Using Uber and Lyft in Juneau (Read This First!) [2022]

If you’re planning on spending some time in Juneau, Alaska, then you probably are wondering how you can best get around the city. This is especially true if you plan on leaving the downtown area to explore places like the Mendenhall Glacier.

In this article, I’ll give you everything you need to know about using Uber, Lyft, and taxis in Juneau. I’ll tell you what our experiences were like, give you some tips, and also provide some price estimates so you’ll know what to expect.

Getting around Downtown Juneau

Getting around Downtown Juneau is quite easy to do just by walking since the entire downtown area is not that big.

The majority of the touristy shops located along Franklin Street are clustered together and convenient to get to for people coming off the cruise ships. You also have a lot of restaurants in that area like Tracy’s King Crab Shack, Deckhand Dave’s Fish Tacos, Red Dog Saloon, etc.

Even if you want to venture further into town where the Alaska State Museum is and other restaurants like Sandpiper, Bullwinkle’s Pizza, etc., plenty of people will be able to easily make that ~10 minute walk from the cruise terminal.

Some parts of the city will require walking uphill so if you have some mobility issues it might be a challenge to get to some places (it’s really not that bad).

But if you are just coming off of a cruise ship you should be able to walk to a lot of places to eat and shop. No need for Uber/Lyft.

Just be aware that it can often be rainy and so if you plan on being outside and walking around a lot you should bring a raincoat with you. You could also use an umbrella but some of the sidewalks are crowded in the touristy areas and a rain jacket just works way better.

So walking is great for downtown Juneau but there are some places that will be further removed from the Downtown Juneau area that are still worth visiting.

One example of this is the dive bar: Sandbar.

This place has the best fish and chips in Juneau but if you’re on a cruise you would probably have to take a ride share or taxi to get over there.

So let’s take a look at what you could expect if you use Uber and Lyft in Juneau.

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Uber and Lyft in Juneau

Using Uber and Lyft in Juneau is not always easy.

There is a limited number of drivers in the city and for that reason sometimes it can take a while for you to find a driver and/or for them to arrive. You may have to wait 20+ minutes for rideshare in some cases. In other cases, you may never find a driver.

It’s not uncommon for the driver that dropped you off to be the same one that picks you up!

When we visited in the summer we sometimes struggled to find drivers so I can only imagine how things might get during the winter when the city gets much sleepier.

Another issue is that sometimes it’s difficult to get good cell phone service in Juneau when trying to order an Uber. We did not have trouble around the downtown area but whenever we ventured out sometimes we only had one or two bars which made it a little bit difficult.

With all that said, we successfully used both Uber and Lyft in Juneau on a number of occasions.

Overall, the drivers that we had were quite nice and several of them gave us some pretty good inside information about different attractions.

That’s one of the benefits of using a rideshare service that people often overlook — you can get unbiased travel advice.

Uber driver in Juneau

One important thing to know is that some places may not allow you to get picked up by rideshare services or there might be special pick-up zones.

For example, the Mendenhall Glacier is a location where rideshare drivers are technically banned. If you want to get picked up there you’ll have to walk a ways up the road.

We actually had an Uber driver drop us off at Mendenhall Glacier and we did not even realize that he was technically violating their policy. (We suspected something was up whenever he refused to drop us off near one of the park staff members.)

If arriving at Juneau’s airport (JNU), there is a designated area for rideshare pick ups located at the bus pick up area. Just look for the sign.

Make sure that you wander over there because there were some folks enforcing the pick up zone restrictions very strictly when we were at the airport.

