YES - it's a VERY frequent occurrence.

Although in fairness - it is happening a little less in the last 6 months.

If it ever occurs - lodge a complaint with Uber and if you're on Twitter - blast them on that as well.

Uber will usually compensate you - and if enough folks continue to complain - then those ex-taxi drivers will be sent packing back to taxis where they belong.

If you're getting picked up not much. An experienced driver probably already knows about it though. If you're getting dropped off you could ask them to take this route. Although I'll usually ask them to drop me on the arrival level if it looks really busy.

FYI, it's the same route the Park N Fly shuttles take when dropping passengers off on the departure level.

I had a Lyft driver call me Sunday when I was in LAX and ask where I was going. I immediately thought of this thread and sure enough he cancelled after we hung up. Uber was surging higher than Lyft so I assume that's why. I lodged a complaint through the app and screen-shotted the drivers name/info. I almost immediately got a $5 credit from Lyft. Next time they call I'm going to say "if you cancel on me I'm going to complain" since drivers are verboten from doing that.

I think I might prefer another credit.

Especially since you're setting yourself up for a low rating with the driver.

Where were you going? In n Out?

I was going to north Santa Monica. Would've been like a $30-35 fare but Uber was surging 3X so all the guys driving on both platforms were logging off Lyft to chase the Uber surge (Lyft doesn't surge as high in general.) I don't blame them but he didn't have to accept the fare in the first place and then annoy a customer by pulling that stunt.

Seems like all Uber pickup locations here are right at the designated smoking areas. It's kinda gross.

I’m frustrated with the state of Lyft at LAX. Reading back through this thread, I see I'm not alone. I tried to integrate Lyft into my travel plans, but I'm going back to 100% Uber.

For the last few times I’ve used Lyft there, I’ve had to fend off the immediate calls from drivers demanding “where are you going” and then telling me I have to cancel for some BS reason.

Reasons are often:

-I’m going to Orange County only

-I’m trying to get home, and that’s not the right direction

-That’s too close to the airport

and the best one recently:

-Oh, OK. Fine. But I need to get gas so that will add 20 minutes.

So I’ve been cancelling, probably to my peril with the Lyft powers-that-be.

And, now I won’t even bother trying Lyft anymore at LAX.

I’m not sure why this racket exists with Lyft and not Uber, but I just don’t have this problem with Uber. Maybe the drivers are more professional? Maybe there’s a bigger penalty with Uber? Maybe Uber is onto this scam and has a mechanism to reign in their drivers?

In any event, sorry Lyft drivers, but when I land at LAX, I just wanna get home. I don’t want to play your games. My apologies if I live to close to LAX to make the wait profitable, but take it up with Lyft, and not with me.

Weird, that has never happened to us. Used Lyft to/from LAX (from north OC) three times in last month.

Sorry misread, saw they are cancelling first short trips.

don't they know the destination without calling you?

No, I don't think the app tells the driver the destination before the passenger is picked up.

Maybe they get some other clue? Home city or something?

Are you reporting these to Lyft? If you do not, they will not know there is a problem.

Yes, I reported it.

But considering how long it's been going on, it sure doesn't seem like they have a plan to stop it.

I think Lyft driver could see the destination once they accepted the request or hit the arrived at passenger location button. Uber driver only sees it when they start the trip.

My home is 65 miles east from LAX and I have yet to encounter any Lyft or Uber driver who doesn't want to go that way. I always ask them when they arrive that if it is okay for them to drive that far out. I really don't want to force anyone to drive that far out unless they want to.

And . . . just happened again at LAX. Lyft. I kinda just tried Lyft to see if it would happen.

"I'm trying to get home to Pasadena with a fare, so just cancel me."

No. Not cancelling.

"It hurts me to cancel, but not you."

But it should hurt you. You aren't holding up your end of the bargain (OK, I didn't actually say this).

So I ordered an Uber, and by the time the Uber came (very professional, no problems at all). The Lyft canceled me, I think (my driver was switched to another, at which point I canceled).

Switching it up, this is about going TO LAX.

Nice day today, and I thought I'd try not quite getting into the airport and walking a bit. So I took the Uber to the Hyatt Regency just across Sepulveda.

Saved $3 and probably saved the driver 20 minutes.

I was worried about crossing Sepulveda, thinking they might divert pedestrians to the 98th Street bridge, but, in fact, there is a crosswalk right there.

No problems at all. Got a nice walk and $3 and it probably only took me five minutes more overall to get to Terminal 2. If there were traffic, this could have been faster (and cheaper than the $3 difference, if Uber calculates it that way).