The holiday season comes with many traditions. Although you might look forward to your annual home-cooked meal with friends and family, you probably aren’t looking forward to waiting in the carpool lane at the airport as you and fellow travelers rush to beat each other out for the cheapest and fastest rideshare.
To combat the headaches that come with holiday travel, Lyft is introducing new features. The rideshare platform’s on-time pickup promise will ensure your scheduled rides will be there when you need them most, and the new Extra Comfort mode will offer roomier cars, quiet rides and the ability to request help with luggage.
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New Features Coming to Lyft
Lyft’s new features are de-stressing holiday travel by improving customer experience and making rides more reliable and comfortable. These new features are now live in most major markets nationwide.
On-Time Pickup Promise
Lyft’s on-time pickup promise is an improvement to its existing scheduled ride feature. This feature conveniently allows customers to book rides up to 30 days in advance, set a preferred pickup time and lock in a price for the ride.
Scheduled rides are a win-win for both those behind the wheel and in the passenger seat. Lyft drivers can accept scheduled rides in advance and earn more than standard rides, and users who schedule their trips receive first priority to be matched with a driver.
When you’re heading to the airport to catch a flight, every minute counts. The on-time pickup promise will ensure that riders’ scheduled rides to the airport are on time and reliable. If a rider is not picked up on time for a scheduled ride to the airport, they will automatically receive Lyft Cash credit:
- $20 Lyft Cash if a driver is more than 10 minutes late
- $50 Lyft Cash if a rider is not matched with a driver 10 minutes after their scheduled pickup time
If a scheduled ride experiences enough hiccups, causing a rider to utilize another service to get to the airport (such as a taxi or Uber), riders can receive an additional $50 in Lyft Cash, up to $100 in total. All customers have to do is select the “Help” option in the Lyft app to submit a receipt.
Extra Comfort Mode
The second feature coming to Lyft is a higher-end rideshare mode known as Extra Comfort. This ride type will offer roomier cars and top-rated drivers.
When selecting Extra Comfort through the app, riders will also be able to request a quiet ride, set their temperature preferences and ask for assistance with luggage before getting inside the vehicle.
Customers can check availability for and book an Extra Comfort ride when making a reservation in the app, just as they would with a Lyft XL or Lux Black booking.
Earn on Lyft Rides With Chase
If you are already thinking about how many Lyft rides you’ll be booking this holiday season, keep in mind that you can earn bonus cash back or points on Lyft rides through the company’s partnership with Chase.
The partnership is pretty straightforward: Through March 2025, Chase Sapphire, Freedom and Ink cardholders earn either 5% cash back or 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases made with their card. If you are unsure if your card qualifies for this promotion, review your card’s guide to benefits or visit www.lyft.com/chase.
Even better, those who hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve® card or the exclusive JP Morgan Reserve Card* card earn 10 points per dollar on Lyft purchases through March 2025. Further, cardholders of either of these cards get two free years of Lyft Pink All Access and a third year at 50% off when they activate by December 31, 2024 (membership auto-renews).
A membership to Lyft Pink All Access has a value of $199 per year and includes free priority pickup upgrades, member-exclusive pricing, relaxed ride cancellations and lost and found fees, free Grubhub+ for a year and 10% off all Lux Black and Lux Black XL rides.
All in all, if you have a Chase credit card, make sure to add it as the payment method in your Lyft app to ensure you do not miss out on earning rewards.
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Bottom Line
For those gearing up for a holiday trip, Lyft’s new features have you in mind and hope to ensure a reliable and stress-free experience. If you know you will need a rideshare to the airport or home from a holiday party, book your ride in advance through Lyft using a Chase credit card to take advantage of the on-time pickup promise while also earning bonus cash back.
