Home for the holidays: Columbia airport rideshare options beyond Uber, Lyft
Fall semester at the University of South Carolina is winding down, and thousands of out-of-state students may head home for the holidays, along with others destined for a Christmas outside the Carolinas.
Some may seek alternatives to rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft. Here are five transportation resources for USC students, and others, flying this season.
Kola Kruze
Kola Kruze is a locally-owned rideshare option.
The service, operated by USC graduate Marquis Webb, is focused on clientele like college students and young professionals in downtown Columbia, and has built trust within that community.
Kola Kruze offers regular ridesharing around USC’s campus and the city, but it also provides scheduled rides to Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Drivers track travelers’ flights to arrive on time, and Kola Kruze boasts itself as an alternative to the “big-name apps.”
COMET
Columbia’s public transit system, the COMET, makes stops at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Route 91, one of the system’s primary routes, makes a stop at the airport once an hour between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, it stops once an hour between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Passengers can board at several stops near downtown to get to the airport, and those coming back from a trips can hop on the bus at the airport to make their way back.
One-way fares are $2, but USC students and faculty can show their Carolina Cards to ride for free. Students at Midlands Technical College also ride for free. Benedict College and other local schools can purchase a pass for unlimited rides, costing between $20 and $80.
Shuttles
Travelers flying out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport or Charleston International Airport might consider using a shuttle service.
The Columbia Charlotte Shuttle offers one-way and round trips shuttles from Columbia to the Charlotte airport. It costs around $156 and will typically pick passengers up at their door — if a passenger lives outside the service area, which spans from Blythewood and Hopkins in the east to Irmo and Lexington in the west, a pickup point can be arranged. The service is available nearly every day of the year and has days before and after USC academic breaks marked as busy days.
SC Shuttle Services makes trips to the Columbia airport, as well as those in Charleston, Greenville, Charlotte and Augusta, ranging from $50 to $125 for a one-way fare.
Carpooling
Students and parents on social media often offer to carpool, giving rides to students headed to various airports. Travelers can land rides for free or for cheap by connecting with others through groups on Facebook.
This story was originally published December 9, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
