[Review] We put Grab’s new Advance Booking service to the test

Imagine having all your plans laid out for a big day at work: your bag packed, your outfit picked out, your morning ride booked, thinking nothing could go wrong.

Little did you know that you were in for a rude awakening when the Grab ride you booked was nowhere near your home to pick you up in the morning. That was, unfortunately, the case for this Grab user in 2023.

In a write-up to the Straits Times Online Mobile Print (STOMP), the user shared that he had made an advanced booking via Grab to arrive punctually for a work operation he could not afford to be tardy for. To his horror, the driver was still more than 15 minutes away from his home, saying he would be eight minutes late.

“I paid the extra money as I COULD NOT BE LATE,” the user emphasised. If we could be completely honest, the user’s ire does not come without reason: there will be instances where you cannot successfully book a ride on the spot, so you fork out the extra money on the promise that the driver would arrive on time.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for the user, which resulted in a less-than-ideal experience with Grab’s advanced booking service last year.

When Vulcan Post learnt that Grab had recently revamped its advanced booking service after taking their users’ feedback into account, we decided to put it to the test.

In this article, we will look at the following three metrics:

Ease of use
The price difference (Advanced Booking Beta vs JustGrab)
Most importantly, whether the driver arrives on time as promised

Testing the revamped Advance Booking Beta

For this particular test, we selected five different pick-up and drop-off locations across Singapore based on different important events that a commuter might have within the day (gleaned from our team’s personal insights and experiences) and booked rides to these destinations at different times.

The following five scenarios will be covered:

Early morning meeting with your teams
Lunch meeting with a client
Medical appointment at Singapore General Hospital (Outram Polyclinic)
Surprise birthday event for family
Catching a red-eye flight

(Disclaimer: Testing was done across two weeks, and fares shown exclude any prevailing promo codes/discounts. Driver details have also been omitted to protect their privacy.)

How does it work?

Grab’s revamped advance booking service allows users to book a ride from seven days in advance up to two hours before their pick-up time, as well as an extended wait time—drivers will wait up to 15 minutes from the scheduled pick-up time, as compared to three minutes for other Grab rides.

Booking cancellations are free if passengers cancel more than an hour before their pickup time. Otherwise, users will have to pay the full fare given during booking.

Prior to the ride, passengers will receive timely in-app updates that assure them that their driver will be ready to pick them up at their scheduled pickup time or earlier. If the driver cancels, passengers will be given a voucher for their inconvenience.

8.30AM: Early morning meeting with our teams

Bedok > Grantral Mall

The morning started with an important team meeting: my team had a huge project submission and we needed to coordinate with our overseas teams to ensure that all our goals were aligned.

Booking was made for: 8.30AM

The driver reached at: 8.20AM, 10 minutes earlier

Price difference: S$8 more than the on-demand booking rate

12.30PM: Lunch meeting with a client

Grantral Mall > Guoco Towers

Next, I met with a potential client representative, hoping to score a collaboration with their company. Being late would not make a good impression, which could compromise my chances.

Hopped into the ride at 12.15PM, 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
The advance booking fare for a 12.30PM ride costs S$28.40, and a ride booked at 12.30PM costs S$15.20.

Booking was made for: 12.30PM

The driver reached at: 12.15PM, 15 minutes earlier

Price difference: S$13.20 more than the on-demand booking rate

3PM: Medical appointment at Singapore General Hospital (SGH)

Grantral Mall > Outram Polyclinic (SGH)

That same day, I had a medical appointment that I couldn’t miss, so I booked a ride in advance.

Hopped into the ride at 2.46PM, 14 minutes before the scheduled time.
The advance booking fare for a 3PM ride costs S$31.40, and a ride booked at 3PM costs S$22.80.

Booking was made for: 3PM

The driver reached at: 2.46PM, 14 minutes earlier

Price difference: S$8.60 more than the on-demand booking rate

6.15PM: Surprise birthday event

Grantral Mall > Suntec City Convention Centre

It was my grandmother’s birthday, and my family planned a surprise for her. I had to reach Suntec early to prepare and could not afford to be late.

Hopped into the ride at 6.11PM, 4 minutes before the scheduled time.
The advance booking fare for a 6.15PM ride costs S$30.50, and a ride booked at 6.15PM costs S$28.90.

Booking was made for: 6.15PM

The driver reached at: 6.11PM, 4 minutes earlier

Price difference: S$1.60 more than the on-demand booking rate

3AM: Catch a red-eye flight

Bedok > Changi Airport

As public transport is not readily available at this time, my only choices were hailing a taxi or booking a ride. I decided to put Grab’s Advance Booking to the test at this hour.

Hopped into the ride at 2.46AM, 14 minutes before the scheduled time.
The advance booking fare for a ride at 3AM costs S$33.90, and a ride booked at 3AM costs S$17.90.

Booking was made for: 3AM

The driver reached at: 2.46AM, 14 minutes earlier

Price difference: S$16 more than the on-demand booking rate

Our Verdict

From this test, we can acknowledge that the Advance Booking Beta service has improved from its first iteration, offering a smoother and fuss-free user experience.

The booking process was smooth, with the simple interface making it easier to navigate. Notifications and updates were also delivered in a timely manner, which can provide users with peace of mind.

Across all five rides, all drivers arrived ahead of the scheduled pickup time, no matter the time or premise. In one instance, a driver also took the initiative to inform me when they arrived at the designated pick-up point earlier and was willing to wait for my arrival at the scheduled time.

This feature is an investment worth considering if you are looking for a reliable ride that arrives on time for a special occasion or event or if you require the driver to wait on you.

That being said, there will be instances where you might get a fare similar to those for on-demand rides, such as during peak hours, or you can get fares that are twice more expensive (see our 3AM ride to the airport—but missing my flight would be a nightmare, so it was reassuring to get a ride on time).

If you are not keen on paying potentially higher fares, you always have the option to book a ride on demand.

By the way, Grab is currently offering a 20 per cent discount voucher off up to three Advance Booking rides per user—which is auto-applied—to help you save some dollars for your next few bookings.

Read other articles we’ve written about Singaporean startups here.

Feature Image Credit: Vulcan Post

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