My Slow but Relaxing Robotaxi Airport Ride --- There's a new way to get to and from travel hubs, but no one's driving

 

“Phoenix -- Ordering a pre-dawn rideshare to the airport is always a crapshoot. You never know how long it'll take to find a driver. Then you cross your fingers they won't cancel. And there's always the risk of olfactory overload.

 

None of these was an issue on my 5:30 a.m. Waymo ride to Sky Harbor International Airport in late September.

 

There were other challenges, though. My driverless Jaguar picked me up in a golf course parking lot a three-minute walk from my condo complex. And the ride took more than 30 minutes longer than normal due to circuitous routing.

 

Robotaxi operators are lining up to take travelers to and from airports across the country. Despite some backlash over safety concerns, operators are hoping to eat into a business dominated by Uber Technologies, Lyft, taxis and car services.

 

The number of airports with driverless service today is small, but Alphabet's Waymo alone says it's in active negotiations with dozens. It is far along in the final testing phase to operate at airports in Nashville, Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta and Dallas Love Field.

 

Amazon.com's Zoox just started service at the Las Vegas airport. And Tesla is eyeing autonomous San Francisco airport rides.

 

So I let Waymo take the wheel on three airport rides in Phoenix in September. Sky Harbor became the first U.S. airport to offer robotaxi rides, in late 2022, and Waymo has since expanded to major airports in San Jose, Calif., San Francisco and San Antonio.

 

I had taken several Waymo rides around the metro area but hadn't tried an airport pick up or drop off. It all went pretty smoothly, if slowly. The cars are new, spacious, clean and comfortable. There's a steering wheel but no annoying small talk, no drivers on personal calls or music that's not your jam.

 

Dare I say they were the most relaxing airport rides I've had (pick-up logistics aside)? That sounds unhinged if you have seen the viral Jimmy Kimmel video with his aunt screaming in a driverless car. And, yes, I worried a few times whether the robot saw the braking vehicle in front of us. But I'm a skittish driver and passenger in any car. So the slow pace and cautious driving was refreshing.

 

My cars didn't run any red lights, collide with another car or take off with my suitcase still in the trunk. Nor did it break down in a hotel valet lane like one reader saw a Zoox do this summer in Las Vegas. The only issue came at one airport drop off when a slightly ajar door made Waymo think something was wrong.

 

I got to try a standard Waymo and the new mini-minivan-like Ojai cars with sliding doors, more room and more tech.

 

Here's more to know:

 

Robotaxi rules vary by airport: In Phoenix, the cars drop off and pick up at the curb. In San Francisco, the drop-off and pick-up spots are at the rental-car center or Grand Hyatt airport hotel and you have to take the airport train.

 

That can be a hassle and time suck, especially if you're lugging suitcases. But be patient when a new service begins because things can change. Phoenix passengers initially had to be picked up or dropped off at an airport shuttle station.

 

Sometimes the rides are cheaper than Uber or Lyft, but not always. This, too, will vary by airport, time of day, traffic and other factors since pricing is dynamic.

 

Each of my Waymo airport rides was cheaper than Uber and Lyft's comfort rides, which cost more than standard rides but don't always deliver in my experience. For a midweek afternoon trip from the airport to my house, Waymo charged $25.21 versus $41.99 for Lyft and $63.99 for Uber. And there's no tipping a driver, of course, which I routinely do.

 

That said, Uber and Lyft were significantly cheaper than Waymo on a Saturday afternoon trip from a Scottsdale resort to my house.

 

Pick ups and drop offs at home can be a hot mess. No matter how many times I put my exact address into the app for that 5:30 a.m. trip, Waymo listed another pick-up address. So it became a game of "Find My Waymo."

 

I have only been dropped off once on the right side of my street. I live in a congested condo complex, and the company says it finds the nearest safe spot to pull over.

 

It suggests pinning your location but a) who has time for that when the sun's not up and b) I didn't find the map particularly helpful. The airport drop-off and pick-up spots were easy as they were next to Lyft and Uber.

 

Brace yourself for a bonkers route in some cases. This is especially true until the services have freeway approval in a city, and then only if they deem it safe to use at the time of your ride.

 

Waymo has freeway access in Phoenix but didn't use it on my trips.

 

On my first ride from the airport, I panicked because the car headed south instead of north. I figured I put in the wrong address.

 

Nope, that's the way it goes to avoid busy intersections, construction and certain left turns. Even so, it had no problem doing a U-turn by an out-of-the-way industrial park to get us heading north again. I toured several neighborhoods on my way home both times (a bonus I suppose if you're visiting and enjoy stunning mountain views) and took side streets to the airport.

 

Budget extra time. The circuitous paths and under-the-speed-limit driving means you have to budget extra travel time. Both of my trips home from the airport, a 15-mile trip on the freeway, took 48 minutes, double the usual. And that's in addition to any wait time.

 

The wait time for a pick up when I returned from a business trip last week was 15 minutes. I texted my daughter that I wouldn't be home for over an hour because I was taking Waymo.

 

"Obviously don't take that," she said.

 

I did. And she might be off the hook as my favored airport shuttle after this experiment -- as long as Waymo figures out where I actually live.” [1]

 

1. Carry On: My Slow but Relaxing Robotaxi Airport Ride --- There's a new way to get to and from travel hubs, but no one's driving. Gilbertson, Dawn.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 07 Oct 2026: A12.