ATLANTA — In a productive week, Ingemar Smith, driver for hire, picks up about 50 passengers from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Instead of pulling up to the curb outside the baggage claim area, the typical zone for fetching fliers, Mr. Smith and his silver Toyota Prius often lurk in the short-term parking deck, another minute’s walk.
Mr. Smith works for Uber, the ride-hailing service that has helped upend the taxi business in many corners of the world, with one exception: airports. At major airports in cities from Chicago to Las Vegas to Los Angeles, drivers for ride-hailing services are barred from picking up passengers. And at those airports that do allow them, there is a hodgepodge of regulations.
The standoff is particularly evident here at Hartsfield-Jackson, the nation’s busiest airport. Police officers have handed out at least 100 citations this year to unwitting or all-too-obvious nonpermitted drivers. (Drop-offs are allowed.)
As a result, Uber drivers scout out other areas to meet up with their clients. Mr. Smith and other drivers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, agreed that Uber users, most of them savvy travelers, are aware of the cloak-and-dagger dynamic and are amenable to a slightly longer walk to their waiting ride.
Those who dare pull up to the curb tuck away all identification items. They might coax passengers into the front seat and urge them to load their own baggage. Anything to unobtrusively appear as if they are meeting a friend or family member.
Some drivers home in on specific stretches along the curb that are lightly patrolled or observed by officers. Mr. Smith relies on the messaging app Voxer, a modern-day walkie-talkie, as part of a network with colleagues.
“Any stings going on, we let each other know,” he said.
American airports, aware that the tidal wave of acceptance of the ride-hailing phenomenon will not recede, are gradually rewriting regulations to welcome all manner of cars. Late last year, San Francisco International became among the first to allow Uber, which is based in the Bay Area, and Lyft — and other airports are following suit. (Deals are struck with individual ride-hailing firms of each airport’s choosing.)
“I can’t think of any of my friends who do not use Uber or Lyft to and from the airport,” said Chris McGinnis, who founded the travel advice blog TravelSkills.com.
In San Francisco, where Mr. McGinnis lives, “it would be unusual to take a cab to the airport these days,” he said.
In March, Uber and Wingz broke into the crowded Southern California market by striking deals with John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. Los Angeles International will join in when limitations are lifted this summer, Mayor Eric Garcetti has pledged, though some City Council members have voiced objections over what they see as an uneven playing field.
At La Guardia and Kennedy International Airport in New York, drivers for UberX, Uber’s lower-cost service, can pick up passengers if they are licensed by the Taxi & Limousine Commission. It is the only market where all drivers are required to obtain a taxi license and show proof of insurance.
Still, though, most airports, according to the Airport Ground Transportation Association, do not allow UberX drivers to pick up passengers, though its executive director, Ray Mundy, expects the service to be widely permitted within two years.
Uber maintains that its fleet of cars creates more efficient traffic flow — noting that because it can ferry passengers to and from airports, “deadhead trips” that involve no riders in one direction are avoided. The company also trumpets more advanced technology than the taxis, which includes a “geofence” that monitors the number of cars entering and departing the grounds.
Proponents contend that more transportation options can reduce the demand for parking spaces.
An Uber spokesman, Lane Kasselman, said that Uber was not trying to wipe out traditional car services, only to complement them.
“Travelers don’t just want access to Uber at airports,” he said. “They have come to expect it.”
The door was cracked open at Hartsfield-Jackson with state legislation passed that increases regulation of ride-hailing services. Uber Black, whose drivers are licensed for commercial duty, is allowed there, just as it is at most major airports.
With the new laws taking effect on July 1, the airport is scurrying to figure out how to accommodate Uber drivers.
The challenges confronting airports include determining a procedure for collecting fees, same as taxis are charged. They tend to range from $1.50 to $4 per ride. At Hartsfield-Jackson last year, there were more than 784,000 taxi trips, airport officials said.
Also, airports must determine whether to find space for a parking lot where the ride-hailing cars can wait for their calls and reorder the finite amount of curb space. Nashville International is an outlier in this regard, having created a designated lane for ride-hailing pickups.
And then there is insurance. Since many airports own the roads that lead to and from the terminals, they are legally responsible for accidents that might occur. The more taxis and Uber cars, the more they pay for insurance.
Mr. Smith, the Prius driver, has no doubt that fliers will benefit, but he would be content with the status quo.
“I’ve never had any problems” with airport law enforcement, he said, noting that it is the less experienced drivers who are prone to getting caught. “I figured out what the hazards and tricks were. You’re just always on the lookout.”
Besides, if he were ever ticketed or towed, no worries: Uber makes it a practice to pay any resulting fines and towing costs.
While Mr. McGinnis embraces the national trend, he bemoans the inconsistency on where cars are permitted to operate at each airport.
“One stumbling block that messes me up a lot is the whole upstairs-downstairs for pickups and drop-offs,” he said. “It varies from airport to airport, and I’m usually waiting upstairs for my ride when pickups are only allowed downstairs.”
Still, he is among those who view the ride-hailing concept as a train that has left the station, about to penetrate its final forbidden area.
“I think it’s inevitable that Uber will operate at all airports,” he said. “There’s just too much public support for ridesharing.”
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