# How to Fix Lyft's Destination Filter



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

The destination filters on Lyft and Uber can be a driver's best friend. They are excellent tools first thing in the morning to help get you into the earning zone in the city from your home in the deep suburbs, or to get you back home at the end of the day. But Lyft's destination filter is inferior to Uber's in important ways. 



Fix #1: In Lyft, you cannot remove the destination filter while in route with a passenger. I typically set the destination filter to SFO from my home far away. When I've scored a passenger going to SFO, I would like to immediately remove the destination filter so that I can get my next ride as I'm approaching the dropoff point in the terminal. Because Uber allows this, I'm much more likely to start driving with Uber in the morning, using their destination filter rather than Lyft. As soon as an SFO-bound passenger is in the car, I immediately remove the destination filter on Uber so that I might score an airport ride request as I'm dropping off the last passenger. 



Fix #2: Lyft is casting far too wide a net when the driver is in destination filter mode. Before the Bay Bridge approaches jam up at 2pm each workday, I typically park myself near a Bay Bridge entrance. I set a destination filter back home to Concord which is about 40 miles away. Most of the requests I get from Lyft would have me return a couple blocks toward downtown, and then drive someone six blocks laterally toward Mission Bay, taking me further from the bridge entrances. I've learned to call every single Lyft passenger while in destination mode to ask where they are going, and then cancel rides that are not crossing the bridge. This wastes the time of passengers, most of whom incidentally don't want to inconvenience a driver, and it wastes the time of drivers who learn to feel that Lyft does not respect their time and their wishes very well. 


Uber's destination filter works much better for matching riders' actual destinations with the wishes of drivers. They will even match passengers with drivers who are a smidge further away than the nearest driver. Thus I tend to use Uber's destinatation filter to get home, depriving Lyft of a driver. But if Lyft really wants to keep such a wide net, there are possible solutions that seem obvious:


1) Don't send ride requests that are less than a chunk of miles, say 20%, of a driver's destination; or

2) Tell the driver how many miles the passenger will be going toward her destination, right up front when sending the request; or

3) Allow the driver to specify in the destination filter how many minimum miles she is willing to take a passenger toward her destination. 


Any of these solutions would lead to happy, less inconvenienced, less annoyed passengers (and drivers too). 




Fix #3: Fix the online doc, inform Lyft support staff of changes, and otherwise improve cross-team communication. Four weeks ago, Lyft allowed six destination filters each day. Suddenly they changed to three-only without bothering to tell anyone, including their drivers, support staff, and documentation team. I learned this the hard way while trying to get home one day. The support staff was clueless about any change, and referred me back to the doc which still read SIX. About a week later they got around to changing their doc to 3 destination filters per day. The funny thing is that this about the same time Uber increased their destination filters per day from two to six. Apparently in a competitive panic, a team with the power at Lyft set the variable back to SIX but again didn't bother to tell anyone!! It took Lyft two more weeks to correct their online documentation which now (as of today!) reads six again. This is not a good look for the company's cross-team culture.


----------



## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Lyft actually rolled out 6 *attempts* first (timeouts count as uses, app times out DFs with no hits aggressively, usually ran out of attempts for the day by 2am) weeks before the fuber change....but caught a storm of hatemail from guys like me, who much preferred the OLD version, and reverted it at some point.

Then fuber rolled out its own 6-use version, and Lyft relaunched its 6 filter thing too.... not sure if its uses or attempts atm, or how fast it times out, though.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

It works differently now. Attempts are not uses unless you complete a ride request, for both Lyft and Uber's destination filter. So you can set the destination filter and receive no requests, then remove it and you will still have six remaining uses. In fact, if you set a destination filter, accept a ride and then either you or the passenger cancels the ride, this is still not considered a usage of the six because a ride was not completed. This makes it important to call passengers when using the destination filter. Pre-screen them. Are they really going your way or is Lyft sending you in the wrong direction again? Cancel them if Lyft screwed up, because once you complete a ride you have now used up one of your precious destination filters. You can continue to give more rides on that same destination filter usage, but once you remove the destination filter you will have one less remaining.

