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Is now the time to get the new Uber Visa card?

Uber Visa Suburban

When I flew into LAX, I was picked me up in this specially wrapped Suburban (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Uber, Visa and Barclays recently hosted an event in Los Angeles designed to promote the rich benefits of a new credit card. I accepted an invitation to fly in, dine with execs, spend the night at the SLS hotel and learn more about it. This occurred before Uber’s recent data breach was revealed, so I held off on publishing this post until the storm began to clear.

Uber’s is only the latest of many data breaches affecting frequent travelers in recent years. While the company says that the data hack only exposed user names, email addresses and phone numbers, it is still disconcerting.

So is your credit card application information safe with Uber? Well, after poking around a bit I found out that Uber does not actually store any credit card numbers or application information at all— it’s all handled by banks and payment processors according to a spokesperson.

So why in the world is a ride-share company getting into the credit card biz? Well, of course Uber wants to offer a practical and valuable product to its customers. But on its road to profitability, a key reason is money.

Despite some recent, well-publicized bumps, Uber has broad brand recognition and a loyal, lucrative and spendy customer base. Banks are eager to tap into that crowd, and are willing to pay Uber handsomely for access to them.

And how do they get to them? By wrapping up a lot of valuable benefits into a no-fee credit card that has pricked up the ears of frequent travelers from coast to coast.

With the new Uber Visa Card issued by Barclays, the ride-sharing company has jumped into the co-branded credit card space just like big travel brands like Delta or Marriott, which have earned millions (if not billions) of dollars with their co-branded cards. It’s a win-win-win situation: Banks get access to big spending frequent travelers, travel brands and processors (like Visa) earn money on each transaction, and travelers get a card with a rich roster of benefits.

 

Uber Visa Card issued by Barclays

The Uber Visa card earns points you can use for rides or cash back (Photo: Uber)

This new card is worth considering if you:

  • Don’t like paying annual fees for credit cards
  • Eat at restaurants or have food delivered often
  • Travel frequently
  • Use Uber
  • Watch Netflix, listen to Spotify or shop on Amazon Prime
  • Carry an expensive mobile phone
  • Use a credit card overseas
  • Don’t have time for tedious credit card applications

Sound like you? It sure sounds like me.

The new card has a $0 annual fee. That’s surprising considering its benefits. Use it to dine out and you get 4 percent back. Put your airline and hotel (or Airbnb) charges on the card and you get 3 percent back. Online shopping and Uber rides earn 2 percent cash back (a bit of a surprise to me… I would think they’d earn 4 percent since this is the Uber card).

In addition to what you get back, bennies include a $50 credit you can apply to your annual Netflix, Spotify or Amazon Prime (among other) subscriptions. Pay your phone bill with the card and you get $600 in insurance in case of loss or theft. For globetrotters, there are no irritating foreign transaction fees– very rare for a no-fee card. To get these add-ons, you must spend at least $5,000 per year on the card. As an incentive to sign up, if you spend $500 in the first 90 days and you get $100 (10,000 points) in credits.

But perhaps what is most interesting about this card is how you sign up for it. You can do it the old way of course. But get this: you can sign up for it within the Uber app, which pre-populates your application with pertinent info, leaving only a few key blanks for you to fill in. Uber suggests you sign up for the card during your next Uber ride, and says it’s likely you’ll be approved for it by the time you get out of the car. Try that and let us know if it worked!

Have you or would you get the Uber Visa card? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: The Uber Visa Card paid for my flight and one night hotel stay in Los Angeles. 

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Cheaper rates making car rental customers happier

Car rental customers are feeling better about things this year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Travelers who rent cars at airports are showing higher levels of satisfaction this year, according to J.D. Power and Associates – but not because they’re less frustrated with the logistics of booking and picking up a vehicle.

They’re more satisfied with the rental experience mainly because they’re not paying as much.

“Lower prices are having a positive effect on perceived value for renters, which is raising overall levels of satisfaction, but several other key quality measures—notably, wait times and problems with the pick-up and return processes—have not improved over the past four years,” said Michael Taylor, the executive in charge of travel surveys at J.D. Power. “But cheaper daily rental rates overcome those negatives for most renters.”

The company found that the average reported daily price for renting a car fell by $11 a day in 2017, which was the major factor in driving up customer satisfaction by 22 points to 826 on J.D. Power’s 1,000-point scale.

The consolidated car rental center at San Diego’s airport. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

But a continuing increase in the number of travelers is leading to delays in picking up cars, and the explosion of major construction and renovation projects at many major airports isn’t helping either.

J.D. Power said that from 2013 to 2017, the average waiting time for customers to pick up a vehicle increased by two minutes. “Of customers who experienced a problem, 20 percent reported a problem with the pick-up process and 17 percent reported a problem with the return process, a phenomenon that is largely attributable to increased passenger volume and construction at airports,” J.D. Power said.

While customers are generally happy to see rental prices drop this year – perhaps as a result of ride-sharing services continuing to steal market share from rental companies – the survey found that renters who focus only on price in selecting a vendor and vehicle may regret it.

“Renters who choose rental car brands based on price alone are the least satisfied (787), while customers who choose a rental car brand based on features and benefits are the most highly satisfied (889),” the company noted. Advice: You get what you pay for when renting cars! 

Source: J.D. Power and Associates- note that Enterprise, Alamo & National all owned by same company

The survey also found that rental car customers expect to get a response from their vendor when they post something on social media about their rental experience. Seven out of 10 car renters expressed that view in the survey – a rate much higher than the 45 percent of airline and hotel customers who have similar expectations.

And rental companies should reply to posts if they want to keep customers happy. “When a rental car company simply responds to a post, satisfaction increases 63 points on average. If the issue is resolved, the satisfaction score jumps 95 points,” the company said.

For the fourth consecutive year, Enterprise ranked in the top spot for customer satisfaction with a score of 851. National was second, Alamo came in third– and note that all three are part of the same company, Enterprise Holdings. Hertz (which also owns Dollar and Thrifty) ranked fourth. Avis, which also owns Budget, ranked fifth.

Which car rental company do you use most often? Have your rental car habits changed much lately? Noticing cheaper rates? Please leave your comments below. 

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A Lyft bump and Uber slump – especially in San Francisco

Uber recently altered its app to allow tipping. (Image: Uber)

Has ride-sharing giant Uber jumped the shark?

If there’s one thing Uber has monopolized in the past few years, it’s negative publicity – everything from driver problems to management turnover to sexual harassment, not to mention vitriolic opposition from licensed taxi drivers and city officials in many places.

Still, Uber has surged ahead in market share everywhere it went, blowing taxi companies out of the water and facing little significant competition in its app-based business model except for Lyft – and Lyft has been running a distant second.

But that could be changing. Certify, which provides business travel expense management software for companies, has started to see some weakness for Uber’s business.

Share of business travelers’ ground transport spending, Q3 vs Q2. (Image: Certify)

In a report on business travel spending patterns for the third quarter of 2017, Certify said that in some major U.S. metropolitan areas, it discovered a shift in ground transportation spending market shares, “with Uber losing between 1 percent and 8 percent, and corresponding gains for Lyft.”

In San Francisco, where both companies are based, Certify tracked the biggest third-quarter decline in Uber’s local market share – down 8 percent – and the biggest gain for Lyft, up 9 percent. “The number two ride-hailing provider (i.e. Lyft) also improved in user review rankings, reaching 4.76 stars to Uber’s 4.1 and taxis’ 3.59,” Certify said.

Overall, Uber’s share of ground transportation spending in the third quarter dropped one point from the previous quarter, to 54 percent – its first drop ever – while Lyft’s share rose 3 points to 11 percent. Car rental companies’ share dropped a point to 28 percent, and taxis fell from 8 to 7 percent.

Uber vs. Lyft share gains/losses in specific markets. (Image: Certify)

But in spite of “overall trends indicating a slight downturn for Uber,” Certify said, it remains “the number one vendor in business travel ground transportation and the most expensed brand of any category in the Certify system for the third quarter of 2017 — more than double second place Starbucks as a share of transactions.”

Another interesting Uber factoid emerged from the Certify study. The new Uber feature that allows customers to tip their drivers through the app is “off to a slow start,” Certify said: Only 3 percent of Uber riders used the tipping feature, giving drivers an average tip of $3.10.

If you click on the link to the report in the previous paragraph, you can scroll down to see business travelers’ third quarter spending percentages on specific brands of restaurants, airlines, hotels, and rental car companies, and the average spend per transaction for each one.

Readers: Have your ride-hailing preferences changed between Uber and Lyft? If so, why? Which one is your favorite?

Disclosure: Lyft has sponsored the TravelSkills blog within the last year but did not sponsor this post.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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How to earn airline miles riding Ford GoBikes

Bikers in the Bay Area can earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles. (Image: Ford GoBike)

Whether you are visiting the Bay Area, or live there, you can now earn airline miles while pedaling around.

How? Well, Ford GoBike, the new Bay Area bike-sharing program, has teamed up with Alaska Airlines. Mileage Plan members earn 10 miles for each ride anywhere in the Bay Area. It’s not a huge bonus, but hey, you are getting outside, getting healthy and seeing the city in a new way, right? Plus, if you are a heavy user, it can add up, right?

Those who use the Ford GoBike program can pick up a bicycle at any station and return it to any other station. The program’s app, available at Apple’s App Store or Google Play, provides real-time bike availability information for any station.

Participants can simply link the app to their Mileage Plan account to start earning the miles. Alaska is a founding partner in the Ford GoBike program.

Image: Ford GoBike

In addition to its 240 bike-sharing stations in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville, Ford GoBike recently made its debut in San Jose with 34 bike stations. Another nine will be installed in San Jose soon, and 21 more have been proposed pending community review.

Ford GoBike offers different membership and usage options, including $3 for a single trip, $9.95 for a day pass, and $149 for an annual membership.

When completed in 2018, the 7,000-bike, 546-station Ford GoBike network will be the second-largest bike share system in North America after Mexico City’s Ecobici program.

Have you given a bike sharing program anywhere in the world a try yet? Where? How was it? Please leave your comments below. 

 

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Virgin’s version of hyperloop high-speed travel

Sir Richard Branson inspects a Hyperloop One tunnel. (Image: Virgin Hyperloop One)

Now that he has finished selling off most of his various airline investments, Sir Richard Branson is burnishing his reputation as a transportation maverick by betting on hyperloop travel as the next big thing.

Branson said his Virgin Group has made an investment in fast-travel startup Hyperloop One. He didn’t say how much he invested, but it was enough to secure a change in the Los Angeles-based company’s name to Virgin Hyperloop One.

What’s a hyperloop? It’s a transportation system that sends passenger (or cargo) pods through a low-pressure tube, using magnetic levitation to accelerate the pods to airline-like speeds. Virgin already has a test track outside of Las Vegas, and it estimates its pods will eventually zip along at speeds of up to 670 mph, or two to three times faster than existing high-speed or magnetic levitation trains.


Virgin’s company is not to be confused with a competing technology effort launched by futurist Elon Musk, the developer of Tesla electric cars and SpaceX rocket launching systems (similar to Branson’s Virgin Galactic company). Musk recently launched a venture called The Boring Company to dig low-cost tunnels that could reduce traffic congestion in urban areas. Such tunnels “would also make Hyperloop adoption viable and enable rapid transit across densely populated regions, enabling travel from New York to Washington DC in less than 30 minutes,” The Boring Company says on its website.

Branson concedes on the Virgin Group website that this technology is still “in the early stages of the commercialization phase,” but noted that the company is “working on exciting projects in the Middle East, Europe, India, Canada and the U.S.”  He seems to have his eye on the U.K., predicting that the technology could mean a 50-minute trip from London to Edinburgh.

