Sometimes waiting until the last minute to request a ride isn’t ideal. If you’re catching an early flight, attending an important appointment, or traveling at an unusual hour, Uber Reserve can help you organize transportation ahead of time.
Uber Reserve allows eligible riders to choose a future pickup date and time rather than requesting a ride only when they’re ready to leave. Features and availability vary by location.
How to Schedule an Uber Ride
The exact app interface may change, but the basic process is straightforward.
To schedule a ride:
- Open the Uber app and select Reserve.
- Enter your pickup location.
- Add your destination.
- Select your desired date and pickup time.
- Review available vehicle options.
- Check the displayed price and reservation details.
- Select your ride and confirm.
After booking, you can return to the Reserve section to review upcoming reservations.
Before confirming, double-check your date, time, pickup location, destination, and vehicle type.
What Uber Reserve Offers
Depending on your market and selected ride, Reserve may include upfront pricing, advance driver matching when possible, additional waiting time, reminders, and specialized airport features.
However, scheduling doesn’t mean every aspect of your trip is guaranteed. Traffic, vehicle problems, driver availability, weather, and other unexpected circumstances can still affect transportation.
For important trips, always leave extra time.
Understand the Cost Before Booking
Uber Reserve can include a reservation fee, so it isn’t necessarily cheaper than requesting an on-demand ride.
Whether that additional cost is worthwhile depends on the trip. Paying extra to schedule a casual ride across town may provide limited value, while having transportation arranged ahead of an early flight or important appointment may be more useful.
Review the full displayed price before confirming.
When Uber Reserve Makes Sense
Advance scheduling can be especially useful when timing matters.
You might consider Reserve for:
- Early-morning airport trips
- Important medical appointments
- Weddings and major events
- Business meetings
- Job interviews
- Trips during unusual hours
For these situations, reducing last-minute transportation uncertainty may be worth the additional cost.
When an On-Demand Ride May Be Better
Not every trip needs to be scheduled.
An ordinary on-demand ride may make more sense when your departure time is flexible, your plans could change, you’re making a casual trip, or on-demand rides are typically plentiful in your area.
For example, scheduling a ride home from dinner can become inconvenient if your group decides to stay another hour.
Review the Cancellation Policy
Reserve cancellation policies can differ from ordinary on-demand trips and may vary by location and ride product.
Before confirming, review the cancellation terms shown in the app, particularly for a more expensive reservation.
You should also plan to be ready at the scheduled time. Additional waiting time may be included with some Reserve products, but drivers won’t necessarily wait indefinitely.
Plan Airport Reservations Carefully
Airport trips are one of the strongest use cases for advance scheduling.
For departures, work backward from when you need to arrive at the airport. Consider check-in, baggage drop, security, traffic, weather, and possible road delays before choosing your pickup time.
Eligible airport Reserve pickups may also offer specialized features using flight information to account for early or delayed arrivals. Availability varies by airport and market.
If the app requests your flight number, make sure you enter it correctly.
Check Your Reservation Before the Trip
For an important ride, review your reservation the day before.
Confirm your pickup date and time, address, destination, vehicle type, payment method, and any updated instructions. For airport pickups, verify your flight information as well.
Keep your phone charged and monitor notifications as the pickup time approaches.
Decide Whether Advance Booking Is Worth It
Uber Reserve is most useful when being late could create a meaningful problem and you know when you need to leave. On-demand rides offer greater flexibility when your schedule is uncertain.
The better choice depends on your trip. Use Reserve when advance planning adds meaningful convenience, and stick with on-demand rides when flexibility matters more.
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