An UberX or Lyft ride from a D.C. airport costs an extra $4 and requires driver to get a special permit, but ride-sharing your way away from the airport is at least possible in D.C. this holiday season. A lot of other cities with even bigger and busier airports don't allow the companies to offer the ride-sharing for people landing at the airport at all. It's a question worth thinking about as you plan your Thanksgiving and winter travels. We've put together a list of the top 20 busiest airports in the U.S. based on FAA data along with the legal status of getting UberX or Lyft airport pickups, and what sort of special fees you might incur. Check it out below.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport -
People in 2014: 46,604,273
Uber/Lyft Status: Illegal to get picked up, but there are efforts to change that in the works.
Los Angeles International Airport
People in 2014: People in 2014: 34,314,197
Uber/Lyft Status: It's recently become legal, but there is a $4 charge for each trip using the services Chicago-O'Hare International Airport
People in 2014: 33,686,811
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal as of Nov. 18, with a $0.52 tax per ride, along with $5 for every airport pickup and drop off.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
People in 2014: 30,766,940
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal, with a $2 charge
NY-John F. Kennedy International Airport
People in 2014: 26,244,928
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal, but drivers need to get licenses from the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Denver International Airport
People in 2014: 26,000,591
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal with a $2.15 fee from the airport.
San Francisco International Airport
People in 2014: 22,756,008
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal, with a fee of $3.85 for both pickups or dropoffs.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
People in 2014: 21,542,277
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal, with rules against letting drivers idle on airport property.
Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport
People in 2014: 20,551,016
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal for Lyft with airport service fee of $2.45, but Uber if finalizing its permit details as of this writing.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
People in 2014: 20,344,867
Uber/Lyft Status: Drivers need a $100 per quarter permit and pay for a $background check costs $39. Drivers must also pay $11 for a special tag.
Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport
People in 2014: 19,772,054
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal with a $2.75 charge per trip to the airport.
Miami International Airport
People in 2014: 19,468,523
Uber/Lyft Status: Entirely illegal, but with lobbying to change that ongoing.
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
People in 2014: 17,888,080
Uber/Lyft Status: By contract only Yellow Cab drivers can pick up passengers on demand, but the contract expired at the beginning of the month and new negotiations are taking place.
Newark Liberty International Airport
People in 2014: 17,680,826
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal but with rules similar to New York.
Orlando International Airport
People in 2014: 17,278,608
Uber/Lyft Status: Illegal and in fact only recently has it become possible to get Uber Black pickups there.
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
People in 2014: 16,972,678
Uber/Lyft Status: Currently illegal for pickups
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
15,775,941
Uber/Lyft Status: Currently illegal for pickups.
Boston Logan International Airport
15,425,869
Uber/Lyft Status: UberX/Lyft currently illegal. UberBlack or UberSUV is legal, because they have livery license plates, a requirement for pickups at Logan.
Philadelphia International Airport
People in 2014: 14,747,112
Uber/Lyft Status: Currently illegal.
NY-LaGuardia Airport
People in 2014: 13,415,797
Uber/Lyft Status: Legal, but drivers need to get licenses from the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