Related: New York to California in 45 minutes? Maybe 

Virgin Hyperloop One recently held a competition to determine the best places to build its first commercial tracks, and narrowed down the entries to 10 finalists. The 10 included U.S. routes linking Miami-Orlando; a Colorado system from Cheyenne, Wyo, to Pueblo, Co. via Denver with a side track from Denver to Vail; a Dallas-Laredo-Houston route; and Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh. Finalist routes outside the U.S. include Bengaluru-Chennai and Mumbai-Chennai in India; Toronto-Montreal in Canada; Glasgow-Liverpool and Edinburgh-London in the U.K.; and Mexico City-Guadalajara in Mexico.

A passenger/cargo pod. (Image: Virgin Hyperloop One)

Hyperloop One says its goal  is to have “operational systems by 2021.”

What will the Hyperloop One experience be like for passengers? “About the same as riding in an elevator or a passenger plane,” the company says. “Although Hyperloop will be fast, the systems we are building will accelerate with the same tolerable G forces as that of taking off in a Boeing 747. With Hyperloop you will be accelerating and decelerating gradually and, depending on the route, we will incorporate banking into our designs to eliminate G forces even more. And there’s no turbulence.”

How likely do you think travel by hyperloop will be in our lifetime? What do you think of Virgin’s involvement? Please leave your comments below. 

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Airport Lyft & Uber pickups get faster. Why?

Lyft

Airport rides getting faster. Have you noticed? (Photo: Lyft)

When I got off the plane late last night at SFO and called up Lyft for a ride home I was surprised when the app told me that the driver was only one minute away. I was still deep in the terminal and had to hustle to get to the curbside to keep him from waiting.

When calling up Lyft or Uber at the airport, have you noticed that your car shows up a lot faster these days? Well, there’s a good reason for that.

Starting last month both Lyft and Uber rolled out something called “Rematch” at four California airports: San Francisco International, Oakland International, Mineta San Jose International and Los Angeles International.  This new functionality allows drivers to drop off AND pick up passengers simultaneously at the airport.

In the past drivers could enter airport grounds to pick up OR drop off passengers, but they could not do both. That meant passengers had to wait 5-8 minutes for the driver to get to the airport from a remote lot.

Uber and Lyft pick-ups at LAX changing (Image: Thomas Hawk/Flickr)

Officials at LAX said that they allow the practice to further reduce traffic in the central terminal area. In a press release, they said:

“Rematch works by increasing the number of persons who can be picked up during a single TNC [ridesharing] driver’s trip into LAX. Under regular TNC operating policies, TNC vehicles can enter the airport only to pick-up or drop-off passengers, but not both. For TNC companies authorized to use Rematch technology, following a drop-off trip, drivers may see a Rematch notification informing them of a passenger pick-up before exiting. If there is no Rematch notification, then the driver will exit the terminal area following his/her drop-off. Rematch requests will only be issued within the airport, and only to vehicles with confirmed drop-offs.”

Sounds like a good plan to me. Now if they can only do something about all the crowding at the designated pick up areas at LAX and SFO. It’s getting crazy congested curbside at peak hours. Have you noticed? Please leave your comments below.

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London tells Uber: Get out!

London regulators don’t want Uber to operate in the city any more. (Image: Jim Glab)

Uber’s aggressive expansion and some questionable elements of its corporate culture have come back to bite it in the U.K., where London’s transport agency told the company today it will not renew its operating license – which expires September 30.

However, Uber’s app-based car hire service can continue to operate in the British capital during the appeals process, which the company said it will vigorously pursue. That process could take weeks or months. So you can still get your Uber over there for the time being. But maybe not for long. BBC reports that Uber has 21 days to appeal against the agency’s decision. Some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London.

Transport for London, which regulates car hire and taxi services in the city, said that Uber London “is not fit” to hold an operating license. It said Uber’s “approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications.”

In a memo to employees obtained by AP, Uber’s new CEO said the decision was based on past behavior, “The truth is that there is a high cost to a bad reputation…It really matters what people think of us, especially in a global business like ours.”

Uber employs tens of thousands of drivers in London. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The agency cited Uber’s alleged failure to report crimes committed by its drivers, and questioned the adequacy of its driver background checks. The agency also cited Uber’s use of “software that could be used to block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app and prevent officials from undertaking regulatory or law enforcement duties.”

I’m a big user of Uber and Lyft, but when in London, I tend to use cabs more often than in other cities, mostly because of their ease and ubiquity, so this won’t affect my travel habits much. I’m also a fan of the local Addison Lee app-based car service, beloved my many locals. 

However, for many Uber devotees, this could be a big hit.

The company denied all of Transport for London’s allegations, claiming that it uses the same background check standards as the city’s traditional black cab operators and that it has always reported serious incidents involving its drivers. Uber also says hat its technology enhances passenger safety by tracking and recording every trip, and that it has never used the software cited by the agency.

Uber has a history of winning in cases like this… what do you think will happen? Please leave your comments below. 

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“Free” airport parking, cheap rentals back at SFO, LAX

Travelcar

TravelCar will rent your car to another traveler while you’re away. (Image: TravelCar)

Remember FlightCar? It was a San Francisco-based start-up that solicited air travelers to rent out their cars from the airport while they were out of town, giving them free parking and a share of the rental revenue. It had 12 airport locations (and several fans among TravelSkills readers) before it went out of business last year. Another company called RelayRides is out of the airport business, but still working in the car sharing/renting space as Turo.com

Now another company is offering a similar concept, and it’s already available for Los Angeles and San Francisco travelers with locations near both airports.

The new operator is called TravelCar, and it’s not really a start-up; it’s a five-year-old company based in France and has 30 locations there. It refers to itself as a ”peer to peer car sharing platform.”

Customers can use the TravelCar lots simply as an airport parking alternative, paying market rates (e.g. $13 a day at SFO), or they can agree to let the company rent out their vehicle while they’re away, at prices lower than major rental companies (around $30 a day), and take a share of the revenue. (That’s how you get “free” parking.)

The company provides insurance for owners’ cars while they are rented, and it sells insurance to renters with various levels of coverage for $9 to $22 a day.

On the rental side, let’s say you were flying into LAX in mid August and needed a car. TravelCar lists seven types of cars available that day, and a Toyota Prius  is going for just $37 per day plus tax for a total of $41.

Not bad considering a one day rental from Alamo prices out at a hefty $67 when you include all taxes and fees.

TravelCar prices at $41 including tax at LAX in mid August

 

Alamo comes in at $45 for one day including taxes and fees at LAX in mid August

Readers: Would you rent out your car to a stranger through a company like this in order to cut your airport parking costs? Would you rent someone else’s car to save? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Newark Airport dodges transportation bullet

New Jersey Transit trains take passengers from Newark Airport to Penn Station in Manhattan (Chris McGinnis)

One New York City publication is calling it a “summer of Hell” for train commuters as emergency track repairs get underway this week at Penn Station in Manhattan, one of the nation’s busiest rail hubs.

The repair work started this week and is due to continue until September 1, causing some major schedule disruptions, cancellations and detours for rail travelers.

But how will this affect frequent fliers? The most frequent use of Penn Station by air travelers is to take trains to and from Newark Airport – and it looks like those individuals dodged a bullet.

The vast majority of the trains used by Newark Airport travelers to and from Penn Station in Manhattan (don’t get confused – the  trains also stop at Penn Station in Newark) are operated by New Jersey Transit. The trains don’t run to the airport itself, but to the Newark Airport Station, with transfers to the terminals via the AirTrain.

Train schedules for Newark Airport’s station should be unaffected. (Image: New Jersey Transit)

The Newark Airport Station is a stop on New Jersey Transit’s Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line. And the rail company said on its website that “all Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains to PSNY (Penn Station New York) will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes.”

Amtrak reports that while a few northeast Corridor regional trains between Washington D.C.-New York and Philadelphia-New York will be canceled, there will be no changes to the schedules for its high-speed Acela trains in the Northeast Corridor – the trains most often used by business travelers.

Image: New Jersey Transit

Some travelers also use Long Island Rail Road commuter trains from Penn Station to travel to Jamaica Station in Queens for a transfer to the JFK Airport AirTrain, which takes travelers to the JFK terminals. There could be minor schedule changes for the LIRR, but there are so many trains running between Penn Station and Jamaica Station that any difference should be negligible.

The New York Times has published a handy guide with several links to help readers find their way around the transportation troubles resulting from the Penn Station repairs.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: New lie-flat seats + Low fares to Europe + United Polaris + Dr. Dao interview + Hertz program

San Jose International welcomes a new Aeromexico nonstop from Guadalajara, with a wet water cannon salute. SJC-GDL also served by Alaska and Volaris. Nonstop August fares around $300 roundtrip! (Photo: SJC)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Overnight sleep pods for $115 between L.A.-San Francisco

2 Even more super-low fares, new routes to Europe

3 Planespotting: Boeing 767, 777 & Airbus A330 differences

4 Routes: More United Polaris from SFO + Etihad, ANA, Asiana, SAA, El Al (Including news about delayed opening of Polaris Lounge at SFO.)

5 Best Western adds iconic Las Vegas hotel

Lincoln Continental

Chris lucked out with a brand new Lincoln Continental from National’s Emerald Aisle in ATL

6 New Hertz program takes a page from National

7 Bummer: Alaska, American dial back partnership

8 Alaska’s Horizon Air faces ‘crisis’

9 United messing with MileagePlus awards

10 When travel breaks your heart

Don’t miss: Now that you can tip on Uber, will you? And how much? How to tip on Uber & Lyft

Last week new video footage of the Asiana 214 crash at SFO in July 2013 emerged. It’s tough to watch, especially at about 2:14 when the camera zooms in and you see passengers begin to escape after what feels like a very long delay. Dazed and confused, many of them remain close to the plane despite the risk of explosion. Look closely and you’ll see many who escaped with their lives and their rollaboard suitcases. It’s very sad that three passengers died, and miraculous that many more did not perish.

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Dr Dao breaks silence for first time since United dragging incident in lengthy interview

Delta to purchase part of India’s Jet Airways?

Wait. What? TSA missing 95% of prohibited items during screening

Demand at United’s new O’Hare Polaris lounge is already exceeding capacity

KLM “care tag” will dispense real-time travel tips for visitors to Amsterdam

Emirates passengers say $4,000 in cash was stolen from their first class compartment

Which airline site is most popular in each state? United.com is only popular in three! 

Interesting map showing which airline sites most popular in each state (Source: Similarweb)

TSA PreCheck passes the 5 million member mark

Heathrow plans to open a post-security fitness club in Terminal 2 this fall

Here’s a look at the latest “smart luggage” developments

Colombian carrier plans to explore “vertical seating” concept

AT&T teams with Tumi to offer constant, real-time baggage tracking product

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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How to tip on Uber or Lyft

Uber Newark

Taking Uber from Manhattan to Newark Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

With the rapid rollout of a tipping option on Uber’s app this month making it quick and easy to offer a gratuity, riders will now have to decide if they will use it – and if so, how much will they tip?

Uber introduced the long-awaited (by drivers, anyway) tipping option on its app in three cities last month, and as of this week, it’s available in a total of 100 urban areas in the U.S. and Canada. (Chris used it for the first time today in San Francisco.) Uber has pledged that app-based tipping will be available for all its U.S. drivers by the end of July. (Competitor Lyft has had app-based tipping for quite some time.)

Something else is changing at Uber this month as well – instead of giving the passenger five minutes to show for a pick-up, that window is being cut to two minutes – after which a fee will apply.

The thing is, many Uber riders may have adopted the mindset that Uber rides are tipless. It was only last year that Uber decided that tipping would be allowed, but it was not added to the app back then, so drivers had the awkward option of soliciting tips with a sign in the car or by telling riders they could offer a gratuity.

So now that riders can tip the driver quickly and easily with a tap, they have to decide first if they will indeed do so, and then how much to tip.

Image: Uber

Once you rate your Uber driver, the updated Uber app gives you pre-set tipping options of $1, @2 or $5; or you can tap “Enter Custom Amount” and put in a different number.