As far as some estimated prices for Uber and Lyft in Juneau, here are a few price estimates from downtown (4 Points hotel):

Downtown to Gold Creek Salmon Bake

  • Uber: $14.91
  • Lyft: $16.82

Downtown to Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

  • Uber: $14.97
  • Lyft: $14.99

Downtown to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center

  • Uber: N/A
  • Lyft: $34.99

Downtown to Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure in Juneau

  • Uber: $23.96
  • Lyft: $23.98

Downtown to Mount Roberts Tramway

  • Uber: $10.07
  • Lyft: $10.90

Downtown to Last Chance Mining Museum

  • Uber: $10.85
  • Lyft: $12.77

Downtown to Mount Roberts Trailhead

  • Uber: $10.07
  • Lyft: $10.90

Downtown to Juneau International Airport

  • Uber: $28.94
  • Lyft: $27.99

Downtown to Sandbar & Grill

  • Uber: $29.97
  • Lyft: $28.99

Downtown to Island Pub

  • Uber: $14.00
  • Lyft: $14.84

Taxis

Taxis can be a pretty nice way to get around the city and there are two services that I would recommend:

  • Juneau Taxi
  • Glacier Taxi and Tours

If you call a taxi on the spot you may face a waiting time of around 30 minutes to one hour depending on where you are.

Note: Some of the destinations like the Mendenhall Glacier have a cap on what the taxi driver can charge.

We called Juneau Taxi and scheduled a taxi for 3:45 in the morning so that we could get to the airport in time for a super early flight.

The taxi driver was there early and got us quickly and safely to the airport.

We also used them to get back from the Mendenhall Glacier to downtown and they were right on time.

So I would fully recommend Juneau Taxi.

Shuttles

A lot of people choose to book tours that shuttle them from the cruise terminals over to the attraction.

For example, if you wanna get over to the Mendenhall Glacier you can easily find a tour that will provide shuttle transportation.

The same goes for things like whale watching or the salmon hatchery.

Some sites might even have a free shuttle that you can use like the Salmon Bake.

So my advice is to call around or ask around to make sure that you’re not missing out on the shuttle service they can help you see the sites you want to see without having to deal with Uber or Lyft.

Of course, the one drawback with shuttle buses is that you may have to wait for them to fill up and they tend to only operate on their own schedules.

Public bus system

Capital Transit provides public transportation throughout the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska. We never actually did the bus but we did see a number of bus stops and it seems like a pretty decent way to get around.

You can find out more here.

Final word

Using Uber and Lyft in Juneau can be tricky. It definitely can be done but in some cases you might be better off scheduling a taxi because that might be much more reliable than relying on chance to book Uber and Lyft.

Don’t forget about inquiring about shuttle rides and there is also the public bus system you might want to use as well. And finally, remember that walking is often a good option even on rainy days (if you have the right apparel).

Related Alaska Posts:

Marriott Bonvoy Uber Partnership Guide [2021]

Marriott and Uber just partnered up and now you can earn Marriott points when utilizing Uber for rides or food deliveries and pick up. But the earning rates are a little limited and it takes a few steps to get set up. In this article I will break down exactly how the benefit works and give you some insight into the value you can get.

What is the Marriott Bonvoy Uber Partnership?

By linking your Marriott and Uber account you can earn extra Marriott points when using certain types of Uber services.

And for a limited time, members who link their accounts and have at least one qualifying transaction by May 31 will earn an extra 2,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points.    

Marriott Bonvoy Uber earning rates

Below are the earning rates you can expect with this partnership:

  • 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on Uber Eats deliveries to hotels operating under Marriott brands in the United States with a minimum $25 basket
  • 2X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on non-hotel deliveries and food pick-ups  in the United States with a minimum $25 basket
  • 3X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on Uber XL, Comfort and Black rides across the United States 

You can value a Marriott points at around .77 cents per point. This means that the earning rates above will come out to the following cash back rates:

  • 4.62% Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on Uber Eats deliveries to hotels operating under Marriott brands in the United States with a minimum $25 basket, 
  • 1.54% Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on non-hotel deliveries and food pick-ups  in the United States with a minimum $25 basket.     
  • 2.3% Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on Uber XL, Comfort and Black rides across the United States.  