About timing out: 

Lyft's destination filter times out after 10-15 minutes if you have not given a ride. It will simply log you out and send a message that it couldn't match a rider. But that's okay. You have not completed a ride yet so it does not count as a "use." Just set it again. Once you have completed one ride using the destination filter, my experience is that it will never time out. 

Uber's destination filter will ask you after 10-15 minutes if you want to stay online. Just click "yes" and you will remain in destination filter mode. If you have already given a ride, it appears to stay online forever in destination mode just like Lyft.


----------



## fairsailing (May 16, 2016)

Lot's of good DF info in this thread. Here, DF has been 3 completed rides of any length, and you are done for the day. However yesterday it let me go to 4 without complaint, so perhaps the limit has been raised Nationwide as suggested above.

I use DF when working the airport, with Lyft, by avoiding the 4.7 riders and below I can usually avoid the shorties while on the filter. Calling to find destination and cancelling if not airport is a good way to get deactivated. Maybe you can get the pax to cancel, but I personally reserve those requests for unusal events, not normal rides.


----------



## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

Dropking said:


> It
> About timing out:
> Lyft's destination filter times out after 10-15 minutes if you have not given a ride. It will simply log you out and send a message that it couldn't match a rider. But that's okay. You have not completed a ride yet so it does not count as a "use." Just set it again. *Once you have completed one ride using the destination filter, my experience is that it will never time out. *


The 15 minute timer restarts when you complete the ride. I have had it timeout after a ride.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

*However yesterday it let me go to 4 without complaint, so perhaps the limit has been raised Nationwide as suggested above.*

The limit was raised back to six a week ago, as I mentioned. The doc reflects that change as of Friday. Lyft doc is always behind because their teams don't seem to communicate.

*Calling to find destination and cancelling if not airport is a good way to get deactivated.*

Nonsense. You should always pre-screen passengers when using the destination filter because Lyft is so bad at matching riders with drivers in destination mode. Not needed with Uber, usually. This is not a violation of the terms of service. You are not an employee but a contractor who gets to decide for yourself which rides to do despite their scaring drivers into believing otherwise. As someone who has completed 2000 Lyft rides and 3000 Uber rides, I've never worried about the few cancellations I do because Lyft screwed up. These cancellations count exactly the same as canceling an unaccompanied minor or toddler without a car seat. I hope that you don't worry about Lyft getting mad when you do _that._


----------



## unPat (Jul 20, 2016)

Don't use it .


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

unPat said:


> Don't use it .


Why? Care to elaborate?


----------



## Yozee (Jun 7, 2017)

Dropking said:


> Why? Care to elaborate?


Lyft DF will send you a ping going the opposite direction!


----------



## JFrancis (May 25, 2017)

RE Lyft DF, Something I would like to be able to do is taylor the route that the system picks, before turning it on. Say I want to go from A to B straight down a particular route. Usually the system devises a route that involves an expressway and other roads. I usually don't want to take the expressway or tollway, at the times I would also want to use DF.


----------



## Ride-Share-Risk-Manager (Mar 16, 2017)

We cannot get the Lyft DF to work in NJ and NYC at all. You just get nothing from it. We suspect that it works better in more established markets like LA and SF where Lyft is more established.


----------



## Mark Campagna (Oct 12, 2015)

JFrancis said:


> RE Lyft DF, Something I would like to be able to do is taylor the route that the system picks, before turning it on. Say I want to go from A to B straight down a particular route. Usually the system devises a route that involves an expressway and other roads. I usually don't want to take the expressway or tollway, at the times I would also want to use DF.


Don't worry about the route that Lyft draws out. I e gotten a fare using the DF and was not following its pre planned route.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

One thing I've noticed is that when there is a shortage or drivers for passenger demand, Lyft will especially hit-up drivers in destination mode for irrelevant rides. Again, just call the passenger after you accept the ride. Find out where they are going and if it isn't compatible with your needs explain that you have to get your kids in an hour and just can't do their 5-block, 25-minute ride through Downtown. 