So how do you decide on an amount? Consider some of the same things you would when rating the driver – condition of the car, personal courtesy, professionalism, and so on. As Chris advises in this story on AFAR.com:

So, for regular rides operating at standard rates, a tip of 10 to 20 percent is probably equitable. Some riders might want to reduce that percentage if the the service is running on surge pricing, since drivers make more on those rides.

But essentially, tipping an Uber or Lyft driver is just like any other tipping situation – it’s a reward for good service. Right? Are you more inclined to tip your driver now that it’s easier? Please leave your comments below. 

This article in The Verge lists all the cities where Uber’s app tipping is now available.

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New Hertz program takes a page from National

A new Hertz program lets renters bypass the rental counter and select their own car. (Image: Jim Glab)

Rental car giant Hertz, which has been struggling financially in recent years, has been quietly rolling out a new program that looks a lot like competitor National Car Rental’s Emerald Club Aisle – except the Hertz program is available to all renters.

Called Ultimate Choice, the new Hertz program started last winter and by this month will be available at almost three dozen U.S. airport locations.

With Ultimate Choice, Hertz customers are no longer assigned a specific car. Instead, they go to the car zone shown on their reservation – based on the vehicle category they booked — and select any car they want, from a variety of makes and models.

A customer who decides to upgrade at the last minute can do so by going to the Premium Upgrade zone and selecting a higher-category car. The upgrade fee is $35 a day (or $25 for Hertz Platinum and President’s Circle members), with changes processed at the exit gate.

The layout of a typical Hertz Ultimate Choice lot. (Image: Hertz)

Members of Hertz’s Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program, including Gold, Five Star and President’s Circle members, have access to “a select group of cars with enhanced features,” Hertz said, located at special pickup zones based on tier status. The same upgrade fees apply for those cars.

National’s program, available to members of its Emerald Club – which is free to join, like Hertz’ Gold Plus Rewards — also lets customers bypass the rental counter and proceed directly to the Emerald Club Aisle, where they can select any car.

Hertz has been struggling in recent years, especially after it bought Dollar Thrifty in 2012, with its global revenues on a steady decline (from $8.9 billion in 2014 to $8.2 billion last year). By contrast, the revenues of National’s parent, Enterprise Holdings, grew from $17.8 billion in 2014 to $20 billion last year. The privately-held Enterprise Holdings also owns the Enterprise and Alamo rental brands.

National parent Enterprise Holdings has been trying out hourly rentals. (Image: Enterprise)

All the big rental companies have been facing a competitive challenge from ride-sharing operators Uber and Lyft, which are handling a growing share of business travelers’ ground transportation needs. They have responded by testing some new concepts of their own, like Enterprise CarShare, an experiment from Enterprise Holdings that lets customers rent cars by the hour from special parking areas in major metropolitan areas, without the need to visit a rental office.

But Enterprise CarShare hasn’t been doing well. This month, company is closing down its CarShare operations in Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C., citing low consumer demand. It remains in operations in some 18 other cities.

Have your rental car habits changed in recent years? Which is your preferred provider… and why? Please leave your comments below. 

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Overnight sleep pods for $115 between L.A.-San Francisco

Cabin offers sleep pods for overnight trips. (Image: Cabin)

Last year, we told you about a startup called SleepBus that sold overnight rides between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with bunkbed-style accommodations in the back of a big truck. Now the folks who brought you SleepBus are back with an upgraded product for the same kind of trip.

It’s called Cabin, and the vehicle has changed from a truck to something that looks more like a big two-level Google bus. The passenger accommodations are now individual sleep pods – or as the company calls them, “private cabins” — stacked in a double-decker layout. And one-way fares have nearly doubled– from $65 at launch to $115 each way today.

The company says that when Sleepbus first launched in 2016, it sold out its inventory in just three days, and had a waiting list of 20,000, which proved that there was a strong market for the new concept. After running for a few months using a rented bus, company founders shut the operation down went back to the drawing board to create something more sustainable. Here’s our previous story about Sleepbus.)

Cabin operates between Los Angeles and San Francisco. (Image: Cabin)

“By consolidating both transportation and accommodation into one simple and delightful experience, Cabin’s one-of-a-kind moving hotel experience enables people to travel without travel time,” the company says.

Cabin’s sole route is still Los Angeles-San Francisco, with an 11 p.m. departure and a 7 a.m. arrival, although it promises that “additional expansion (is) on the horizon.” One-way SF-LA fares start at $115. A spokesperson told TravelSkills that it is currently operating two of the big buses, with one used as a backup.

Here’s a screenshot of a booking showing pick up and drop off locations- Santa Monica in LA and 1 Bryant St near AT&T Park in SF

There’s a shared bathroom and a “communal lounge” on board, along with a full-time attendant. Customers are allowed two pieces of luggage, and are provided with nighttime tea, morning coffee, free Wi-Fi and ear plugs. Cabins are equipped with clean bedding, a reading light and an electrical outlet.

Pods are private and stacked on two levels (Photo: Cabin)

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE to fly from SFO to Hong Kong and write about it for TravelSkills! Details here. 

Cabin has upgraded its product since its SleepBus days. (Image: Cabin)

Contrasting its service with the airline experience, the company notes that its vehicles have scheduled departures and arrivals at central locations in both cities and passengers only need to show up 10 minutes before departure. (And we presume there are no security screenings.)

For more info about Cabin, see this. 

The company says its SleepBus venture last year was a pilot test of the overnight sleep-and-travel-by-road concept. As the new and improved Cabin, it has secured $3.3 million in seed money that it says “will allow Cabin to scale operations both on a regional and national level.”

Hmm. I like the concept, but I’m probably not the target market for this. If I did it, I’d be sure to pack my Mack’s earplugs and Bucky eye mask. Maybe I’d sleep like I did on my recent Qantas flight to Australia. Or maybe not. But I’m curious.

Would you try Cabin? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

 

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Uber app adds a tipping option

Image: Uber

Faced with growing pressure from its drivers and from some regulators to add a tipping function to its app, Uber this week caved in and said it will.

A year ago, Uber agreed to let its drivers solicit cash tips from riders. More recently, regulators ranging from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to the California legislature started to take steps that could make a tipping app mandatory.

Image: Uber

Uber said this week that it just updated its app for riders in Seattle, Minneapolis and Houston so they can add a tip to their fare. “We’ll be adding more cities over the next few weeks and making tips available to all U.S. drivers and delivery partners by the end of July 2017,” the company  said on its website.

When the customer’s ride is finished, he will see the usual option to rate the trip/driver, and a new prompt to click through to add a tip.  The app will suggest preset tips of $1, $2 or $5, or will allow the user to enter a specific tip amount of his preference.

And there’s no rush – Uber will give riders up to 30 days after a trip to add a tip.

In April, we reported on the growing pressures on Uber to add a tip function to its app. We also polled our readers on whether they would be inclined to tip their Uber driver if they had an option to do so on the app. Readers were evenly divided, with half saying they would and half saying they wouldn’t.

Drivers with whom I’ve discussed Uber’s resistance to allowing tipping frequently pointed to CEO Travis Kalanick for the hard line against it. With Kalanick on indefinite leave, it now sounds like cooler, fairer heads are making decisions.

How do you feel about tipping your ride-sharing drivers? Please leave your comments below. 

 

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United’s NYC taxi tip: Newark is quicker

United ads compare travel time to Newark vs. JFK. (Image: United)

United Airlines has kicked off a clever advertising campaign to convince NYC travelers they should fly out of its Newark hub instead of JFK Airport.

The airline has put digital displays on the roofs of 125 New York City taxis showing the estimated travel times  to both JFK and Newark – and Newark comes out the winner.

The clever part is that these aren’t average travel times – they’re estimates based on the taxi’s location at the time you see it (the cabs are equipped with GPS software), and real-time traffic conditions in the New York area.

Of course, travel time is one thing and cost is another. The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission has established a $52 flat fee for trips from Manhattan to JFK (plus tolls and tip). There’s no flat fee to Newark; the meter fare is around $48 from Midtown – but there’s also a $17.50 surcharge for EWR trips that doesn’t apply to JFK.

And then there is the Uber/Lyft option.

The route from Manhattan to EWR. (Image: RideGuru)

We looked up the cost of rides from Times Square to both airports on RideGuru. It put the cost of a taxi ride to EWR at $68, vs. $73 on Lyft and $77 on UberX (with no surge pricing premium). A taxi to JFK came to $54, vs. $45 on UberX and Lyft.

But our favorite way for getting to Newark has to be the New Jersey Transit train service from Penn Station. A ride on the frequent service from Penn Station in Manhattan to EWR takes less than half an hour and costs just $13.

Readers: Which New York airport do you generally fly out of, and how do you get there?

H/T Stuck at the Airport

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Lyft goes black in bid for business travelers

A new upscale black car service in several cities. (Image: Lyft)

In its latest step to capture a bigger share of the business and luxury travel market, ride-sharing company Lyft said it is rolling out a black car service in major cities.

The new service, called Lyft Lux and Lyft Lux SUV, starts this week in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. It should be available in 20 cities by this summer. (It showed up on the app this morning…)

The company is telling prospective drivers that to qualify for the new categories, they must have specific models of vehicles from any of  21 approved brands, from Acuras to Buicks to Linciolns to Rolls-Royces. The cars must be black, no older than a 2011 model, and have leather or leather-like seats. To qualify as a Lux SUV vehicle, it must seat at least six persons. Pricing for Lux is roughly 3x regular prices.

Drivers for the new service must have maintained a rating of 4.7 stars or higher.

Customers can request a black car through the app.

Although it started out as a simple ride-sharing service for the casual or leisure passenger, it has been moving to attract more business travelers. Last year, it introduced a new option called Lyft Premier that features higher-end luxury cars (Lexus ES, Cadillac Escalade, Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series – not necessarily black). Pricing for Premier is roughly 2x regular pricing.

And earlier this month, Lyft formed a partnership with Delta SkyMiles so that members can earn miles for each ride when they link their accounts (including triple miles for airport rides through August 31).

Lyft competitor Uber actually started out as a all-black-car service when it launched in San Francisco in 2011. A year later, it introduced its mass-market UberX service– more or less copying Lyft’s less expensive option.

Which ride-sharing app do you use most? Have you tried Lyft? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

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Delta adds a SkyMiles partner

Lyft is Delta’s newest SkyMiles partner. (Image: Delta/Lyft)

Delta has added ride-sharing company Lyft as the newest partner in its SkyMiles program.

The airline said members who link their SkyMiles and Lyft accounts (which you can do here) will earn one mile per dollar spent on all Lyft rides – including Lyft Line, Classic, Plus and Premier rides – with no limit on the amount to be earned.

Through August 31, customers with linked accounts will earn triple SkyMiles miles on Lyft rides to or from an airport (excluding taxes, tolls and tips).

Don’t miss: 5 key reasons to give Lyft Premier a try

SkyMiles members who are new to Lyft and link their accounts can get up to $20 in Lyft ride credits (i.e., two $10 credits) on their first and second Lyft rides within 60 days of signing up as a new Lyft user.

The addition of Lyft marks Delta’s second “sharing economy” partnership for SkyMiles in recent months. Last fall, SkyMiles teamed up with Airbnb, letting members earn miles for stays at that vendor’s properties.

Disclosure: Lyft is a recent TravelSkills sponsor

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Don’t work all weekend: Drive out of town instead

Nothing like a weekend road trip to take your mind off work. (Image: Jim Glab)

One of the big drawbacks of a busy career is working too hard.  A new survey finds that most workers keep plugging away on weekends — when it might be better for their mental and physical health to just drive away from the job for a couple of days.

The study conducted for Enterprise Rent-A-Car found that nearly 70 percent of those polled said they work an average of nine hours at least one weekend a month. And getting away from the job is hard: 63 percent said their employers expect them to work weekends, and 61 percent said they can’t help thinking about work on those precious days off. Two-thirds of those polled said they regularly read and reply to work-related emails on Saturdays and Sundays.

