Orlando International Airport to Charge Record-Breaking Uber Pickup Fee

Passenger pickup fees for rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft will increase by 20 percent at Orlando International Airport (MCO) starting this October.

This decision will make Orlando the most expensive city in the country for rideshare app users who need transportation to and from the airport.

Photo: Orlando International Airport, Terminal C, International Arrivals / Photo: Courtesy of Orlando International Airport

On August 1, automatic fees for airport pickups and drop-offs on rideshare apps will rise to $6.35 per trip—a 10 percent increase on the current rate of $5.80 per ride. But on October 1, the built-in fee will rise again to $7 per ride, representing a 20 percent rise compared to current rates.

Uber has announced that airport pickup fees in Orlando will increase to $7 per ride, making it the city with the highest pickup fees among all the cities where Uber operates in the U.S. In contrast, Tampa International Airport (TPA) charges $5 per ride for rideshare apps, while Miami International Airport (MIA) only charges $2 per ride.

While Uber’s main rival Lyft has yet to comment on the upcoming price rises, Uber itself has voiced its opposition to the changes, claiming that the increases are unfair to airport passengers and will negatively impact the company’s drivers in the Orlando area.

Photo: Courtesy of charlesdeluvio / Unsplash

“At a time when Floridians are facing higher costs due to inflation and the increasing price of auto insurance, it is unconscionable that the Orlando Airport is targeting Uber drivers and riders with a proposal to increase the pickup tax by 20 percent to $7 per pickup—the highest pickup tax of any airport in the country,” said a spokesperson for Uber in a statement to Travel + Leisure.

However, the CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Kevin Thibault, said that airport officials have no intention to reverse their plans to raise rideshare pickup fees that were decided on last year.

“This is an issue that was negotiated and resolved when the operating agreement was signed in July of 2017, and we are not renegotiating it,” Thibault told Fox Orlando. “These fee increases were already approved by the authority board in September 2022, and there is no reason to bring them back to the board.”

A representative of Orlando Airport told Travel + Leisure the reasoning behind the decision to raise rates for rideshare apps, claiming that the rapidly growing number of passengers that pass through the airport has increased operational and maintenance costs for the Aviation Authority. Raising rideshare fees will help the Authority offset some of these costs while providing greater choice for passengers through other taxi and shuttle services.

According to a recent report from Orlando International, almost 50.2 million travelers passed through the airport in 2022, a 24 percent increase compared to 2021, making it one of the busiest airports in the world, let alone the U.S.