There are a few key takeaways here.

The first is that this earning partnership is only triggered for orders and rides in the US. (Only Marriott Bonvoy members who reside in the U.S. and have a U.S. phone number associated with their Uber account are eligible.)

The 6X on Uber Eats is only available when getting Uber Eats deliveries to Marriott hotels and you must hit a minimum “basket” of $25.

Something key to note about the terms and conditions is that they state:

A “Qualifying Transaction” means (i) a ride taken with Uber XL, Uber Black, Uber SUV or Uber Comfort; or (ii) an order placed through Uber Eats in an amount of $25 U.S. dollars or more after the calculation of any applicable promotions or discounts (excluding taxes, fees, and tips)

So you will have to be ordering $25 worth of actual food to trigger these earnings.

2X Marriott points on regular deliveries and pick ups with a minimum $25 basket is okay. It’s better than not earning additional Marriott points obviously but it’s not the most exciting earning rate.

The 3X on Uber rides only applies to Uber XL, Comfort and Black rides across the United States. Those are not the most common type of rides for a lot of people so many budget-conscious Uber users may not be able to take advantage of this. 

Related: 17 Uber Hacks to Save Money and Time 

  • Log into your Uber app. (I’m not sure if you can do this from the UberEats app so you might have to log into the main Uber app.)
  • Click on the three lines in the top left corner.
  • Tap on settings
  • Scroll down to under rewards and you should see Marriott Bonvoy
  • Tap Marriott Bonvoy, then tap Link Account on the next screen
  • Sign in to your Marriott account and wait for confirmation

The Lyft alternative

It’s good to not forget that you could also utilize the Chase partnership with Lyft to earn extra points. You might be able to earn 5X or 10X on rides depending on if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphirre Preferred.

Assuming the prices would be the same or similar, I would much rather earn 10X Ultimate Rewards on all Lyft rides than potentially 3X Marriott Bonvoy points on Uber rides. From a value proposition perspective, those earnings are not even remotely close. (You can also earn miles with Delta or points with Hilton via Lyft.)

The thing is, you can also earn impressive points on your Uber orders. For example, the American Express Gold card codes as 4X with Uber Eats. So it is possible that you could earn, on a standard order, 2X Marriott points plus 4X Membership Rewards.

Of course, you can also use Uber credits from the Gold Card or the Platinum Card. (If you use one of these credits to cover your order, you should still earn Marriott points.)

Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve Lyft Benefits Ultimate Guide

Final word

Overall, this is a nice way to earn additional Marriott points but the earning potential is a bit limited. 2X is not super impressive especially when compared to the earning rates that Chase offers for Lyft. However, if you order a lot during your Marriott stays that 6X on top of a potential 4X is a pretty nice stack.

Uber and Lyft Suspending Some Services In U.S. & Canada

I’ve been following how the rideshare services in the US have been responding to issues related to the ongoing virus pandemic for a while now.

Both Uber and Lyft announced that they would be suspending accounts for both riders and drivers who were stricken with the pandemic or who needed to quarantine due to exposure.

They also said that they would be providing financial assistance to those who were in need of treatment or quarantine and also help supply hand sanitizer to drivers for free.

But now, both Uber and Lyft have announced that they will be introducing new restrictions for their services in the US and also in Canada. Uber will be suspending their Uber pool service and Lyft will be suspending their shared rides.

In case you are not familiar, these services allow riders to share vehicles and essentially carpool to their destination. These fares are cheaper and allow for more efficient transportation by the rideshare companies as drivers can serve more passengers in less time. 

This suspension makes sense as many regulations and guidance protocols now ask for people to keep a distance from others and keeping such a distance is impossible in the confines of a vehicle, and often times a smaller vehicle at that.

Drivers and passengers are already in close proximity to each other there but if you throw in multiple passengers in a backseat then you have people literally right next to each other.

It’s not difficult to see how that could become a problem.