The obsession is more severe among Millennials: Three out of four said they can become consumed with work thoughts over weekends.

What to do? Break away from the routine. Survey respondents said they could significantly improve their weekends by “exploring new places” (54 percent), “getting out of town” (51 percent) or “more weekend trips” (48 percent).

Driving the paved road up Colorado’s 14,000-foot Mt. Evans will literally take you into the clouds. (Image: Jim Glab)

That could be a problem if you don’t have access to wheels. Whether you’re a Millennial who has shunned car ownership thus far, or a road warrior who has relied on Uber rides at your destination, a weekend car rental will let you get out of town and escape the constant tug of the laptop screen.

And you don’t even have to go to the airport for your ride. Enterprise, for instance, has hundreds of neighborhood rental offices around the country where you can quickly pick up a car and be on your way.

Tacking a personal getaway onto a business trip has become increasingly common, so think about extending your next one over a weekend and exploring the nearby region. It will take your mind off work and give you more perspective about the places you travel to.

Sun, sand and surf beckon from California’s beach towns. (Image: Jim Glab)

Rocky Mountains that you can probably see through the window of your meeting rooms. Tip: If you want a real driving adventure, head for Mount Evans (about an hour west of Denver) and drive the sinuous road that takes you to the 14,000-foot summit. It’s the highest paved road in the country, and something you won’t soon forget. Or head to nearby Rocky Mountain National Park for a drive along Trail Ridge Road, which goes up to 12,000 feet across an alpine tundra.

Just wrapping up a week of tedious trade shows in Los Angeles or San Francisco? That’s a no-brainer: A ride up or down the Pacific Coast Highway will really clear the work-related cobwebs out of your head, and provide great backdrops for stunning selfies as you go. (The Enterprise survey also found that two-thirds of the respondents said they tend to share their non-working weekend moments on social media.)

So don’t waste those weekends when new experiences beckon. You know what they say about all work and no play.

This post is sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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‘Big Data’ tips for saving on summer travel

Start booking soon for best prices on summer vacation travel. (Image: Jim Glab)

Tech giant Adobe has come out with its annual travel report, compiled by sifting through enormous amounts of data from travel booking sites and social media, and it has offered some tips for getting the best deals on summer vacation trips.

For example, Adobe says that travelers looking to save on air fares should book domestic flights 76 to 112 days in advance, and international flights at least 125 days out, “assuming potential flight changes are not an issue.” Also, booking Saturday flights can save an average of 11 percent, while trips scheduled for Mondays can cost 11 percent more.

The absolute busiest travel period this summer (just like every year) will be the four-day Fourth of July holiday, when U.S. consumers will spend $3.7 billion on travel, Adobe said. That’s followed by the Memorial Day weekend ($2.9 billion) and Labor Day weekend ($2.8 billion).

But interestingly, Adobe says that growth in summer travel is down compared to last year. The report says, “Overall spending on summer travel by US consumers will grow by +5.1% (66% lower than last year), totaling $98.02B. Slower growth is mainly coming from nearly flat air and hotel bookings, likely the results of significant price increases. Growth has slowed for airlines and hotels mainly due to nearly flat number of airline reservations and decreasing hotels, but is bolstered by an increase in prices.”

Domestic air travel costs are running 4.8 percent higher than last year. (Image: Jim Glab)

As of March 2017, year-over-year domestic air fare prices have increased by 4.8 percent. International costs have gone up 4.7 percent, Adobe said, with one big exception: Fares for travel from the U.S. to Europe dropped 6.2 percent.

Domestic hotel prices went up by 3.7 percent over the same 12-month period, the report notes, and it recommends booking rooms 33 days in advance for the best price. Because most hotels have lenient cancellation policies “consumers can book earlier, but cancel if a better deal is found at day 33,” Adobe said.

U.S. travelers making domestic trips should see less competition for flights and hotel rooms from foreign visitors, Adobe said, noting that the cost of a trip to the U.S. is about 10 percent higher than it was a year ago. That’s mainly due to a stronger dollar, although “confusion over (U.S. government) travel restrictions may also play a role,” an Adobe spokesperson said. In the first quarter of 2017, international flight bookings to the U.S. from abroad have fallen by 6 percent.

The eclectic Adobe report has some other interesting nuggets about travel trends – car rentals, for instance.  It said that online car rentals in the first quarter of this year were down 14 percent over the same period a year ago, and it points a finger at car-sharing apps. From March to December 2016, Adobe said, social media mentions of Uber increased by 6 million, and during the same period, online car rentals fell by 28 percent – a 2 percent drop in rentals for each 10 percent increase in Uber social mentions.

Here’s where people are going. (Chart: Adobe)

Adobe also tracks destination trends by home market. For San Franciscans, the top domestic destination is Las Vegas, followed by Los Angeles and New York; and for New Yorkers, the top three are Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

And wherever or whenever you go, don’t forget to post something about your trip on social media – because everyone else does. Adobe said that every month, there are 14 million mentions of travel on social media – 1.7 times more than mentions of Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift combined.

Speaking of social media, check out Chris’s Instagram feed for some nice images of his spring break in Hawaii!

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Uber could make tipping easier – but would you? POLL

Uber may have to alter its app to allow tipping. (Image: Uber)

Even though its competitor Lyft has always allowed customers to tip drivers through its app, ride-sharing giant Uber has firmly resisted that option – although it might soon be forced to change its policy.

New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission this week said it will take up a proposal that would require car services that rely on app-based credit card transactions to include a way for customers to tip drivers through the app. If the commission ultimately decides to adopt the rule, a process that could take several months, other cities might follow suit.

>>SEE POLL BELOW!>>

The New York proposal is backed by a petition effort signed by thousands of drivers.  Two months ago, a bill was introduced in the California legislature that would impose a similar requirement on Uber.

A year ago, as part of a settlement with drivers in California and Massachusetts, the company agreed that it’s OK for drivers to solicit cash tips by posting signs in their cars, or simply by asking customers.

Uber drivers want an easier way to collect gratuities. (Image: Uber)

On its website, Uber informs customers who look for guidance that its app does not include a tip in the trip fare. “In most cities, Uber is a cashless experience,” the website says. “Tipping is voluntary. As a rider, you are not obligated to offer your driver a gratuity in cash. If you decide you would like to tip your driver is welcome to accept.” That verbiage was recently changed from the previous version: “You don’t need cash when you ride with Uber. Once you arrive at your destination, your fare is automatically charged to your credit card on file — there’s no need to tip.”

After the company changed its policy on tipping last year, an article in the Harvard Business Review was highly critical of the company’s decision not to allow gratuities to be paid through its app, instead requiring a separate transaction between passenger and driver.

“While this tipping procedure sounds harmless, it puts Uber at a significant competitive disadvantage,” the article said. “In addition to the inconvenience of the extra step, which will require business travelers to collect multiple receipts for expense account reimbursements, many riders will feel pressured to be overly generous in the amount they tip.” It noted that customers might also feel pressure to cough up a bigger tip if they want a good rating from the driver. “Customers never enjoy being strong-armed over a gratuity,” the article said.

When we polled our readers in February 2016, we found that by a two-to-one margin, they do not regularly tip Uber (or Lyft) drivers. Would that change if you could tip through the Uber app?

POLL: 

If Uber adds a tipping feature to its app, would you be more likely to tip your driver?

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Uber faces shut-down in 2 European countries

Don’t look for an Uber ride in Copenhagen starting next week. (Image: Jim Glab)

New regulatory and legal developments in Denmark and Italy are posing fresh challenges for ride-sharing giant Uber across the Atlantic even as it waits for a potentially game-changing decision from the European Court of Justice.

In Denmark, Uber is expected to halt operations on April 18 due to the imposition of new taxi rules that require vehicles for hire to be equipped with devices like fare meters and seat-occupancy sensors. Most Danish taxis already have the required equipment, but Uber vehicles – which are private cars owned by their drivers – do not.

Thus, Uber officials said they had no choice but to shut down in Denmark, where the company says some 300,000 people have downloaded its app, and where it claims 2,000 drivers in its operation.

In Italy, a court in Rome last week gave Uber 10 days to stop operating in the country (until April 17), threatening it with fines of more than $10,000 a day if it does not. Uber is expected to file an appeal.

The ruling came in a case filed by drivers at traditional taxi unions, who charged that Uber’s activities constituted unfair competition under Italian law. The court said Uber must stop use of its smartphone apps and discontinue all promotion and advertising.

Uber is facing shut-downs in Denmark and Italy. (Image: Uber)

Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice is expected to rule any time now on what kinds of laws and regulations apply to Uber across the E.U.’s member countries. That decision is expected in a case filed in 2015 by the taxi drivers’ association of Barcelona. (Uber is not available in Barcelona, but it is in Madrid. You won’t find Uber in Frankfurt, either)

The issue facing the court is whether Uber is a transportation service, as the taxi drivers contend, which means the company would have to meet existing labor and safety regulations across the continent; or whether it is, as Uber contends, an “information society service,” which would allow it to operate and expand in Europe following its current business model.

Uber’s competitor Lyft does not yet have its own operations overseas, although it has been working to forge partnerships with some existing app-based ride services in specific markets.

There are some alternatives for travelers. A German-based company called Blacklane (www.blacklane.com) is one. “Travelers schedule rides one hour to months in advance. All drivers speak English and have commercial licenses and insurance. Rates are all-inclusive and guaranteed when you book,” a spokesman tells TravelSkills. “For airport pickups, drivers wait up to an hour for free. We are in five Italian cities (Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Venice) plus Copenhagen and 250 other cities worldwide.”

There are also taxi apps like Taxi.eu in Denmark and myTaxi in Italy.

TIP: If you are headed to Europe this summer and plan to use Uber there, be sure to check here before you go.

Readers: In which cities do you miss having Uber or Lyft the most? Please leave the cities below.  

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: LAX mess + Virgin fate + Spaceship + Ban + Cheap spring

Delta

Every now and then even TravelSkills ventures beyond the curtain. Seat 40D SFO>ATL on a Delta 757. Not bad! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Emotions run high in the comments Alaska Airlines reveals fate of Virgin America

2 It’s gonna be cray-cray Multi-airline mega-move at LAX just weeks away

3 Spacey! Virgin America view: My most jaw-dropping window seat view…ever [VIDEO]

SFO Terminal 2 flags

Remembering Virgin America and the opening of Terminal 2 SFO in 2011 (Chris McGinnis)

4 Sale fares gone but still cheap New $149 California-Spain flights – and it’s not Norwegian

5 Routes: Norwegian/BA at Oakland, Alaska/Condor, China Eastern, KLM, Air Canada, Volaris

6 Say what? Ugly aircraft noise, beautifully displayed

7 Dealing with it Electronics ban spreads: Advice & alternative explanations

8 Fastest growing airport in the US: Mineta San Jose Airport: New transcon routes and more

9 He made a cool $600 million on the deal: Richard Branson bids good-bye to Virgin America

10 LOL: The lighter side the electronics ban

Don’t miss: Why this spring travel season is different- and cheaper– than before

SFO Tower

Removing the “cab” atop SFO’s old control tower (Chris McGinnis)

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Alaska Airlines adds German Condor as mileage partner

America’s most hair raising airport landings

Uber softening stance on tipping?

United finishes up security modernization at Newark hub

Marriott adding new search engine for local experiences

At ATL, Lyft, Uber already getting twice the biz as cab companies

The South’s best fried chicken restaurants

Last week Virgin Atlantic launched new 3x per week “Man-Fran” nonstops between SFO and Manchester, UK. Lowest fares for May $659 roundtrip. Virgin says “Man-Fran will build on a shared psyche between these two northern cities, both famous for their wet weather, trams, music, LBGT and street art scenes; one built on a heritage of silicon and the other rebuilding itself as a British tech hub” (Photo: Virgin)

American Express CEO made a cool $22 million last year

Austin airport was designed for 11 million passengers but currently doing 12 million.

