How the queue economics work
You are unpaid while waiting. So the question is always: expected fare divided by (wait time + trip time), compared with what you would earn staying in the city.
A downtown drop from YUL is a solid fare. Two of them in an hour is excellent. One of them after a 50-minute wait is mediocre.
When to join the lot
- A cluster of international arrivals is landing within the next 20–30 minutes
- Early morning and late evening banks, when city demand is thin anyway
- Bad weather, when airport demand holds and city trips slow to a crawl
- You are already nearby after a drop — the deadhead is already sunk
When to skip it
- Mid-afternoon lulls with a full lot and no inbound bank
- Any time a major downtown event is about to let out
- When a storm is closing in and you want to stay near short, dense trips
Practical notes
- Use the designated rideshare pickup area — enforcement at YUL is active
- Confirm the terminal door with the rider before moving; arrivals doors are not interchangeable
- Check the return leg: an empty run back from the West Island erases the fare
Written by drivers, for drivers
This guide was created by the Pro À Quart team, including Claudel Métellus, an experienced Uber and Lyft driver and founder of SoluCité. Every recommendation comes from real shifts on Montreal streets — not a generic playbook.
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