DALLAS — To passengers who have made the trek from baggage claim to the new Uber pickup location at Love Field, this won't come as a surprise: Most people don't like the hike.
More than six months after moving the rideshare pickup location from curbside to the ground level of parking garage B, the airport generously calls the feedback it has received "mixed."
WFAA filed an open records request for six months of public feedback and complaints submitted to Love Field about the new rideshare location. In addition to logs of phone calls (including one "irate female caller"), the airport logged more than 700 social media mentions about its new pickup location. Of those, the airport marked three as having a "positive sentiment."
One person called it "a mess," another described it as "a walk halfway to Houston," and a third said "in a word: miserable." Several comments used language WFAA cannot repeat to describe the roughly 9-minute walk.
"It’s got some challenges," said Love Field Landside Operations Superintendent Arnold Watkins. "Relatively speaking, when you look at other airports and how they operate, I don’t think it’s that bad."
Watkins said the airport decided to move rideshare passenger pickup in September last year after public safety issues -- including several people struck by cars.
He said the airport is examining starting alternative options this summer for people to be able to get to the pickup location, but declined to provide further details. He said plans to renovate the aging terminal infrastructure to provide a long-term solution are underway, but will likely take two to four years.
"I understand people’s frustration," Watkins said. "One of our value propositions has always been ease of use."
He said passengers who require special assistance can ask an airport employee for help accessing a closer pickup location for people who need additional accommodations.
Last week, Dallas City Council approved quarter-million dollar bids from two companies -- including Dallas-based membership rideshare operation Alto -- for the rights to pickup drivers closer to baggage claim.
Alto's CEO said it had used the closer pickup location on a month-to-month basis since the rideshare pickup location move, the newly approved contract will last five years, he said.
Thursday at the airport, harried passengers described the race to catch their Ubers as "a hike."
"I don't mind getting my steps in," said Robyn Bertolucci who was traveling to visit her grandchildren in Tyler.
Others had harsher reviews.
"I think it’s confusing, I think it’s too far. And for visitors it’s very inconvenient," said an out-of-breath Elena Kohn, who was embarking on the trek toward the pickup spot at Garage B even as her Uber was only a minute away.
Comments recorded by the airport and obtained through the records request were generally unfriendly to the change:
"The new Uber pick up area at @DallasLoveField is actual torture."
"That new Uber pickup spot at Dallas Love Field airport should really be illegal."
"This is not the way to welcome visitors to Dallas!"
"I'd like to leave feedback that the new location for Uber/lyft pickup is ABSURDLY inconvenient and far from the terminal. Whoever was in charge of this decision should not be in a leadership role."
"The distance to where one picks up Uber after landing is absolutely ridiculous."
"The walk from the terminal to the Ubers at @DallasLoveField is ridiculous. Defeats the entire purpose of using your airport over DFW. Why did you do this?"
"Love Field used to be my favorite because it's convenient, now I have to walk a marathon just to catch a ride."
"Just walked a mile to get to my Uber. Y'all have lost your mind."
"What idiot moved the Uber and Lyft pick up to 2 miles from the terminal in a parking garage? 'Oh you're using your little app, you dumb nerd. Enjoy the walk.'"
"The Love Field 10k is what I call it."
"I never thought you guys would condone drug usage, but apparently you do because whoever thought of this and all who approved of this were most definitely on some!!!"
Positive comments included:
"As a driver, I must say it is much better."
"Way more organized that it used to be. Good job. This isn't any further than the walk when parking there."
"I LOVE THIS. Just like other airports in the U.S. and around the world!"