Pilots charge American’s on-time departure obsession is stranding standby passengers

Faced with in-cabin ban, Emirates offers special handling for laptops

Marriott’s growth target: 300,000 more rooms in two years

AA said to eye big investment in China Southern

FAA predicts a 65 percent increase in airline traffic over the next 20 years

JetBlue introduces a new treat for Mint passengers

New app offers simplified interface for air/hotel bookings, changes

EU to U.K. airlines: Move your HQ to the continent or you could lose routes

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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5 key reasons to try new Lyft Premier

Lyft

A new upscale option from Lyft (Photo: Lyft)

In less than a decade, the introduction of ride-sharing services has changed the way we travel for business more than just about anything else. Starting this week those rides get more luxurious as Lyft’s new Premier option expands. 

Gone are the days of tense calls with terse dispatchers and uncertain waits for taxis to take us to the airport or to our meetings. Also gone: Overpriced limo rides to or from the airport.

Now we just push a button on our smartphones and watch our ride come to us on a map. We know how much the ride will cost before we even get in the car. When the ride is over, we thank the driver and step out of the car instead of waiting around for a receipt or worrying about leaving the right tip. While the wow factor of that has worn off on many frequent travelers, it still feels like magic to me!

To grab more of the lucrative corporate travel market, Lyft is now bringing even more magic to our airport or cross-town rides with the introduction of Lyft Premier – a new luxury ride service that will pick you up in high-end sedan or SUV like a BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Lexus LS, or Cadillac Escalade in minutes.

Lyft app

You’ll now see the new Premier option pop up on the Lyft app in 19 cities (Image: Lyft)

Last year Lyft introduced the new Premier option in a handful of major cities, and has been steadily expanding it across the US. Just this week it introduced Premier in eight more cities for a total of 19.

Ready for a little luxury in your next ride? Here are five key reasons to give Lyft Premier a try:

1> New cities: This week, Premier arrives in Baltimore, Boston, Denver, New Jersey, Orange County, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Seattle. It’s also available in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.

2> Tipping: As always (and thankfully!) you can tip your driver via the Lyft app. Once your ride is over, you’ll get a prompt on your phone to rate the driver and leave a tip if you’d like. No awkward moments when you don’t have cash, or the driver does not have change. For this reason alone, many frequent travelers use Lyft as their primary ride-share service. What about you?

Don’t miss: Should I tip my driver? Poll shows that 35 percent of TravelSkills readers do!

Lyft

Lyft Premier will pick you up in a BMW, Audi, Lexus, or Cadillac in minutes. (Image: Lyft)

3> Prices: Back in the day, I would pay about $50 or $60 for an uncomfortable taxicab ride between my house in San Francisco and SFO Airport. When I was lucky enough to have a client willing to pay for a cushy car service, that fare would rise to around $100. These days I pay about $30 for a regular Lyft ride to the airport– and when I want a little luxury, I’ll ping a Lyft Premier for about $60. Generally, Premier fares run about twice as much as regular Lyft fares. In New York, a Premier ride from Manhattan to JFK runs $101-$121, while a regular Lyft costs $52-$65.

4> Nicer cars: Premier offers users style, consistency and comfort, and Premier vehicles likely resemble the luxury car in your garage or driveway. To qualify as a Lyft Premier vehicle, it must be a top-tier luxury make/model and it can’t be older than a 2008 model. It must have leather seats and comfortably accommodate at least three passengers.

5> Higher-rated drivers: Premier drivers maintain stellar ratings. Since Premier rates are higher, drivers make more money on higher fares (plus Lyft reports that Premier rides earn 50% higher tips on average) and are more likely to offer those little extras such as phone chargers, mints and water.

Ride-sharing among frequent travelers has become ubiquitous– as a matter of fact, they are now more frequently expensed than taxis and rental cars combined. 

In addition to Lyft Premier, you’ll find Lyft, Lyft Line (shared rides) and Lyft Plus (6+ passenger vehicles) on the app. Since its founding in June 2012, Lyft has expanded to more than 200 cities in the U.S.

Do you or have you used Lyft? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below. 

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Travelers getting gas over higher prices

Map shows where gas is currently cheapest (green), priciest (red). (Image: Gas Buddy)

This time last year we were paying less than $1.80 per gallon on average for gasoline. Now we are paying about $2.30.

Ouch! Have you noticed the 50 cent increase? The price of fuel not only affects travelers at the pump– it puts pressure on airlines to raise fares as the peak summer season approaches. It also makes ride-sharing drivers earn less.

The average price per gallon now $2.30, up from $1.80 last year. (Gas Buddy)

With travelers looking for relief, InterContinental Hotels Group’s customer loyalty program has started offering its members a new benefit: savings at the pump. It’s a program aimed squarely at biz travelers who drive more than they fly – which is the great majority of them.

The company said its new Fuel Rewards program link provides discounts on gas purchases at Shell stations nationwide, with the amount varying by elite status.

The savings include a 5 cents-a-gallon discount for Club and Gold Elite members of IHG Rewards Club (10 nights or 10,000 points a year); 6 cents for Platinum Elites (40 nights/40,000 points); and 7 cents for Spite Elites (75 nights/75,000 points).

How to get your discount at Shell

It’s a nice innovation for a hotel loyalty program as the price of gas keep creeping up, but 5 to 7 cents a gallon? That’s a savings of a buck or less for a fill-up. We’ve seen supermarket discount cards that offer savings of up to 30 cents a gallon.

But individuals could accumulate greater savings. IHG said the Fuel Rewards program is operated by a company called Excentus, which has similar arrangements with other national brands and retailers, and the benefits can be combined. “As members of the Fuel Rewards program, IHG Rewards Club members can stack additional fuel savings from purchases made at a variety of participating retailers, restaurants and merchants,” the company noted.

Members who want the perk must link their IHG Rewards Club account with Fuel Rewards. Here’s a link to Fuel Rewards, with details and more information.

IHG is not alone in offering fuel savings. Best Western Rewards members can redeem 13,000 points for at $50 Shell gift card that can be used at the pump or store.

How much is gasoline per gallon in your home town? Have you noticed how much it’s increased in recent months? 

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Airport news: Atlanta, LAX, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando

SuperShuttle’s vans no longer serve Atlanta’s airport. (Image: SuperShuttle)

In U.S., airport developments, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson loses a ground transportation option; Los Angeles officials break ground on LAX’s extension of the Bradley International Terminal; CLEAR opens at Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Orlando unveils some details of its big South Terminal plans.

Two and a half years after it started operating at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, SuperShuttle has discontinued its shared-ride van service there. The company reportedly could not maintain a sustainable level of business on its service to the airport from downtown Atlanta, Midtown and Buckhead, especially in the face of new competition from Uber and Lyft. Both ride-sharing companies charge less for airport rides than traditional cab companies, and Uber has an even cheaper shared-ride option called UberPool. SuperShuttle had asked for permission to expand its service area beyond central Atlanta to the rest of the metro area, but that request was denied, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. SuperShuttle’s sister company ExecuCar continues to offer black car service in the area as before.

The new satellite concourse is just west of the Bradley Terminal. (Image: Los Angeles World Airports)

Los Angeles city officials went to LAX last week for the formal groundbreaking on phase one of the airport’s Midfield Satellite Concourse, which will supplement the existing Bradley International Terminal. The $1.6 billion, five-story structure will feature a 750,000 square foot passenger concourse. It will be linked to the Bradley Terminal by a 1,000-foot tunnel, and to other terminals by buses. Two of the new concourse’s 12 gates will be able to handle Airbus A380s and 747-8s, and the rest are designed to accommodate other modern wide-bodies including 777s and 787s and Airbus A330s and A350s. “The new gates are also expected to reduce the airport’s current reliance on remote gates on the west side of the airfield, which lack passenger services, concessions and other amenities,” the airport said. The concourse will devote 44,000 square feet to food and shopping concessions, and 60,000 to airline lounges. It should start welcoming passengers in late 2019. A few months ago, the airport issued a fly-through video showcasing the new concourse.

The latest airport to welcome CLEAR trusted traveler lanes is Minneapolis-St. Paul. The company opened its lanes – which allow members direct access to security screening – at both the north and south checkpoints in MSP’s Terminal 1. Delta Air Lines, which holds an equity stake in CLEAR, has promised to make the lanes available at all its major hubs. MSP becomes the 22nd U.S. airport to offer CLEAR’s service. Participants use biometric scans at CLEAR kiosks to bypass the regular security lines. CLEAR does not provide access to TSA’s PreCheck lines unless the participant is also a PreCheck member. Membership in CLEAR costs $179 a year, although members of Delta’s SkyMiles can get preferred rates of $79 to $99 a year.

Don’t miss: Delta’s deep discounts for CLEAR memberships

Orlando’s planned South Terminal would eventually add 120 gates to the airport. (Image: Orlando International)

Architects working on the plans for a big new South Terminal at Orlando International Airport revealed that the three-story structure would use the top level for passenger arrivals and baggage claim. The baggage system is expected to use radio frequency technology to speed up the process. Government officials have yet to give final approval to the project, but the facility is considered necessary because the existing airport is operating at passenger levels above its capacity – up 10 percent last year to 41.5 million. The proposed South Terminal would be a multi-year project that would eventually bring 120 more gates to the airport. The major design feature of the new terminal would be a central “boulevard” that runs the length of the building, linking the ticketing and concessions area in the front of the terminal with a post-security gate area that has more concessions and lounges. Phase one is expected to open in 2020, but the entire project will take 25 years to complete.

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Best & worst airport-to-city trains

Hong Kong train

An outstanding, clean, easy and cheap train to the plane in Hong Kong (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Over the last year alone, I’ve taken the train to or from the plane in Hong Kong, Atlanta, Sydney, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.  I really wanna give the new airport train in Denver a go. Ever since United moved its NYC flights to Newark, I’ve been a regular on the trains that connect EWR to Penn Station in Manhattan. Even though I love my Lyft rides, I’m kind of an airport train freak.

A new study examines the speed and efficiency of airport public transit systems worldwide, and finds that – to no one’s surprise – most of the best are in Asia.

The world’s best public transit option is the Tokyo Monorail from Tokyo Haneda to downtown. Rounding out the top five are Delhi’s Airport Express Line in India; the Shanghai Maglev train to Shanghai Pudong; the Shanghai Metro Line 2 to Shanghai Hongquiao; and the Sprinter/Intercity line to Amsterdam Schiphol.

The study by Milecards.com looked at four factors: time saved vs. driving; passenger fares; frequency of departures; and convenience (e.g., availability of luggage storage on trains, etc.).

Source: Milecards.com

Source: Milecards.com

Looking only at U.S. airports, Milecards.com judged Atlanta’s MARTA to be the best, followed in order by Chicago’s CTA Orange Line to Chicago Midway; Chicago’s CTA Blue Line to Chicago O’Hare; Denver’s new University of Colorado A Line to Denver International; and New York City’s Long Island Railroad/JFK AirTrain connection to Kennedy Airport.

Seeing Atlanta rated as number one in the U.S. made me wish they had included service reliability as a factor in this ranking. I’ve had such bad results in ATL recently that I’ve almost stopped using it. Newark’s NJ Transit/Amtrak connection to Manhattan is not beautiful, but it’s very reliable, at least in my experience. What about you? Please leave your comments below.

Don’t miss! Get $200 for booking a trip on new Upside site! Seriously! 

Source: Milecards.com

Source: Milecards.com

U.S. airport public transit has “plenty of room for improvement,” Milecards.com said. “Only six of the public-transport options are generally faster than driving.