The rideshare companies are hoping that this will help flatten the curve of transmitting the virus by reducing the contact between people.

They are also encouraging riders to only request rides that are essential.

I have seen a lot of different definitions floating around over the past few days for “essential travel” but for the most part essential travel means that you are traveling to obtain some type of essential need such as food, medication, water, or other highly needed household items.

It also could mean that you are traveling to get somewhere to take care of someone or to help that person find care for themselves.

Essential travel for business needs gets into a gray area. Some might argue that travel necessary to maintain their business is essential while others would argue that essential travel should be more closely related to personal health and safety.

Sometimes it’s easier to define what essential travel is not, which would be things like traveling to a social gathering or an outing at a local bar.

Some people have wondered if Uber and Lyft will be forced to suspend all of their services due to the outbreak of the virus.

Personally, I don’t think that would ever happen unless things got extremely bad and it would likely only be limited to certain locations.

For now, both Uber and Lyft continue to run their operations and Uber Eats continues to provide its food delivery services which is needed now more than ever because of the restrictions being put on the restaurants.

In many cities, if you want food from a restaurant you will have to get it from a drive-through, take out, or delivery. I have seen Uber Eats waiving delivery fees for many places so you can often do this without spending a ton on delivery fees. 

HT: NPR

 

New Lyft and Hilton Promotion 2019

Ride share giants like Lyft and Uber have been busy partnering up with loyalty and rewards programs for a while now. And now there’s a new special offer you can take advantage of with Lyft and Hilton where you can earn extra Hilton points and save cash money on your Lyft rides. Keep reading below for details.  

The Lyft and Hilton Offer

Free 1,000 Hilton points 

  • From October 3, 2019 through November 15, 2019, members who link their Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts and complete an eligible Lyft ride will receive 1,000 Hilton Honors Points.

1,000 Hilton points is worth about $5, so it’s not a huge gain but it’s easy to earn, especially if you already use ride share services. And you’ll also be able to take advantage of more savings below. 

Bonus Hilton points on Lyft rides 

When your account is linked, you’ll be earning 3X Hilton points per $1 spent on Lyft rides and 2X Hilton points per $1 on Lyft shared rides. You can earn 3X on up to $10,000 USD of eligible Lyft spend per calendar year.

Save up to $15

You can also get $5 off for your first three Lyft rides if you’re a new user. Note: this only applies to rides taken within 30 days of signing up.

This promo will show up in the “Promos” section of their Lyft account profile and automatically be applied. 

(Base Ride fares for Lyft Shared, Lyft, Lyft Lux, Lyft Lux XL, Lyft Black, Lyft Black XL and Lyft Access are all applicable for earning Hilton Honors Points.)

How to link your account 

If you don’t have a Lyft account, you’ll have to set one up. It doesn’t take that long but you’ll need a credit card on hand to complete the process. 

To make sure your accounts are actively linked, visit the Connected Services page on Lyft.com. You should see a “Hilton Honors & Lyft Partnership” in the Connected Apps section if your accounts are linked. Note, the accounts will still be linked even if you uninstall and reinstall the Lyft app.

Terms and Conditions to note

  • Eligible Lyft Ride” means any paid Lyft Ride requested and completed using the Lyft app within the United States or Canada after registering the Linked Account.
  • Hilton Honors members who have a Linked Account prior to the start of the Promotional Period are not eligible for this offer.
  • Members who de-link and re-link their Lyft accounts during the Promotional Period are not eligible for this offer. 
  • Hilton Honors members who Link Accounts and complete an Eligible Lyft Ride will be bonused 1,000 Hilton Honors Points within 4 weeks of the Promotional Period end date.

Final word 

Personally, I use Uber but this is an easy way to earn 1,000 Hilton points for a ride you were probably already going to book. The Hilton and Lyft partnership allowing 3X on rides is pretty nice, too — read more about the partnership here.