Lyft is adding what is expected to become a wildly popular feature to its app: scheduled rides. The feature will be especially useful during peak hours when the wait for a car could be quite some time, or for very early morning airport runs.

Lyft will soon allow drivers to schedule a ride some 24 hours in advance. This is most convenient if you have something specifically planned, like a flight and need a ride to the airport or an important business meeting or job interview.

Here’s more information from the Lyft Blog:

When it comes to getting around, passengers tell us they sometimes want the extra peace of mind to schedule a ride in advance. So today, we’re excited to start testing a new feature that allows passengers to schedule rides up to 24 hours in advance.

Scheduling a ride is easy – when selecting your pickup location, tap the clock icon on the right, set the desired time and we’ll schedule your ride. It’s that easy. If your plans change, don’t sweat it; you can update or cancel your scheduled ride up to 30 minutes before your requested time.

This is the latest example of the many attempts ride sharing apps have taken to innovate. Earlier in May, reports surfaced that Lyft was teaming up with General Motors to test self-driving cars. 

Uber is also reportedly testing self-driving cars.

Bottom Line:

Uber boasts a $60 billion valuation and Lyft is doing everything it can to compete against its arch rival. The new development from Lyft is a plus for consumers. But we wouldn’t be surprised to see Lyft end up charging for the ability to schedule a ride. We’ll keep you posted!

If you haven’t signed up for Lyft yet, you can also do so via my referral and get $50 in free ride credit.