Looking only at public transit travel times vs. taxi/Uber/driving times in the U.S., “Just six of the 50 busiest airports are served by transit options that can save time on a typical weekday afternoon, and that’s usually because they bypass a lot of congestion, rather than because they’re fast express lines,” Milecards.com said. “On a good, congestion free day you’d be hard pressed to find an airport transit line in the U.S. that rivals drive times.”

That’s probably why the SFO’s BART train ranked as one of the LEAST time saving airport transit lines in America– the report shows car/taxi rides take 21 minutes between airport and downtown, while BART takes 29 minutes.

Source: Milecards.com

Source: Milecards.com

The “least time-saving airport transit lines” in the U.S. are led by San Jose, the study found, where taking the VTA Route 10/Light Rail is 216 percent slower than driving (30 minutes vs. 10 minutes). Public transit travel time beats driving at New York JFK, Atlanta, Chicago Midway, Los Angeles (LAX FlyAway) and Oakland (BART), the study said.

By contrast, the overseas airport with the most time-efficient public transit is Shanghai Pudong, where a ride to city center on the 14-year-old Maglev train takes just eight minutes, vs. 50 minutes for driving. (Why? Because that magnetic levitation train can hit top speeds of 267 mph.)

Ranking second and third were London’s Heathrow Express trains, which takes 15 minutes vs. 45 minutes on the road; and London’s Gatwick Express (30 minutes vs. an 80-minute drive time). Anyone who travels to London frequently knows that roadway traffic can be horrendous…especially in the central city, so the cab ride from the Heathrow Express station at Paddington frequently takes longer than the train ride from the airport.

Click here to see the full study results and charts for worldwide and U.S. public transit options.

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are surging in their share of business travel spending. (Image: Lyft)

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are making some airport rail connections obsolete. (Image: Lyft)

Besides being generally slow, U.S. airports’ public transit options are facing a growing threat from ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, which provide door-to-door airport trips that eliminate the schlep to a transit station. In recent months, Bay Area airports including Oakland and San Francisco International have been seeing declines in public transit ridership even as passenger traffic at the airports increased. That loss in market share was generally seen to be going to the ride-sharing companies.

Which train to the plane is your favorite? Least favorite? Please leave your comments below. 

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Airport Update: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Boston, Chicago Midway, Houston, Long Beach

Dallas/Ft. Worth's renovated Terminal A. (Image: DFW Airport)

Dallas/Ft. Worth’s renovated Terminal A. (Image: DFW Airport)

In airports news, Boston Logan finally gets Lyft and UberX; Dallas/Ft. Worth finishes a big overhaul of Terminal A; Chicago Midway will revamp passenger concessions and security; new retail and dining options come to United’s Houston Bush Intercontinental hub; and Long Beach blocks international flights. And in case you missed our big update on the goings on at Los Angeles LAX, see this.

Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport said work is now finished on its renovation of DFW’s 26-gate Terminal A. The work involved expansion of three security checkpoints, the addition of more kiosks for passenger self-check-in, and the addition of 50 percent more space for passenger concessions, “located largely near checkpoints and Skylink stations,” the airport said. New restaurants include Salt Lick Barbecue, the Dallas Cowboys Club, Lorena Garcia Tapas y Cocina and Ling & Louie’s Asian Fusion. New retail stores include Brookstone, Tumi, an iStore and Teavana. A new Terminal A parking garage features an electronic parking guidance system: “Overhead LED beacons spotlight open parking spaces and the system alerts customers to available parking on other levels of the upgraded facility,” the airport said.

Get $20 off your first LYFT ride! Click here!

Get $20 off your first LYFT ride! Click here!

Finally! Starting today (Feb 1) UberX and Lyft have been given the all clear to pick up and drop off passengers at Boston Logan Airport. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve descended into a crowded mess at BOS ground transportation with a bunch of travelers staring into their phones saying, “wait, you mean I can’t get my Uber or Lyft at Boston Airport? This is crazy!” Logan was one of the last large airports in the country that didn’t allow the ride sharing services. 

Big changes are in the works for Chicago’s Midway Airport, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The newspaper said the planned $248 million project will increase the number of security checkpoint lanes from 17 to 27, and will widen the pedestrian bridge over Cicero Avenue from 60 feet to 300 feet, creating a new security hall with 20,000 square feet of new concession space. Total concession space at MDW will grow from the current 26,000 square feet to almost 70,000, with many outlets focused on offering “Taste of Chicago” cuisine. The project would also give the airport 1,400 new premium parking spaces.

So far 1,300 readers have taken the TravelSkills trivia quiz. Have you? COME ON! It’s fun!

Rendering of new Tanglewood Grille at Houston Bush Intercontinental, with lots of iPads. (Image: OTG)

Rendering of new Tanglewood Grille at Houston Bush Intercontinental, with lots of iPads. (Image: OTG)

Plenty of new dining options are coming to the United hub at Houston Bush Intercontinental, where the airline is teaming up with concessions specialist OTG (the same firm United used to overhaul Terminal C at Newark) to develop new restaurants in Terminals C-South and E, in addition to five new eateries opening early this year in C-North that were previously announced. C-South and E will get eight new restaurants, “all inspired by local Houston chefs and flavors,” OTG said. And matching the concession overhaul at United’s Newark hub, the Houston project also involves the installation of 8,000 iPads “seamlessly integrated into the customer experience” at restaurants and gate lounges in all three terminals, the company noted. Terminal C-South will get a restaurant specializing in meatballs; a taqueria; and a ranch-to-table burger spot. Terminal E is adding a southern barbeque outlet; an Italian restaurant; a sushi and ramen bar; a steaks-burgers-and-seafood eatery; and a craft brewery with bar food.

The Long Beach, California City Council has rejected an application from JetBlue Airways to build a modest-sized (15,000 square feet) Customs and Border Protection facility at the city’s airport. The decision effectively kills JetBlue’s plans to add international flights from Long Beach, its west coast focus city. JetBlue had anticipated operating six to eight international flights a day; the city has set a ceiling of 50 flights a day at the airport, limited to operations between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

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Uber, Lyft crushing taxis, rental cars for business travel

Uber Newark

Taking Uber from Manhattan to Newark Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new report on business travel expenses says Uber rides now account for more than half of all ground transportation spending, citing this as an example of a “transformational change” taking place among road warriors.

Certify, a leading provider of travel and entertainment expense management and reporting, has issued its annual report for business travel spending trends in 2016, and it found that a new company has vaulted into the top spot as the “most expensed vendor”—not an airline or a hotel chain, but ride-sharing giant Uber.

The company said the “exploding popularity” of Uber among business travelers enabled the ride-sharing network to capture 6 percent of all receipts and expenses tracked by Certify last year.

According to Certify, the Uber juggernaut among business travelers was “the biggest story of 2016.” It said that among various ground transportation alternatives – taxis, rental cars, Uber and Lyft – Uber accounted for 52 percent of all expensed spending in the fourth quarter of last year, while Lyft grabbed 4 percent.

Image: Certify

Image: Certify

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2016 with the same period a year earlier, Certify said Uber’s share of the ground transportation segment jumped from 40 percent to 52 percent and Lyft’s from 2 percent to 4 percent, while the share for taxis plunged from 20 percent to 11 percent, and the share for rental cars dropped from 38 percent to 33 percent.

Looking to the lodging segment, Certify saw a similar but smaller trend for Airbnb, which it describes as an “alternative hotelier.” While Airbnb hasn’t yet broken into the top 15 most-expensed lodging brands, it is moving up fast, doubling its share of business traveler transactions each year since 2014.

“Assuming a similar or slightly improved growth rate, Certify expects Airbnb could approach the top 15 most expensed hotels sometime late next year,” the company said. “Looking at average room nights, business travelers also stayed longer with Airbnb compared to traditional hotels; 4.51 to 2.58 nights, respectively.”

Image: Certify

Image: Certify

Certify CEO Robert Neveu said business travelers’ increasing preference for “sharing economy” providers like Uber and Airbnb “underscores the trend toward consumerization of traditional corporate travel. Advances in personal technologies and travel-based smartphone apps have made it easier for business travelers to choose the experiences and vendors they prefer. And the companies they work for are following suit with expanded travel policy guidelines to accommodate new services and payment methods. More than a footnote in history, it’s the kind of transformational change that will continue to shape the industry for years to come.”

Chart: Certify

Chart: Certify

The company’s analysis of spending covers more than 10 million receipts and expenses logged per quarter by travelers at Certify’s client companies, including business meals, air fare, hotels, gas, ground transportation and several other categories.

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Uber’s driverless car test in San Francisco hits a snag

A driverless UberX Volvo near San Francisco's ferry terminal. (Image: Uber)

A driverless UberX Volvo near San Francisco’s ferry terminal. (Image: Uber)

Uber’s driverless car test in San Francisco is getting off to a shaky start.

No sooner had Uber started testing the use of driverless cars in San Francisco this week than the state stepped in to block it – and an incriminating video didn’t help Uber’s case.

The ride-sharing giant, which started using driverless vehicles in Pittsburgh in September, expanded the service to the streets of San Francisco this week with some UberX automated Volvo XC90s. The company said customers could request a self-driving car for their local rides based on availability.

But California’s Department of Motor Vehicles quickly intervened by telling Uber it needs a permit to use the driverless technology – something that 20 other companies already have, the DMV noted.

Uber is challenging the DMV’s warning, however. “We understand that there is a debate over whether or not we need a testing permit to launch self-driving Ubers in San Francisco,” the company said. “We have looked at this issue carefully and we don’t believe we do…First, we are not planning to operate any differently than in Pittsburgh, where our pilot has been running successfully for several months. Second, the rules apply to cars that can drive without someone controlling or monitoring them. For us, it’s still early days and our cars are not yet ready to drive without a person monitoring them.”

As soon as the UberX Volvos hit the street, they started having problems, according to local media, with the cars running red lights on at least two occasions. Uber called it “human error,” blaming the problems on the engineers who were in the driver’s seat of the driverless cars, supposedly ready to handle any emergency or sticky situation.  It said both employees had been suspended while it investigates.

One of those incidents was caught on video from the dash cam of a local taxi:

Readers: Would you ride in a driverless car as long as there was an Uber engineer keeping an eye on things? What if there wasn’t? Post comments below.

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More airport-to-city rail links in trouble?

BART SFO

A BART train at San Francisco International. (Image: Peter Biaggi / San Francisco International Airport)

Last week, we reported that the Bay Area Rapid Transit System’s new line to Oakland International Airport is losing money due to competition from ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. But now there’s news that BART’s San Francisco International service is suffering the same problem.

According to the San Francisco Examiner, BART officials found that ridership on the overall BART network during October was down 1.7 percent compared to the same month a year ago; they also said that the airport line to SFO is performing 9.6 percent under budget.

Currently the BART fare from SFO to downtown San Francisco is $8.65 one-way and takes about 30 minutes. UberX or Lyft fares SFO to city run about $25-30.

And they made it clear that the slump in ridership is due to an explosion of rides on car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. SFO airport rides by Uber vehicles increased from about 81,000 pick-ups and drop-offs in October 2014 to 469,823 in October 2016. For Lyft, the comparable numbers were 16,784 and 108,388 respectively. The ride-sharing services were authorized to serve the airport in 2014.

The newspaper said a BART official told it that Uber and Lyft have “changed the environment” for travel to and from the airport, with rail ridership leveling off in 2015 after being on a growth track.

BART’s board of directors have told the agency’s officials that rather than looking to cut service, they should try to find new ways to increase ridership. BART is said to be considering group discounts as one possibility.

According to the East Bay Times, figures from BART indicate that the Oakland Connector line is losing money and seeing its ridership decline – even though the airport’s passenger numbers are rising. Specifically, instead of meeting BART’s initial expectation of a $2 million profit on the Airport Connector during its first two years, the line has lost $860,000. And during the third quarter of this year, rider numbers fell 4.5 percent from the same period a year earlier.