I did this TWICE today while parked under the Bay Bridge in SF. Both riders willingly canceled on their own because they don't want to inconvenience my kids. Pretty obvious I hope. On the 3rd ride request, Lyft finally sent an appropriate ride which took me 15 miles over the bridge and half-way home. Uber's destination filter got me all the way home from there, with just one rider cancellation on Uber for inconveniencing me.


----------



## Dreamcrusher (May 24, 2017)

Dropking said:


> Uber's destination filter will ask you after 10-15 minutes if you want to stay online. Just click "yes" and you will remain in destination filter mode. If you have already given a ride, it appears to stay online forever in destination mode just like Lyft.


Every time I get the question to stay online and I say yes it will still kick me off a minute later so now when I get that I immediately toggle offline and back online. It's stupid, if I didn't want to be online I wouldn't be. Also when in regular mode or DF I've got a chime with no explanation and a minute later it kicks me offline. This seems to happen only while driving not sitting in one spot. Only does it when you haven't had a ride in a while. Again this is stupid, not my fault I get a ping every hour or two because it's off season and there is too many drivers. We just went out of season and at the same time uber started advertising on local radio and FB for more drivers. [email protected]#$


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

Logging you off from destination mode has everything to do with their insurance. They want you offline if there is little chance of actually taking a passenger. That's why Lyft logs you off automatically and Uber tries.


----------



## Dreamcrusher (May 24, 2017)

Dropking said:


> Logging you off from destination mode has everything to do with their insurance. They want you offline if there is little chance of actually taking a passenger. That's why Lyft logs you off automatically and Uber tries.


It does it in all trips mode too while moving.


----------



## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

Normally, I'd say the way to fix Lyft destination mode is to just use Ubers destination mode, LOL.

But

Yesterday I had an LAX run to Carlsbad (past Oceanside, 94 miles) I used destination mode to get back to LA, and had SEVEN rides taking me back to LA, and never timed out of destination mode. While one of those rides went "sort of the wrong way", the ride right after it was a 150% PT ride to Newport, over 23 miles.

I find Lyft destination mode often gets me some great rides where I need to go. If it doesn't, remember that Lyft has small market share and we frequently wait half an hour even with no destination mode set.



Mark Campagna said:


> Don't worry about the route that Lyft draws out. I e gotten a fare using the DF and was not following its pre planned route.


Yesterday I was trying to get back up to LA after doing a trip to SD, and I wanted to take PCH, but the prep landed route on Lyft was the 5/405. At Laguna beach, I got a destination mode ride that went opposite the direction to LA, but brought me back to the 5 to the pre planned route on the app...


----------



## ShinyAndChrome (Aug 18, 2017)

It severely needs a timed option. Uber's introduction of that is magical for me. A couple times/week I am in a prime pickup area for two hours, but I absolutely have to be within that two hours window. I run lyft at the beginning only and then turn it off later.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

Dreamcrusher, yes it does it in all modes and I should mention they change this part of their algorithm frequently. For the first time in our SF market, over the weekend I was automatically logged off Uber while in destination mode after I had one successful ride while in destination mode. After about an hour of no further successful ride requests. And it wasn't the usual question of "do you want to stay online" but rather said "logging you off because no ride request lately" or some such. Meanwhile, quite recently Lyft is keeping me in destination mode for a longer period of time.

_*"I find Lyft destination mode often gets me some great rides where I need to go."*_
Absolutely agree. The problem is that more often it gives you crappy rides, something I equate with ping spam. So as presently constitutes, I would say use Lyft's destination filter with a huge grain of salt. Call every ride request to verify their destination, then cancel if incompatible, because once you've completed one of those spammy 3-block rides you will have used up a destination filter. _*

"Uber's introduction of that is magical for me. A couple times/week I am in a prime pickup area for two hours, but I absolutely have to be within that two hours window. I run lyft at the beginning only and then turn it off later."*_
That's about how I look at it. On the long destinations (using filter), Uber will match less often because it is matching better. Much more confidence in their destination filter.

