×

How To Schedule Uber Rides in Advance

Posted by: RideGuru Team Oct 10, 2016
Updated Jan 16, 2020

19 comments

Need a ride? Requesting one is just a tap away
uber scheduled rides

Did you know that Uber offers scheduled rides for passengers? You no longer have to worry about waking up early to request your ride to the airport or train station! Instead, you can easily schedule your Uber ride in advance, right from your phone.

With Uber's scheduled rides you can request a car up to 30 days to as little as 15 minutes ahead of time!

Here are the steps to order your scheduled Uber ride


1. Open your Uber app and click on the "car and clock icon" on the right hand side of the "Where to?" field.

Uber Schedule Rides Icon


2. Next you will be prompted to set your pickup date and time. When you have set the correct date and time click "Set Pickup Time".

Uber Scheduled Rides

3. Once you have set your desired pickup time, you will be asked to enter in your pick up and drop off addresses.

Uber Pickup and Dropoff


4. After adding in your pick up and drop off locations, select which Uber service you prefer to take (UberX, UberXL, etc.). Find a list of available Uber services around the world here.

Choose Uber Car


5. Once you have selected your car type, Uber will show you your estimated fare. If all looks good, cllick on "Schedule Uber". Uber allows you to edit or cancel at any time before your ride is ready.


Uber will send you reminders the day of your scheduled trip and will notify you when your ride is on the way. They will also let you know if surge pricing applies to your trip. On the driver side, when the driver gets a request, they are able to see that the ride was scheduled in advance. Some drivers say this makes them more likely to accept the ride because they know the passenger will show up. 

Uber currently offers scheduled rides in most major cities. To see if scheduled rides are available in your area, open your Uber app and check to see if you have a "schedule" icon.

Note: Keep in mind that scheduled rides with Uber are not guaranteed. Uber drivers are independent contractors, and they can work on their own time and schedule. This means that there is no guarantee that an Uber driver will be available at the time and location when you are looking for a ride. However, our team has found that in most cases Uber scheduled rides are pretty reliable!

The one thing that Uber does is monitor the availability of cars in your area, and if they find that there are no cars available, Uber will notify you immediately so you can make other arrangements.

To share your opinion on the topic and hear what others are saying, comment in the lounge: https://ride.guru/lounge/p/is-it-true-that-uber-scheduled-rides-are-not-guaranteed

{{ ratingSum }}

Comments

    {{ ratingSum }}
    ippei
    1202 Rider Driver Guru
     7 years ago

    Just a reminder that the rides are not guaranteed.  Here's a good Q&A on that.

    https://ride.guru/lounge/p/is-it-true-that-uber-scheduled-rides-are-not-guaranteed#guru-answers

    Show Hide  2 Replies
      {{ ratingSum }}
      MykaForrest
       6 years ago  (edited 6 years ago)

      Except that the text above says that it is guaranteed, while the text after seems to say the opposite. The author of this article needs to check that again, it's very confusing.

      Screenshot of confusing article text

      link to article screenshot

      "Note: Keep in mind that scheduled rides with Uber are guaranteed. Uber drivers are independent contractors, and they can work on their own time and schedule. This means that there is no guarantee that an Uber driver will be available at the time and location when you are looking for a ride."

        {{ ratingSum }}
        lilly
        1026 Rider Guru
         6 years ago

        Thanks for pointing out this error MykaForrest! We have gone ahead and fixed the typo to say that "scheduled rides with Uber are not guaranteed".

    {{ ratingSum }}
    ippei
    1202 Rider Driver Guru
     7 years ago

    This is discussed on this page in RideGuru Forum:

    https://ride.guru/lounge/p/can-i-reserve-a-car-for-future-date

    {{ ratingSum }}
    stubbs3377
     7 years ago

    What is there is NO car & clock to click on?

    Show Hide  1 Reply
      {{ ratingSum }}
      RideGuru
      304 Rider Driver Driver Guru
       7 years ago

      Where are you located? Sadly, Uber still does not support advanced bookings in a few locations.

    {{ ratingSum }}
    ChadVoorhis
     7 years ago  (edited 7 years ago)

    If you want a guaranteed pick up then Download the UZURV Rider app and use invite code GZZZYD for three free reservations. I can guarantee you a driver will be there once you request your pick up at your scheduled date and time.

    Show Hide  3 Replies
      {{ ratingSum }}
      MSL2017
      Rider
       7 years ago

      What about early weekend requests to airports (like 6am)?  Is it 100% guarnteed? Located in Laurel, MD going to Raegan. 

      {{ ratingSum }}
      MSL2017
      Rider
       7 years ago

      What about early morning requests on weekends?  How reliable is this service?  I need a 6am ride on a saturday from MD to VA. 0_o

        {{ ratingSum }}
        ippei
        1202 Rider Driver Guru
         7 years ago

        When scheduling through the Uber app, the reliability depends on your location and the availability of local drivers.  Unfortunately, the reservation is not 100% guaranteed and is dependent on the availability at the time.  Here's a thread that'll help:

    {{ ratingSum }}
    andrealemoyne
    OP 87 Rider
     7 years ago

    I love this article -  I'm totally torn. I don't know if I should schedule my ride in advance or just wait for it to come on-demand. Sometimes it just takes so long for my ride to get there, but then again, what if I'm done sooner than I planned? 

    {{ ratingSum }}
    odjel
    40 Rider Driver
     7 years ago

    I scheduled a ride the other day to get to work and my ride never came! WTH Uber! I hate how they make people think that this is like a taxi company when in reality, there is no guarantee that a ride will come pick you up.

    {{ ratingSum }}
    marisa
    14
     6 years ago

    I've actually never had the problem of my scheduled ride not showing up. Maybe it's because I live in New York City, and there are always a ton of drivers out, even at 5am. I guess ask others in the area before making your travel plans to see if it's reliable!

    {{ ratingSum }}
    driverguy59
    9
     6 years ago

    Just order a taxi, the original "scheduled ride". Then you will know your ride is guaranteed.

    {{ ratingSum }}
    tim99
    Rider
     6 years ago

    My Android app v.4.223 for scheduling a future ride, shows a calendar to select a date and then a 12 hour clock to select the time. But I can't change pm to am to select a time for tomorrow morning. Your screen shot show an entirely different screen to select date and time. Is it on an iPhone? Is my app out-of-date?

    {{ ratingSum }}
    jswaskiewicz
    Driver
     5 years ago

    My android app for uber doesn't have the car/clock icon, any idea why?


    {{ ratingSum }}
    katdebaca326
    Driver
     5 years ago

    Want a ride tmo friday december 13th at 12:15pm.

    From 5516 N. Oak St., spokane wa

    To 8108 N. Division, spokane wa


    {{ ratingSum }}
    ma363ca
    Driver
     4 years ago

    what if no icon to sched appears

    {{ ratingSum }}
    victorwilliams
    Driver
     5 months ago

    Simply request a cab—the "geometry dash lite" in the first place. You will then be aware that your transportation is assured.