Mineta San José cuts waiting times with Uber tool

Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) has partnered with Uber to improve ridesharing for passengers. It claims travelers departing the airport are finding that their wait times have been cut to almost zero, thanks to Uber ExpressMatch, a dynamic, intelligent matching tool that places drivers at dedicated airport curb areas to be ready for rider requests.

Uber says that it has seen a 40-65% decrease in wait times for ExpressMatch riders at airports operating the program. At SJC, wait times during the first two weeks of the pilot reflected a reduction in wait times of over 40% for riders matched using the service.

“We’re pleased to see such a positive impact in less than a month of offering this new amenity at SJC,” commented John Aitken, the airport’s director of aviation. “Shorter rideshare wait times mean less congestion on our terminal curbsides and better ability to practice social distancing. As passenger traffic continues to recover, Uber ExpressMatch represents the type of innovation that will help us continue to meet traveler needs and keep everyone safe.”

Uber said the service uses a first-of-its-kind technology to enhance service at airports while improving efficiency and consistency for riders. The program anticipates rider demand and requests drivers in advance to briefly wait directly at an airport’s pickup curb or nearby pickup zone. It works by accounting for the amount of available curb space and rider demand at the airport and issues an alert for drivers to proceed to the pickup curb only when there’s sufficient curb space available. Riders are then matched directly with a driver to enjoy faster, reliable matching.