Booking a trip from your house to the airport can be a hassle sometimes, especially if you’re bringing along multiple luggage with you. Usual transport options may also be unpredictable at times.

To solve this, on-demand mobility service platforms are offering dedicated airport transfer services where you can book in advance.

Among the mobility platforms that have this kind of service include Grab, Avis, and JoyRide. We took their advance booking services for a spin and to evaluate their respective pros and cons.

Ease-of-Booking

Both Grab and Avis have the advance booking features conveniently placed within their respective apps, while you’ll need to fill out a separate Google form for JoyRide’s service. JoyRide’s approach is a bit cumbersome, as you will need to wait around 30 minutes to an hour before an agent will call you to confirm your Advance Booking details. Compared to Grab and Avis, where both platforms will confirm your booking in minutes the moment you complete filling up the necessary details

Without any question, Grab and Avis have the upper hand here, as everything can be done through the app without any additional steps compared to JoyRide. Being able to do things through the app gives you better assurance that your booking will be accommodated as soon as possible.

We used Grab Advance Booking twice for our overseas coverage, and the experience was smooth: we got a confirmation within a few minutes, and received details about our assigned driver–complete with details of the car and driver information within 30 minutes.

Vehicle Allocation

Grab’s Advance Booking service has a limit of 3 passengers, while Avis has the option for an MPV, which will allow for as many as 6 passengers–albeit at the expense of luggage space. JoyRide, on the other hand, makes use of a Toyota Veloz for their advance booking service, which can accommodate up to four passengers.

Regarding luggage, Grab only specifies up to 3 luggage weighing 23kg each, while JoyRide can accommodate up to 4 large (70 liters) luggage. Avis, on the other hand, does not disclose the maximum allowable luggage. In their FAQ page, Grab identifies the limit in baggage and passengers as a safety and convenience precaution, while JoyRide mentions it through their Google Forms document.

Reliability

Despite JoyRide having a cumbersome approach to advance booking, it is just as reliable as what Grab and Avis offer. All three will inform you via email of your advance booking details including not just the date and time, but also the details of the driver and the vehicle that will pick you up. This is important as it helps you plan the things you will be bringing to the airport. Grab takes it a step further by letting you conveniently check the details of your scheduled booking via the activity tab.

All three platforms also share the contact details of the driver that will pick you up, but Grab has the added advantage of being able to communicate with the driver through the app, which is very useful, especially for those who prioritize mobile data more than calls. Additionally, we appreciate that we get to chat in-app without having to exchange personal mobile numbers. 

Grab also assures passengers that their drivers are punctual and guarantees an immediate replacement in any case of changes. Passengers are also eligible to receive a Php 200 courtesy credit if the driver arrives late for a pre-scheduled ride.

As for our experience with Advanced Booking, we booked 3 days before our flight and got a notification about our scheduled booking a day before. Grab also promptly informed us of driver reallocation, which included the contact details of our new driver, also a day before our scheduled booking. We appreciate how seamless the reallocation came about, which aligns with their guaranteed rides promise. 

On the day of booking, Grab notified us that our driver was on the way an hour before, and the driver arrived on time.

Final thoughts

While all three services have their respective pros and cons–with Avis offering lower rates, Grab has the most comprehensive set of features regarding their advance booking services – with a clear promise and definitive set of guardrails around guaranteed on-time rides. 

Overall, we are just glad that we now have these services in the Philippines, where the safety, convenience, and reliability of airport rides are guaranteed.

All advance booking services may come with a premium, which is why it’s important to see what various mobility platforms offer so that you can determine which one offers the best value.