Reliable way to get to the airport at 4am?

Submitted by LEPrecon24 t3_yru1fk in pittsburgh

What would be the most reliable way to get to the airport at 4am? If you schedule a Lyft or Uber at that time are they likely to show up or liable to cancel?

Is there a car service in Pittsburgh that people have had good experiences with?

Taking an intl. flight with lots of bags so can't be late and the 28X would be hard.

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gladysk t1_ivw0ytk wrote

Is it possible to stay at a hotel near that airport the night before your flight?

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LEPrecon24 OP t1_ivwfcgj wrote

Hmm interesting thought

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Jenna_Money t1_ivwmtih wrote

There’s a Hyatt right there at the airport. Walk out the door and onto the people mover.

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Kichard t1_ivwniln wrote

This is the (most convenient) way.

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friendlyface_52 t1_ivxpvcl wrote

There is a Quality Inn near Robinson that has an airport shuttle. The hotel isn’t fancy, but it’s not too expensive and has reliable early AM shuttles.

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heili t1_iw0je22 wrote

Hyatt literally at the airport is perfect for this scenario.

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PsychologicalBet3299 t1_ivwb9fj wrote

Frequent flier here

Pre-scheduling the Uber is 100% the best option. You are price locked and guaranteed to get a ride and the service has always been great.

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PsychologicalBet3299 t1_ivwbdbk wrote

Slight clarification here, even if a driver cancels you automatically get priority over anyone else for a new driver since you have pre scheduled.

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BrodinsDisciple412 t1_ivxuzhs wrote

Adding in support for the pre-book. I have pre-scheduled uber for both early morning flights I've taken. One guy was wrapping up a drunk shuttle shift and the other was getting in a shift before he started his day job. I had no complaints both times.

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capt_lunatic t1_ivvlmwq wrote

I don’t have any recommendations but I would say steer clear of Z-Trip. Booked one for an early morning flight to Tampa a few years ago and they never showed. I called several times, & “customer service” kept saying the driver was on his way - but it ended up that he never left. We drove like madmen to the airport and parked it in long-term. The driver finally called me when I was at my gate very apologetic and offered to pay for my parking but I said to not worry about it, I was just happy to be at the airport on time. He said he was sleeping when the call was dispatched to him & never left.

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Itsjustataco t1_ivwgu53 wrote

This, ztrip is just the taxi co we always had here. So many bad experiences.

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Jenna_Money t1_ivwmq9y wrote

They are a subsidiary of Yellow Cab.

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heili t1_iw0jir8 wrote

Rebrand. Yellow is terrible. I never ever rely on a damn thing owned by Pittsburgh Transportation Group.

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lydriseabove t1_ivzck18 wrote

ALWAYS avoid z-trip. Do you know what human services companies in Pittsburgh do when clients are Covid positive or have bed bugs and they aren’t willing to transport them themselves? They use z-trip.

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da_london_09 t1_ivvl5gv wrote

Did this back in May, pre-scheduled an Uber... all good.

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pierogieking412 t1_ivwh7xx wrote

Yep i second this. I've done it a bunch of times and had no issues. I had a flight cancelation one time and found out the hard way that if you cancel within an hour of your scheduled pickup they charge you bigtime. For me it was 36$

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KentuckYSnow t1_ivvslm8 wrote

Most reliable? Drive yourself and pay for parking. Second most reliable? Have a trustworthy friend drive you.

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NoSwimmers45 t1_ivvy6t7 wrote

^ This! I’ve tried ride-share and taxi services and every one has cancelled/no showed. Driving yourself or having a friend take you are the only reliable options.

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Wide-Concert-7820 t1_ivylyrj wrote

Not to mention when the schedule on your return flight happens you affect no one else.

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ambanana_29 t1_ivylpoc wrote

The parking at the airport is reasonable, even for the extended which has a shuttle to the terminal. Just make sure to book ahead.

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lzsbrn t1_ivvouad wrote

I think it depends on your location. I live in the city and haven’t had an issue getting one at 4am; however, my boss was just complaining about not being able to get one that early and she lives near Zelienople.

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Big_League227 t1_ivvs2w7 wrote

The farther out you are, the more of an issue it can be.

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janie3041 t1_ivwk0zw wrote

I used PIT's SuperShuttle and I had zero issues. They arrived on time. Were quiet and let me zone out. Then dropped me off with plenty of time for me to eat and continue staring into the morning abyss

Edit: my pick up time was 4:10am. They arrived 10 minutes early, and they were exactly where I requested to be picked up.

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kaitb1103 t1_ivwszrc wrote

When was the last time you used this?

I was under the impression they stopped serving the PGH area.

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lampshoesforkpen t1_ivx5jys wrote

If you have your own car, there are park and rides near the airport. You can keep your car there for the week or two you're gone. They shuttle you to the airport and back once you're done.

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Neeee-nerrrr t1_ivwyxqh wrote

I used to do the overnight Uber/Lyft rotation. I had insomnia so it was great starting work at 10 pm and worked until I have a 4 am airport ride and then went home. I was never the only early morning driver out. You should be fine.

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EmmBeeDeePSU t1_ivz4ktb wrote

Reading thru this and glad to hear so many people have had good luck with pre-scheduling Uber and Lyft. While we had good luck pre-COVID, our last 2 times were not positive. For the first we were just very late and anxious. For the second the car was SOOOO late we missed out flight, costing tons to rebook, get new COVID tests, and more.

We live in Lebo. For those of you with recent experience, wondering if where you live plays a role?

Before rideshare was a thing we used Tony' William Car Service. More expensive than rideshare but 100% reliable.

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PineappleBrother t1_ivwrwfn wrote

Uber and Lyft always work. Doesn’t even need to be prescheduled. Just do it early enough that you have some leeway

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ThePeoplesMVP t1_ivxuemi wrote

I’ve scheduled service on Lyft for this exact reason. I’ve never had an issue and the driver arrives promptly. Usually these are drivers who work into the early hours of the morning or could be an elderly individual who wakes up very early. It’s always a pleasure when the latter picks you up. The elderly generation is great conversation and usually genuinely interested in meeting you.

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awisewoman6852 t1_ivxy4iu wrote

I do many early morning flights and I pre-schedule with Z-Trip. These are actual taxi drivers that know the roads. With Uber or Lyft you're hoping they're a Pittsburgh local that knows back ways in case there's an accident or road closures. Ztrip is the way to go!

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dcraider t1_ivy5qxs wrote

Any flights 0700 or earlier I always stay at the Hyatt. So nice to roll out of bed and just be inside the airport already

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Shoehornblower t1_ivyic7l wrote

Ive used z trip twice and they showed up at 4:30 on time in the south hills suburbs

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TTrevor11 t1_ivz1v0m wrote

I’ve prescheduled Ubers just fine. But prescheduling it expensive.

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CaptainSquizd t1_ivzdt2q wrote

If you don't have a car this will not be helpful, but just in case you do I know extended parking is only $7 a day and may be more affordable and hassle free.

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letsgobuccos83 t1_iw04fad wrote

I book ZTrip every single time and have never once had an issue.

Uber and Lyft have been waaaaay less reliable.

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