The shame of this all is that Lyft's destination filter worked great until about 3 months ago. A year ago it was awful, then they fixed it brilliantly. Then some pointy headed knucklehead on their implementation team decided that driver needs do not matter to Lyft. This guy or gal who decided to screw with passengers and drivers alike (can't tell you how many passengers I've had to cancel in destination filter lately) needs to be retrained at Lyft. 
_*
*_


----------



## Whistler (Jul 5, 2016)

Lyft's DF has sent me in the opposite direction in SF 2 of the 3 times I used it in SF. It has worked fine on long distances the couple times I used it out of SF, and got a ride from Lyft instead of Uber - 9/10 times I get an Uber first.

One thing I noted about the time out is that if you change the destination it starts the 15 minute clock again. I assume this happens because it logs you out when you change the destination, but better to control it while at a light than have it happen while driving.

The one good thing Lyft's DF has going for it - ok the only thing - is that it works at airports !


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

Yes, it restarts the counter after you log off and log in again. Uber works the same. 

When you say it works at airports, so you mean airports with an actual airport queue like SFO or LAX?


----------



## MsKK (Aug 28, 2017)

I was sitting at the Shell station on Powell in Emeryville DF set for SF. I got a ping 5.4 miles away in Oakland Bart station, pax going 6 blocks. No where near SF.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

Yes, it's maddening. That is why you need to prescreen riders when using destination filter. No reason to do the ride you described since it is simply a Lyft failure. Either my passenger or I cancel about half my rides in destination mode. Lyft's incompetent destination filter inconveniences everyone. Did not use to be this way. If I do end up doing a junk ride in destination filter by mistake, I find reasons to give the passenger one star. If I'm pissed off already at Lyft, the last thing I want pax doing is eating in my car, or making me wait for them at the curb, or not being sufficiently appreciative of my time.


----------



## DidIDoThat (Jan 9, 2017)

The biggest thing they need to do is get rid of the 15 minute timer with out offline, and get out of the rut of their vision of how the destination filter should work.

I want to be "online" while driving back 2 hours from a drop off, but I don't want requests going the opposite direction I am headed, only way to accomplish this is with DF.

Needless to say, due to the limits imposed on DF (6 attempts), I just turn on Uber and Uber my way back. I don't even bother with DF on Lyft as it has become useless for me.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

_*Needless to say, due to the limits imposed on DF (6 attempts), I just turn on Uber and Uber my way back. I don't even bother with DF on Lyft as it has become useless for me.
*_
It's not 6 attempts. Go read their doc again. The documented description is the way it works in fact, at least for me in my SF market. Other than the VERY IMPORTANT bug that I explained, which could easily give someone the mistaken impression that it is six attempts, it is actually six uses if used correctly with informed knowledge of how to work around their stupid bug.

There is no longer a 15 minute timer _after_ the first ride is given, at least in my market. It's at least hours.

All that said, they change things around and what is true today may not be true next month. Even today Uber screwed with their destination filters again to the detriment of drivers.


----------



## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

FYI...here's a link to the latest Lyft Driver Support page that explains how the Destination Filter works.
*https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/213586028-How-to-use-destination-mode*

Here in the Chicago area, the destination filter started working so well, that 80% of my rides are now D.F. rides. I turn it on here at home, and point it to Ohare Airport. Within 15 to 30 minutes, I get a request. (Ohare is 13 miles/20 minutes from me. $26-$30 fare + $5.00 tip on average)

The only complaints I have, is that 1.) Sometimes, the passenger is over 10 minutes away. (I ignore all requests more than 10 minutes away). And 2.) One out of Five times, the passenger isn't going all the way to Ohare, but to a location in that general direction.