What about you? How has your getting-to-the-airport routine changed since the emergence of ride sharing? Has this trend reached beyond the Bay Area? Please leave your comments below. 

 

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National’s free days offer extended

National's Premier Selection lets you upgrade on the spot. (Image: National Car Rental)

National’s Premier Selection lets you upgrade on the spot. (Image: National Car Rental)

If you’re a member of National Car Rental’s Emerald Club, have you taken advantage of the firm’s ‘One Two Free’ promotion? If not, you now have more time to do so. I’ll be doing so on my holiday trip back to Atlanta!

National said it has extended the four-month-old promotion by another month, so it now will continue through February 28. Participants can earn one free rental day for every two qualifying rentals during the promotional period, and free days can be redeemed through June 15.

The company also added another perk for Emerald Club members: Through December 16 of this year they can earn 100 bonus points if they simply click the ‘bonus badge’ on their One Two Free dashboard.

Non-members can quickly join the Emerald Club for no fee and start to take part in the promotion at www.emeraldclub.com/Free. Existing members can register for the promotion at the same site.

“Free days earned for qualifying rentals through One Two Free are awarded in addition to a member’s chosen rewards earnings (frequent traveler miles/points or rental credits),” National noted.

The company also offers Emerald Club more ways to earn bonus points: E.g., Using National’s mobile app to book earns an extra 75 points per rental; buying Sirius XM Satellite Radio with a rental earns a one-time bonus of 300 points; renting in Latin America, the Caribbean or Europe brings a one-time bonus of 300 points; and referring a friend to join Emerald Club and One Two Free can earn 300 bonus points.

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Is BART’s Oakland Airport rail service in trouble?

The BART link to Oakland Airport is losing money and riders. (Photo: BART)

The BART link to Oakland Airport is losing money and riders. (Photo: BART)

It was just two years ago that the Bay Area Rapid Transit system launched service on its Airport Connector line from Coliseum Station to Oakland Airport. But now the line is having money problems in the face of competition from ride-sharing companies.

According to the East Bay Times, figures from BART indicate that the Oakland Connector line is losing money and seeing its ridership decline – even though the airport’s passenger numbers are rising. Specifically, instead of meeting BART’s initial expectation of a $2 million profit on the Airport Connector during its first two years, the line has lost $860,000. And during the third quarter of this year, rider numbers fell 4.5 percent from the same period a year earlier.

At the same time, the report noted, business on ride-sharing services like Uber, Lyft and Wingz has tripled. The fact that airport passenger numbers grew by 6 percent while BART’s Airport Connector ridership has dropped indicates to airport officials that the ride-sharing companies are benefiting at the expense of the mass transit line.

Also, Oakland Airport makes driving to the airport more attractive by offering a variety of on-airport parking discounts and freebies based on your airline or destination. More on those here. 

The AirBART station is located at the front door of Oakland International

The AirBART station is located at the front door of Oakland International

There has been some speculation that BART’s $6 fare for a ride to OAK might be too expensive compared with the convenience of door-to-door ridesharing service. BART officials defend the service, noting that the airport line coves 96 percent of its operating costs with passenger fares, vs. 76 percent for the BART system overall. Still, they say BART will take a comprehensive look at its fare structure in 2017, not just for the Oakland Airport Connector but for the whole system.

New airline service is boosting OAK’s passenger numbers. Southwest Airlines has been building up more domestic routes out of Oakland Airport, and transatlantic travelers are seeing new low-cost options from Norwegian Air Shuttle, which keeps adding European routes at OAK. Norwegian’s inauguration of Oakland-London Gatwick flights earlier this year has drawn a competitive response from British Airways, which will fly the same route starting in March 2017.

Have you used the BART connector or flown to or from Oakland lately? How does it compare to other Bay Area airports? Please leave your comments below.

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How holiday travel will be different this year

Listen to TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis discuss the outlook for holiday travel on KCBS Radio.

Gas map

Gas prices in the US in November 2016 (Source: Gas Buddy)

The holiday travel season can be the best of times or the worst of time for frequent travelers. Best because it’s a time for us to kick back, relax and enjoy some time off work with our loved ones. Worst because of all the hassles and high prices involved in getting there.

A word of warning: Holiday travel could be crazier this year than in previous years. Why? High demand and the calendar. And weather is always the wild card (for example, there’s snow in Denver and 2.5-hour rain delays at SFO as we write this).

Demand is up

Advance bookings at Best Western’s 2,000+ hotels in the US from November 15-January 15 are up 6.1% compared to this time last year.sponsored-slider The number of nights booked is up 10.5%, which means those who are traveling are planning to stay longer. In Canada, advance bookings and the number of nights booked are both up 13%. AAA expects 48.7 million Americans will travel over Thanksgiving- that’s a million more travelers than last year, and the busiest Thanksgiving since the great recession of 2007. The trade group Airlines for America expects Thanksgiving air travel to be up 2.5% over last year, which means 55,000 more travelers on planes and atairports every day across the country.

Calendar is the problem

The outlook for Christmas is going to be dicey. That’s because we are faced with Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Sundays this year. This means that the holiday season will be more densely packed with travelers on or around both of those weekends. (When Christmas and New Year’s fall mid-week, the season is more spread out.)

Busiest days at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will be the pretty standard this year, with busiest days on the Wednesday before the feast and the Sunday and Monday after. But you should also be aware of big crowds and delays on the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving, too. That’s because more people are taking the whole week off. My advice: Make your trip short and sweet: Depart early Thanksgiving morning (the slowest day) and get home in time for the feast. Then fly or drive back on Friday or Saturday before the Sunday rush.

Craziest days at Christmas/New Year’s

For Christmas and New Year’s, expect the busiest days at airports and freeways to be the Thursday and Friday (Dec 22-23) before Christmas. Since New Year’s Day is on Sunday, you’ll see heavy traffic that afternoon as well as on the Monday and Tuesday after New Year’s (Jan 2-3).

Winter road

Most holiday travelers will see this instead of a view out a plane window! (Image: Pixabay)

Driving

While most major media focus on air travel during the holidays, the reality is that nearly 90% of holiday travel is by car. And since most of Best Western guests arrive by car that 6.1% increase in demand is a good indicator of how busy roads will be this year. In addition, record low gas prices and fear of airline hassles will be pushing a lot more Americans into their cars for holiday trips.

Fuel prices

One key reason for high demand for travel during in the months ahead is the declining price of gasoline. Currently, the average price per gallon nationally is about $2.15—down from a high of about $2.35 in June. Those driving in the Midwest will find the least expensive gas this year ($1.70/gal)- those driving in the West will pay the most (>$2.50/gal). Airlines are enjoying the dip in fuel prices, too, which means that holiday airfares, while always high, will not increase much this year compared to last year. Some fares might even decline slightly.

Europe

Would you consider spending the holidays in Europe? If you’ve been waiting around for a deal, this might be the year to go. Transatlantic airfares are at new lows due to increased competition and low fuel prices. Plus, major currencies have tumbled in relation to the dollar. As I write this, 1 euro is worth about US$1.07 and is approaching parity. The British pound is at about $1.24.

Holiday Travel Q&A

Chris doling out the tips on a "radio media tour"

Chris doling out the travel tips on a “radio media tour”

During the holidays, I’m frequently on TV and radio doling out travel advice. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

When’s the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas? Due to high demand, there simply are not any real airfare “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Year’s this year. Travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines should book as soon as possible to get seats on those flights – otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for less desirable flights that depart super early or late, they’ll have to sit in those dreaded middle seats, or make several stops en route to their destinations.

Should I drive or fly this year? I always stick to the five hour rule: If you can drive to your destination in five hours or less, it’s likely smarter to hit the road instead of the skies during the holidays. This is especially true for families traveling together. If you haven’t done so yet, download the Waze app, a GPS-based mapping tool that uses information provided by other drivers to help you avoid traffic, road hazards – and speed traps!

What’s a good way to avoid holiday travel stress? Always try to book nonstop flights, because you double your chances of a delay or cancellation with a one-stop flight, even though you might save a few bucks. Another stress-busting move: Consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays. Rates at new hotels like a locally owned Best Western in or near suburban office parks hit annual lows during holidays (due to the lack of business travelers), and facilities are usually new and nice. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressful holidays.

Boeing's iconic 747 is gradually flying off into the sunset. (Image: Jim Glab)

Take a nonstop flight if you can! (Image: Jim Glab)

Are there any alternatives or hidden secrets to getting good deals this year? If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short term, last minute sales.

Is now a good time to redeem points or miles for trips? It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during the blacked out, heavily restricted peak holiday season. On the other hand, demand for hotels declines during holidays, which means that it’s a lot easier to redeem those hard-earned loyalty points—or find good last minute deals.

What about airline baggage fees? If possible, avoid checking bags during the holidays; the risk of your bag getting lost and ruining your trip is just too high. Try to learn to live out of a carry-on. If you have too much for a carry on, ship your bags ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service. Shipping a 25 lb. bag via next-day or two-day express is just too expensive.

Listen to TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis discuss the outlook for holiday travel on KCBS Radio.

 

This post is sponsored by Best Western and originally appeared on its YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Best Western logo new

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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New device offers drivers a heads-up, hands-free display

The smartphone-linked Navdy device gives drivers a heads-up display. (Image: Navdy)

The smartphone-linked Navdy device gives drivers a heads-up display. (Image: Navdy)

Do you spend a lot of time driving for business, but don’t like the thought of constantly looking at your smartphone as you try to stay in touch on the road? A new device makes it possible to handle communications and directions while you continue staring straight ahead at the road.

The new Navdy calls itself “the world’s first augmented driving device.” It links up with iOS and Android smartphones and projects information onto a small transparent screen that sits directly in front of the driver.

“Navdy lets you make and receive calls, listen to messages, control music, receive calendar reminders and stay connected to the apps on your phone,” the company said. “Navdy also connects to your car with Navdy Dash to show your speed, RPM and automatically recommend nearby gas stations when your fuel level is low.”

This video gives you an idea of how it works:

The Navdy device is fully portable, using a magnetic mounting system, and comes with a small dial that lets drivers scroll, zoom and navigate menus, and access Siri and Google Now. Drivers also have the option of using hand gestures to accept a call or message. Its navigation system is based on Google Maps, and directions are projected as a transparent image in front of the driver. “With its own high precision GPS chip and local storage of maps drivers don’t have to worry about losing navigation if they are out of network coverage,” the company noted.

The product is currently priced from $71 a month, or $799 as a one-time purchase with no monthly fees. If you don’t like it, you can return the unit within 30 days for a refund. For details, go to www.navdy.com.

The company said it will offer free same-day delivery at setup service for customers in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Chicago, Manhattan, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami.

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Delta, JetBlue dive deeper into “sharing economy”

Airbnb was at GBTA for the first time with a cool hipster like lounge booth (Chris McGinnis)

Airbnb’s cool hipster like lounge booth at recent business travel conference (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

“Sharing economy” companies continue to go after business travelers by forging loyalty program connections with major airlines and hotel chains. In the latest examples, Delta is teaming up with Airbnb and JetBlue has a new tie-in with Lyft.

Delta SkyMiles members can now earn one mile per dollar spent on qualifying stays (not counting taxes and fees) when they book Airbnb accommodations through a link on the Delta website (www.delta.com/airbnb). New Airbnb customers can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles and a $25 coupon code applicable toward their first stay.

The new Delta connection comes just a few weeks after Airbnb forged a similar link with Qantas’ loyalty program. That one also earns one point per dollar spent, and also requires booking through the Qantas website. Virgin America has had a similar loyalty program link with Airbnb for over a year, and United recently added Airbnb to its MileagePlus X smartphone app, enabling customers to pick up three miles per dollar spent on accommodations.

Meanwhile, ride-sharing service Lyft this week announced a partnership with JetBlue Airways. Members of the airline’s TrueBlue program who link their accounts with Lyft can earn 30 TrueBlue points for each Lyft ride to and from any U.S. airport, up to a maximum of 1,200 points per year. Here’s how to link accounts.

