That’s where booking a Lyft ride jumps in. You can order a ride a day earlier, and it will be waiting for you when you exit your building or hotel.

This feature is also often used by people who want to make it to an important business meeting. If you don’t have the luxury of being late to an appointment, it’s always best to book a ride in advance. You could try getting a Lyft ride the regular way, but you will probably have to wait for 20 to 30 minutes for it to arrive. Skip that stress altogether by booking a ride a few hours earlier.

One more good reason to book a ride in advance is the price. Lyft has a thing called Lyft Prime Time that kicks in during the rush hour. The prices are a little higher if you take a ride then. But if you book the ride in advance, you will get the standard price, no matter when the ride takes place. Plus, the app will tell you the cost of your ride before you book it. That means that you will know what to expect, without those nasty surprises that often come with using standard taxis.

How to Schedule a Lyft Ride in Advance

Lyft is a straightforward app with clear instructions, so it’s not hard to figure out how to book a ride in advance. Here’s what you have to do:

Set the location where you want to be picked up.
Set the drop-off location by picking it on the map or entering the address.
Hit the “Schedule” button and choose the date and time when you need the lift.
Set the pickup time a little earlier than what you need because the app can’t guarantee that the driver will be there exactly on time.
Be at the pickup spot on time. Lyft will send you reminders on time to make sure you don’t forget about it.

How to Cancel a Scheduled Lyft Ride

Scheduling a Lyft ride in advance can be a great idea, but sometimes plans change. When that happens, you can always cancel it in a few simple steps. Here is what you have to do:

Open the app and tap the calendar icon located in the top-right corner. It will show you the list of scheduled rides.
Hit “Cancel Ride” at the bottom of the screen.
Confirm your cancelation by tapping “Cancel” again.
If you ever decide to cancel a Lyft ride, you usually won’t have to pay a cancellation fee.

However, you will have to pay a fee according to the app rules if:

You want to cancel the ride after a driver already matched it.
The driver is already on his or her way to the pickup spot.
The driver is scheduled to arrive within the designated window.

The same rules apply to all Lyft rides.

Plan Your Rides Ahead of Time

Lyft works hard to get their clients to their destinations on time, and the Schedule feature is reliable. So if it’s important for you to get somewhere at a specific time, schedule a ride in advance, and you’ll be fine. Try it, and you’ll love it.

Do you use Lyft often? Have you ever tried to schedule a ride in advance and did it work out well? Tell us what you think about the app and this feature in the comment section below.