I drop-off at Ohare, go offline, whisk back out to my suburb, and turn the D.F. back on again, pointed to Ohare. Two of these a day and a couple of regular riders to the train station, and I'm done for the day.

Between Nov 2015 and Feb 2017, I only got TWO destination filter requests, even though I tried several times a week. The latest Lyft D.F. improvement(s) were BIG ONES, in my opinion/experience.


----------



## DidIDoThat (Jan 9, 2017)

Dropking said:


> _*Needless to say, due to the limits imposed on DF (6 attempts), I just turn on Uber and Uber my way back. I don't even bother with DF on Lyft as it has become useless for me.
> *_
> It's not 6 attempts. Go read their doc again. The documented description is the way it works in fact, at least for me in my SF market. Other than the VERY IMPORTANT bug that I explained, which could easily give someone the mistaken impression that it is six attempts, it is actually six uses if used correctly with informed knowledge of how to work around their stupid bug.
> 
> ...


I don't need to read the doc again, I am talking from "Experience".

If I use DF, and don't get a ride, and the 15 minute timer expires or I cancel the DF. The DF is considered USED . I do that 6 times and I am done for the day! (ie I have tried to use it 6 times)

If I set the DF, then change the DF because the wrong DF was entered, the first DF is consider 1 of the 6 and is considered USED.

Thus I can only try 6 times. IE it can only be turned on 6 times in a day, regardless of whether or not you get a ride.

Disabling the timer "after" I receive a ride is useless, the issue is when I don't receive a ride withing the first 15 minutes of my traveling, once expired the DF is considered USED (tried) and it failed to find a ride. Enabling it again will USE another DF.

As I have always stated, the 15 minute timer needs to go, because after 15 minutes of driving to my destination with another 1:45:00 minutes to go, I want to be able to continue to look for rides headed back towards my destination without having to continually turn on DF and waste the number of times I can use it on a single trip. If they want to insist on having a timer then at least make it 30 minutes or more.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

_*"I don't need to read the doc again, I am talking from "Experience". If I set the DF, then change the DF because the wrong DF was entered, the first DF is consider 1 of the 6 and is considered USED. Thus I can only try 6 times. IE it can only be turned on 6 times in a day, regardless of whether or not you get a ride."*_​
I can tell you have convinced yourself of that. Maybe it works that way for YOU, in which case you should report it to Lyft so they can fix it for you. I come in and out of destination filter all day long each day, 10-20 times per day, because I use Lyft and Uber together to maximize my long rides. Remember that if you want to logout of destination mode (or it times you out automatically) and you have already completed a ride, you need to remove the destination filter or the next "try" will indeed be scored as a use after you logoff the second time with no rides. So log back in, remove the destination filter, then reset it again. This is a bug because they are not clearing a variable properly, but the workaround for drivers is simple.

Except for the bug this is how it actually does work for me, just exactly as advertised:

_"You can complete *six* destination sessions a day (a session is equal to at least one completed ride on the way to a set destination). When you remove, change, or reach your destination, we'll check to see if you've completed any rides. If you've dropped off any passenger(s), that counts as one session."_​
https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/213586028-How-to-use-destination-mode

_*
*_


----------



## DidIDoThat (Jan 9, 2017)

Dropking said:


> _*I don't need to read the doc again, I am talking from "Experience". If I set the DF, then change the DF because the wrong DF was entered, the first DF is consider 1 of the 6 and is considered USED. Thus I can only try 6 times. IE it can only be turned on 6 times in a day, regardless of whether or not you get a ride.
> *_
> I can tell you have convinced yourself of that. Maybe it works that way for YOU, in which case you should report it to Lyft so they can fix it for you. I come in and out of destination filter all day long each day, 10-20 times per day, because I use Lyft and Uber together to maximize my long rides. Remember that if you want to logout of destination mode and you have already completed a ride, you need to remove the destination filter or the next "try" will indeed be scored as a use after you logoff the second time (or it times out) with no rides. So log back in, remove the destination filter, then reset it again. This is a bug because they are not clearing a variable properly, but the workaround for drivers is simple.
> 
> ...


