MANILA, Philippines – Ride-hailing app Grab is launching a new Advance Booking feature to take the stress away from passengers who have to book rides to the airport during the early morning or rush-hour periods.

According to Grab, Advance Booking “guarantees on-time rides to the airport via the GrabAirport fleet.” Passengers can reserve a ride as early as seven days before or as soon as two hours before the scheduled trip.

Currently, the new service is only available for trips going to airports in Metro Manila, such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Grab may expand availability in cities and regions outside the capital by the second half of 2024.

Passengers can select their pick-up location and the specific airport terminal for drop-off. Drivers are also guaranteed to arrive at the scheduled pick-up time, with passengers being offered a P100 courtesy credit for instances when a driver arrives late for a pre-booked ride. Should any service disruption occur, Grab said its app will “swiftly and seamlessly reassign the ride to an alternative driver-partner.”

Here are some things to keep in mind when using the Advance Booking service:

• Advance Booking rides can only accommodate a maximum of three passengers with three pieces of luggage.
• Passengers have a 15-minute grace period for Advance Booking rides in case of minor delays during pick-up.
• Passengers who cancel their pre-booked ride at least one hour before the scheduled pick-up time will not be charged. However, passengers who cancel the booking less than an hour before the scheduled pick-up time will be charged the full fare of the ride.

“We are enhancing the experience of airport rides on Grab with the launch of Advance Booking. Our new Grab Advance Booking product goes beyond offering mere airport transfers – it provides travelers the peace of mind they deserve. This new service has been engineered to have guaranteed on-time rides every time, enabling every Filipino traveler to leave their homes with the confidence they’ll have a ride to make their flight on time,” Grab Philippines head of mobility EJ Dela Vega said in a press release on Monday, July 1. – Rappler.com