Airports have been the thorn in the side of Uber ever since it began the UberX service. Uber was able to spread UberX to just about every major city with very few limitations, but strict guidelines and longstanding agreements at airports have barred Uber drivers from one of the most important and lucrative places to give rides. But over time, Uber has been able to work out agreements with airports and municipalities that allow drivers to pick up and drop off passengers as long as they follow regulations.
For example, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) allows Uber drivers to pick up and drop off passengers. Uber drivers who want to receive pickups at LAX have to follow special rules and display a placard. I’ve outlined some of the LAX guidelines in this post to give you a sense for the kind of rules you may have to follow at your own local airport if it starts allowing Uber pickups.
Here’s a link to the LAX airport guidelines for drivers. To take airport quiz, open the Uber driver app and look for a section about airports on the home screen. If there is nothing there, contact Uber and ask them to enable the airport quiz in your app.
Uber drivers in Los Angeles have to pass a quiz to drive at airports
Pickups at Los Angeles airport aren’t like any ordinary pickup, and most other airports that allow Uber pickups follow similar rules. Strict rules regulate the way passenger requests are circulated among drivers, and airports require drivers to wait in designated areas. They system is very similar to the one that governs licensed cabs at airports.
- Uber drivers have to wait in a designated lot
- Requests are given to drivers on a first-come, first-served basis
- If you miss a request or cancel a request, you move to the back of the line
- You have to display a special LAX placard on your windshield
- The Uber app will give you an estimated wait time until your passenger request
- Uber charges a $4 fee for pickups, charged directly to the passenger and handled by Uber
Uber drivers must display a LAX placard to pick up and drop off riders at LAX
After you pass the quiz for LAX, Uber will send you an LAX placard that you must display on your windshield when you drop off or pick up passengers. Important: You can only display trade dress from one company when you’re picking up or dropping off at LAX. It’s against airport policy to display both Lyft and Uber trade dress at the same time while you’re on airport property.
How to take the Uber quiz for LAX
If you have not yet taken the Uber quiz for driving at LAX, you can find it on the home screen of the Uber driver app. Scroll down and look for a section about the airport quiz. Tap it to launch the quiz, which first contains information, then ends with a brief quiz.
What to do if you can’t find a link to the airport quiz
A lot of readers have sent me emails and comments asking where to find the airport quiz. That the only way to take the airport quiz is inside the Uber driver app, on the home screen. If it isn’t there, you have to contact Uber and ask to receive the quiz.
The airport quiz for Uber drivers asks these questions
Note: I can’t give you answers or help you pass the test! If you watch the instructional videos and pay attention you’re guaranteed to pass.
- Where do you place the LAX permit on your vehicle?
- What level of the airport are you permitted to pick up riders on?
- Can a TNC driver circle in the terminal area?
- In which area can you wait for pickup requests?
- When picking up, what rules and laws must you obey?
From those questions, you can see the rules that Uber wants drivers to focus on the most: Display the proper permits, pick up passengers from the correct level, don’t circle the terminal area, wait in the proper waiting area, and follow all rules and laws.
Rules about giving rides to passengers with disabilities
The airport test contains a special section that focuses on driving people with disabilities. It’s part sensitivity training and part practical training. The biggest take-home point from the video is that you should always ask a disabled person how they would like to be treated instead of assuming they want something done a certain way.
Is it worth it to drive for Uber at airports?
Most drivers are accustomed to getting requests at random, as they come in. With airport pickups, there’s a clearly defined waiting area, a line, and a big potential wait time. You may have to wait up to an hour to take your turn at an airport. Is that worth it to you? It’s worth trying a few times, but if you get one too many passengers only going a few miles from the airport, you might find that the long wait for a <$10 fare isn’t worth it. Airports pickups are a big win for Uber and hopefully they can be a big win for drivers too.
perrer boou says
I can not find Application for placard online after hours of searching.
Know problem finding lyft’s.
Makes no dam since.
DougH says
You’ll have to contact Uber to be linked to the airport quiz/placard info for your area.
MARSHE says
This is the link to take the test
https://uber.surveymonkey.com/r/CD8TJVZ
Jonathan says
I am new to Uber and was wondering what courses do i need to take before i can take the online quiz for LAX drop offs and pick ups?
DougH says
Before the test Uber will show you a few videos that teach you everything you need to know. If they haven’t sent you the test yet, you can ask them to through help.uber.com
Joseph Coleman says
PLEASE send me the test for airport permits
DougH says
I’m not able to do that. You have to do it through Uber. Start at help.uber.com, log in, and search for “airport”
Roger says
In the Uber Lax test, can you give me the answer to question F. There are 6 choices. I have tried them all and nothing seems right.
DougH says
Can you write it out here?
Marie Gutierrez says
Are there any recommendations on how to display the LAX permit on my windshield. I know it should be displayed under the UBER placard but how can I stick it on the windshield.
BTW, it took taking the test 5 times, and a trip to the Greenlight office and 3 months to finally receive the permit.
DougH says
I’d recommend getting a plastic cover to slip it in for it at a store like Office Depot and taping it up to your windshield with scotch tape. You could keep tape in your glove compartment. Since the permit is so large it’s nice to be able to put it up and take it down.
It really is crazy how hard it can be to get that permit.
Lawrence Serrano says
Maria, hi, Lawrence, another Uber driver here. I’m having trouble with question J on the LAX test and have tried all but the right answer apparently. I believe the only place I won’t get a citation is waiting in the staging lot, but still wrong.
A, staging in cell ph waiting lot
B, staging outside the assignment area
C, staging in staging lot
D, dropping passengers outside designature LAX TNC Zone
E, picking up passengers outside designated LAX TNC Zone
F, quickly loading /unloading on red curb . Can you advise. Thanks
Tom says
I am stuck on that question too, did you know what is the right answers?
Tigran says
Hi Tom, did you get the answers?I cant pass the question j also
Cin says
i guess we are all stuck on the same one. Does anyone know the answer to this one?
Michael Hoover says
So question if you don’t do the quiz will you still get ride requests to LAX?
DougH says
Most likely not. Airports have a geofence, and if you enter the geofence you’ll typically enter the queue. But if your account hasn’t been approved for airports, you won’t enter the queue. And you won’t get the proper placards to display. It is possible you could still get in the queue, but you definitely want to have those airport placards because fines are steep.
AJ says
I’ve gotten ride requests to LAX and I didn’t know you had to be approved.
James Banks says
I have similar problem even opened up APO box at my post office so I wouldn’t miss them in the mail at my post office so I wouldn’t miss them in the mail in case I was out of town haven’t got temporary link an email or nothing in mail would like solution would like permit to pick up at LAX what can I do?
DougH says
Visit the Greenlight Hub in Redondo Beach. They may be able to give it to you there.
Anna says
I have been driving UberX for over 2 weeks now with over 215 trips completed. Took the quiz twice 1/19 /2017 & 1/24/2017 cuz didn’t get any result back. No email links with temporary permit or anything. I ‘be sent serveral emails regarding this issue but nothing resolved and was recommended to visit the local office. I went into the LA office in Redondo Beach on 1/26/2017. It took 3hrs of my time for the round trip and waiting & consulting. The live support had told me that I passed the quiz on 1/23/2017 & I should receive a temporary permit that I could print out & use via email in a week & the actual permit might take up to 1-2 weeks. But the temp permit can be used same as the permanent permit as the content is exact same. The only difference is the paper thickness. Today is 2/1/2017 & I still haven’t received anything related to the airport placard. Not even the email that I was promised. I’ve sent emails but nothing but the standard reply with no resolution but to keep on waiting.