User struggled to find the designated "friends and family" Uber pickup area at Cancun airport due to a complete lack of external signage. Better in-app instructions, maps, or visual cues that clearly guide users to specific airport pickup zones would significantly improve the experience and reduce confusion.
Just came back from Cancun a couple days ago and wanted to share my experience of taking an Uber from the Airport. I've read all the posts and have been to Cancun Multiple Times. Have done the shuttle route using USA Transfers. I have even once walked pretty far with a backpack till I got reasonable pricing for an Uber Ride from the airport. Not recommended as I went pretty far past the airport. It's been a couple months since I've last been to Cancun. I was visiting with my partner and needed transport to our hotel. I googled is Uber pickup available from the airport and looked up multiple reddit posts. Everyone was saying beware of Taxi Mafia and don't do it. Even saw websites that claim Uber was okay at the airport but pushed for taking the shuttle. The Uber website seemed to claim Uber was available from the airport. I decided to risk it and hail an Uber from the Airport and if I couldn't get one I'd just pay for a shuttle. When I arrived I waited before I went outside the airport to the stream of people asking if you need a taxi. I opened the Uber app and ordered an Uber for pickup from the airport. Took a couple minutes but I got an Uber and it said pickup was going to be at friends and family area. It works! Went outside and had no idea where this friends and family area was. Walked around the taxi area seeing no signage but couldn't find anything. After a couple of minutes I saw a flight crew walking to the left and followed them. Asked someone and they said the friends and family area was the same area as drop off. There is no signage for this. Found the area and settled in to wait for my Uber to arrive. While waiting someone with a badge asked my partner what we were waiting for and she said an Uber. Big mistake we shouldn't have done. He begin to tell her Uber pickup was not allowed at airport and the Uber driver would tell us to meet somewhere outside the airport. He was nice and we politely said it's ok we are still going to take the Uber. Then cue the Uber driver he tells us to head towards the Hilton Garden Inn. We start walking towards the Inn. Then another person with a badge who was not so polite was telling us it's illegal to take an Uber where are you going? He is looking at us angrily and keeps badgering us. He gets on his radio relaying something to other people and continues to follow us. After awhile he disappears and then 2 police looking officials were with him. At this point I'm like I should have just gotten a transfer and just listened to everyone on reddit. We claim there is nothing illegal of us walking outside the airport we aren't doing anything wrong. So we continue to walk towards the Hilton Garden Inn. The not so nice guy with the badge and the police didn't continue to follow us anymore. As we get closer to the hotel I'm like wondering how our Uber driver is going to find us. Then suddenly a car comes by quickly and stops. He opens the passenger door and frantically asks us to get in. A taxi driver goes in front of our car and stops. I throw our bags inside the passenger seats and quickly get in. The taxi driver gets out and looks like he is going to get it on with our driver. Once we are in. Our driver flips the bird to the Taxi Driver puts the car in reverse and peels out. He says my name and I'm like I guess this is our Uber and he takes us to our hotel. Ride to hotel for 2 people 20 bucks.