Uber announced it will launch shuttle service to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, adding another option for travelers.
The Uber Shuttle service will run on “multiple routes” from downtown and Midtown locations to Hartsfield-Jackson and back, starting in May.
The service will run every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, according to Uber. The exact routes will be announced when the service launches next month, the company said.
The shuttle service will launch with 14-passenger vehicles, in partnership with shuttle operator Groome Transportation. Travelers will be able to book up to five seats up to a week ahead of their trip, and will be allowed to bring one piece of luggage and one personal item.
The regular price for Uber ATL Shuttle rides will be up to $18.50, but promotional pricing for the launch will be $10 one-way for the first month.
The launch comes as Hartsfield-Jackson prepares to hike its parking rates in May, with hourly rates more than tripling and other prices significantly increasing.
Some travelers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday the higher cost of parking at the airport would prompt people to turn to alternatives like Uber, Lyft or MARTA.
Uber is adding the airport shuttle service after launching similar service at New York’s John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports.
“Given more than 15% of all Uber trips begin or end at an airport, we know that Uber is an integral part of the travel experience for millions of people,” Camiel Irving, vice president of operations and general manager of mobility for the U.S. and Canada at Uber, said in a written statement.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines earlier this year announced it will partner with Uber, ending its previous partnership with Lyft earlier this month.
Starting this week, Delta SkyMiles members can link their accounts with Uber to earn miles from spending on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
Delta frequent flyers who joined the waitlist can now link their accounts to Uber, while any Delta SkyMiles member can link their account to Uber through the Uber app starting Thursday, according to Uber.
Those who link their Delta and Uber accounts will be “the first to hear about routes and when Uber Shuttle launches in Atlanta,” via an email from Uber, according to the rideshare company.
Hartsfield-Jackson has for years offered shared-ride shuttle service to and from downtown, Midtown and Buckhead. But companies that previously operated the service under a contract repeatedly ran into challenges. In 2017, shared-ride airport shuttle operator SuperShuttle announced it was pulling out of Atlanta after facing too much competition from Uber and Lyft.
“Essentially, there just wasn’t enough business,” Dave Bird, president of SuperShuttle International, said at the time. “We just thought it was going to be an unprofitable and undesirable situation.”
Hartsfield-Jackson now lists on its website several shared-ride shuttle companies that operate service to and from downtown, Midtown and Buckhead, listing phone numbers and emails for each operator for travelers to ask questions or make reservations.
The airport lists the maximum fares as $16.50 between downtown and the airport and $18.50 between Midtown and the airport.
Uber said its trip pricing will comply with all applicable airport rules.
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