That is the way it used to be, but when they went to 6 DF's it changed. Each time the DF was made active it was used, regardless of whether or not I got a ride, and is the way it is last time I tried. Thus DF can only be turned on 6 times a day (regardless) from my experience.

Yes I have contacted CS in regards to it, and all they do is send canned responses of that is how it works. You may use it 6 times ( regardless of getting a ride), and is the way it works here.

I used to be an extensive user of the DF filter as it was needed often, and as soon as they went to the 6 times rule, I knew right away, as the 7th time I turned it on (after not getting a ride on the first 6 attempts) they sent the SMS message congratulating me on using the DF 6 times and to try again tomorrow.

Their documentation is meaningless and full of lies to begin with..

They have it documented that they choose the closest driver. We know that this is false.
They have it documented that we can accept or ignore any ride without any penalty. We know this is false, not to mention the harassment of bombarding you with a SMS, in-app and email message telling you how poor a job your doing.

There is "no need" for the 15 minute timer. Thus they should just get rid of the timer. It is an easy fix for the primary issue I have with DF.

The second issue I have with their DF is the fact they want you to follow the route they selected, which in most cases here takes you out of the populated areas or puts you on roads that have very few exits (toll roads) and thus the unlikelihood you will get a ride to begin with. I wouldn't care if a 2 hour drive took me 4 hours if it meant I was keeping busy taking side roads and regular streets getting to the destination, all in the name of actually giving rides on the way back to my destination (but then again, this isn't their vision of how destination filters should be used).

Thankfully Uber works this way, I can go any route I want and it "will" find rides on the way back. I may use most of them headed back, but if I am getting rides I don't care if they get used.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

As mentioned, I come in and out of Lyft destination filter many many times each day. Your own experience of "6 tries" rather than "6 uses" may be unique to yourself, and it would clearly be a mistake to apply your experience to all other drivers and all markets. It is 6 uses for me, but you have to work around the bug I mentioned.

I agree that Lyft's routes are really bad (now). They will take a long circuitous route to your destination, or as others have pointed out take you in an opposite direction. I believe this is intentional. When there are few driver options around they seem to ignore destination filter or take enormous liberties with your time. That's why I pre-screen Lyft passengers when in destination mode. Uber's routes are better and more discerning of passengers.

The 15 minute timer does suck. The reasons for it benefit the company and passengers, not drivers.


----------



## DidIDoThat (Jan 9, 2017)

I am not the only one that this happens too, there are others that have the same issue, and they too all switch to Uber whenever they want to use DF.

There is no need for the 15 minute timer, getting ride of it is a step forward.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

We agree the 15 minute timer is annoying, however it is far better than what Uber began doing recently. Uber now times you out an hour after you set the timer, whether or not you had a ride or not. So if you give a ride, you will lose the destination filter after an hour.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

Yikes only got 2 destination filters today. As always Lyft hasnt told their driver, told their customer support, or updated their online docs. Anyone else experience this surprise?


----------



## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

Dropking said:


> Yikes only got 2 destination filters today. As always Lyft hasnt told their driver, told their customer support, or updated their online docs. Anyone else experience this surprise?


It seems that Lyft is being run by 2 people who have opposite goals, doesn't it?

The GOOD guy implemented the "Call Me" feature in the updated Lyft Driver app this week. (Press the button and Lyft support will call you in 2 minutes or less.)

The BAD guy throttled back our ability to use the destination filter...(mistakenly) believing that we'd drive without it for the remainder of the day.


----------



## Dropking (Aug 18, 2017)

Yeah, and its like a wrestling match between the 6 crowd and the 3 crowd. They have now changed the DF 4 times in 2 months. And they never bother to clue in their vp of driver experience who would have told his support department and updated the online doc. Lyft appears to be incompetently managed.


----------

