My Lyft Driver Took a 20-Mile Detour. Lyft Refunded the Difference After I Explained.

I took a Lyft from downtown to the airport. The normal route is 12 miles and takes 25 minutes. My driver took a route that was 32 miles and took 55 minutes. I watched on the map as he drove past the highway exit and kept going. He said Google Maps told him to go that way.

The fare was double what it should have been: $65 instead of $32. I filed a fare review through the Lyft app. I selected "driver took an inefficient route." Lyft reviewed the GPS data and adjusted the fare to $35 within 24 hours.

Lyft's fare review process is automated for most cases. If the GPS shows the driver deviated from the optimal route, they adjust the fare. Uber has a similar process.

Always check your route during the ride. If the driver is going a wrong way, say something. After the ride, it is harder to get a refund because they assume you agreed to the route.