Allergic to Animals? What You Can Ask For Before You Book

When you book, there's a notes field, and it's the right place to say plainly that you have an animal allergy and would appreciate a car that hasn't recently carried a pet. It's read and taken into account when a driver and car are assigned to your ride.

What it can't do is offer a guarantee that no animal has ever been in a specific vehicle — this is a shared fleet, and we're not going to promise something we can't verify car by car. What we can do is take a genuine allergy seriously and route around it where possible, which is different from a blanket promise.

If you know your allergy is triggered by dander specifically, or you're fine with a car that's been cleaned since carrying a pet, say so — the more specific the note, the more useful it is. A vague "no pets please" is harder to act on than "severe cat allergy, please avoid a car that's carried a cat recently if you can."

If you notice symptoms starting once you're in the car, say so straightaway rather than waiting it out — a window can be opened, and if it's serious enough to need medical attention, tell the driver directly. It's far better to speak up early than to try to push through discomfort for the rest of a ride to your destination.

Carrying your usual allergy medication in your cabin bag, rather than checked luggage, is worth doing on any trip where this is a known risk for you, precisely so it's within reach if you do need it during the transfer rather than buried in the boot.