New users who sign up for the ride-sharing service through JetBlue will get a $15 ride credit or 720 TrueBlue bonus points, and will have access to discounts via in-flight and digital promotions. Lyft will also get a special pick-up and drop-off area at JetBlue’s New York base, Terminal 5 at JFK Airport.

Are you more likely to give Airbnb a try now that you can earn Delta miles? Please leave your comments below. 

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5 fabulously free things to do in Las Vegas

Uber says its drivers are ow cruising The Strip in Las Vegas. (Image: Jim Glab)

Believe it or not, there’s plenty to do in Las Vegas that does not involve gambling  (Image: Jim Glab)

Nearly every business traveler has been to Las Vegas at least once, if not many times. Whether you love it or loathe it, there’s one thing that Las Vegas is really good at: extracting money from our wallets! Whether it’s an expensive hotel room or taxi ride from the airport, a $20 cocktail or a $50 steak — not to mention a big loss at Blackjack — the place is pricey!

sponsored-sliderBut did you know that there also are plenty of things to do on a trip to Vegas that cost next to nothing? Yes, there are some things in Vegas that are free—or very inexpensive. For those who’d like to get away from the craziness of The Strip, many of the freebies are just a short drive away.

National Car Rental partnered me with lifestyle blogger, Instagram personality and long time Vegas local, Ashley Diana, to pick out the best of the bunch—and transport us there with some of her outstanding photos. National is currently running their popular One Two Free promotion that gives Emerald Club members a free rental day with every two qualifying rentals through January 31, 2017.

Here are Ashley’s recommendations:

1-Mount Charleston

(Photo: Ashley Diana)

Mt Charleston, about 45 minutes from the Las Vegas strip, rises nearly 12,000 feet (Photo: Ashley Diana)

Commune with nature at Mount Charleston, the highest peak in the state of Nevada with an elevation of nearly 12,000 feet. It’s the most prominent mountain on the horizon when looking out your hotel window to the northwest of the city. During winter months, it’s usually white with snow. Ashley recommends a nice long walk among the aspen trees on the hiking trails that surround the peak—a perfect place to get away from it all. She recommends renting a car for the 45-minute drive, adding, “Make sure to stop at the Mt. Charleston restaurant lodge for a cozy beverage while overlooking the surrounding mountains and valley. It may be hot in Las Vegas, but pack a jacket for this trip as the temperature cools down substantially at this elevation.”

2-Hoover Dam

(Photo: Ashley Diana)

A new 900-foot bridge adds to the allure of the magnificent Hoover Dam (Photo: Ashley Diana)

Built during the Great Depression, the famous Hoover Dam is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Desert Southwest. Located on the border between Nevada and Arizona, it now attracts over 1 million visitors per year — most of them venturing out from Las Vegas. While many visitors pay big bucks for tours of the site, Ashley recommends renting a car in Las Vegas for the 30-minute drive and checking it out on your own. There is plenty of free parking, but lots can fill up fast. Try to get there early in the morning to find a space and avoid the crowds, especially during popular spring break or summer seasons. The dramatic drive across the dam is free. And if you’ve “been there and done that,” you may want to consider going back to see the elegant new Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge that spans 900 feet over the Colorado River as it exits the dam. Opened in 2010, it’s the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere—and it’s free to drive across, too!

3-Calico Basin

(Photo: Ashley Diana)

Take a hike among the scenic red hills of Calico Basin (Photo: Ashley Diana)

Red Rock Canyon, located on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, is one of the most popular day trip getaways from Las Vegas—but it’s not free, and it’s frequently crowded. Just as good (and free) is nearby Calico Basin/Red Springs, where you can get away from it all and hike among scenic red hills, white cliffs and clusters of cottonwood trees and other plants fed by spring water. This is a perfect option for those who left sturdy shoes at home because there’s a half-mile wooden boardwalk that’s easy to walk on. Ashley adds, “You can walk on the boardwalk or on the free hiking trails that venture back into the limestone mountain. There are covered picnic areas, so feel free to take a lunch and enjoy the weather.”

4-Seven Magic Mountains

(Photo: Ashley Diana)

Stacks of colorful boulders rise 30 feet from the desert floor (Photo: Ashley Diana)

Do you like it when art is free? Then look no further than Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains exhibit located out in the middle of nowhere about 10 miles south of The Strip. This unusual exhibition is comprised of seven stacks of boulders that rise some 30 feet from the barren Mojave Desert floor. What really makes the mountains magic, though, is that each boulder is painted a bright neon color. This spectacle opened in May 2016 and is free to the public. There is no public transportation to the site, so the best way to get there is by car. Ashley told us, “There is not a location address to the art installation, but by following the signs southbound on 1-15, it is an easy drive and you are sure not to miss this profound venue. Also, don’t wear your most expensive shoes; this is a very dusty location and it is very much in the desert!”

5-Fremont Street

(Photo: Ashley Diana)

Downtown Las Vegas is home to the Fremont Street Experience (Photo: Ashley Diana)

These days, most of the action in Las Vegas happens on The Strip, a four-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard where you’ll find all the spectacular new hotels like the Cosmopolitan or Nobu, the fantastic (and also free) dancing fountains of the Bellagio and just about everything else that makes Vegas Vegas. But prior to the rise of The Strip, the center of the action in Las Vegas was on Fremont Street near downtown. After a period of decline and decay, downtown Las Vegas and Fremont Street have come back to life, thanks to a massive renewal program that includes the construction of a canopy and the removal of automobile traffic. What was once a racy, neon-lit strip is now a pleasant pedestrian mall called the Fremont Street Experience. Free outdoor concerts are also held periodically on three stages under the canopy. “Prepare to enjoy lots of free festivities and to feast your eyes upon the glittering lights of Fremont,” Ashley says, adding, “Whether it’s the light show, the free concerts, or the eccentric street performers, your evening at the Fremont Street Experience will be anything but dull!”

Okay, since this post is about Vegas, you are lucky… we’re adding on one more to our list of five things to do in Las Vegas>>

6-Behind the scenes at Cirque du Soleil’s KA

(Photo: Ashley Diana)

Get behind the scenes at one of Vegas’ hottest shows (Photo: Ashley Diana)

You may have enjoyed the lavish wonder of a Cirque du Soleil performance before and wondered to yourself, “How’d they do that?” Well, now you can learn all about the mechanics, engineering and magic behind the $165 million production of KÀ at the MGM Grand during one of its open houses. These relatively unknown, free tours, take place at 11 and 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and on Saturdays at 12 noon and 12:30 p.m when guests get an inside look at the impressive work, inspiration and state-of-the-art technology used in the production. “Check ahead of time with the hotel concierge to make sure there are no blackout dates, and be sure to get in line early, as the tours fill up fast,” Ashley advises.

What’s your favorite free thing to do in Las Vegas? Please leave your comments below. 

This post is sponsored by National Car Rental.


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Airport news: Inside newest Delta SkyClub + Phoenix, Seattle, Boston, LAX

Delta SkyClub

An exclusive preview party for Delta’s newest, and second largest SkyClub (Photo: Delta / Flickr)

In airport news this week, Delta opens its newest SkyClub, ride-hailing service passenger pick-ups will soon be legal at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson; Phoenix travelers should be prepared for flight delays in October; more gates will be added at Seattle-Tacoma; American will consolidate its gates at Boston Logan; and Alaska Airlines tests a new baggage procedure at Los Angeles International.

Delta hosted a special preview this week of its newest SkyClub located in a dedicated space on the top of Concourse B at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. Delta is calling the new SkyClub its “flagship” lounge, which is the second largest in its system behind the one at New York-JFK. The carrier says that the new $24 million, 25,000-square-foot, 500-seat space follows the airline’s strategy of “giving each new club a sense of place.” It features locally sourced fare, craft beer from Georgia breweries, artwork from seven Atlanta galleries and other local artists. Its modern design features “tiered ceilings bracketed by massive windows to let in the Southern sun and afford views of downtown,” but alas no outdoor space like you get out at the Concourse F (Int’l) club. It is located at the center of the concourse, adjacent to Gate B18 and opens to the public on Sept 23. Delta’s two other SkyClubs on the concourse will close.  Next up for Delta SkyClubs is a new opening in Seattle expected in late October or November. See this video from the ATL preview party. More details from the Delta News Hub here.

Also at ATL… Some UberX and Lyft drivers have been picking up passengers for months at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, but they have to try to avoid enforcement officers, since what they are doing is technically illegal. But that will soon change: The Atlanta City Council this week approved a measure that will make passenger pick-ups at ATL legal beginning January 1. The measure will add a $3.85 fee to the passenger’s fare for airport pick-ups. ATL is the largest airport in the nation that doesn’t yet allow legal ride-hailing service.

Travelers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International are being advised to expect delays during the coming month due to runway improvement projects. Officials said the airport’s north runway – one of three at the facility – will be closed from Thursday, October 6 through Sunday, November 6. “Arrival and departure delays of up to 30 minutes are possible during peak travel times: 7:30 a.m.-10 a.m. and 5 p.m.-8 p.m.,” the airport said. It advised passengers to check flight status before coming to the airport.

Sea-Tac's North Satellite will get eight more gates. (Image: Port of Seattle)

Sea-Tac’s North Satellite will get eight more gates. (Image: Port of Seattle)

The Port of Seattle’s governing body has approved final plans for an expansion of Seattle-Tacoma International’s North Satellite terminal, which is used by Alaska Airlines. The project will add eight gates to the terminal, with construction starting early in 2017 and completion expected in 2019. According to the Seattle Times, the project will also expand Alaska Airlines’ lounge on the terminal’s upper floor to 14,485 square feet, and will bring 3,000 square feet of retail and food and beverage concessions to the space. Alaska will continue to use concourses C and D as well. SEA is also building a new international arrivals terminal due to debut in 2019. Passenger numbers at SEA this year are running 10 percent ahead of last year, and 2015 passenger numbers posted 13 percent growth over 2014.

Big changes are coming to Boston Logan’s Terminal B. The Massachusetts Port Authority said an improvement project will consolidate all American Airlines gates from two different locations in Terminal B to 18 contiguous gates on the side of the terminal formerly occupied by US Airways. Also, the three existing security checkpoints on that side of Terminal B will be consolidated into one checkpoint. The project will also bring expanded ticketing/kiosk areas, improvements to the baggage handling space, and reconfigured concessions. Overall, the effort will add 75,000 square feet of passenger space, Massport said, adding that once the project is finished, Southwest Airlines will move from Terminal A into the former American Airlines gates in Terminal B.

Alaska Airlines is testing self-service bag drops at LAX. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Alaska Airlines is testing self-service bag drops at LAX. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

At Los Angeles International, Alaska Airlines has started testing self-service baggage drops for passengers. Customers participating in the test – which runs through November 10 — will check in online, by mobile app or at an airport kiosk; they can print a bag tag at home or at an airport kiosk. Then they’ll show an ID to a customer service agent and use one of the six new bag-drop lanes to deposit their luggage. Touch screens will walk customers through the process. “This technology will allow customer service agents to interact more with customers one-on-one in the lobby while having the machines complete the technical work of dropping the bags,” an Alaska official said.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Surprisingly few Americans use Uber, Lyft

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are surging in their share of business travel spending. (Image: Lyft)

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are popular with a surprising small sliver of Americans (Image: Lyft)

As ride-hailing apps continue to grow in importance an option for business travelers, it seems they still have a way to go among the public at large. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that only 15 percent of U.S. adults have ever used a ride-hailing app – and fully one-third of adults have never heard of them! (That’s definitely not the case among TravelSkills readers!)pew

Of those who do use the apps, only 17 percent said they do so daily or weekly, while 26 percent use them at least once a month and 56 percent do so less frequently than that. Why? Pew says “With some exceptions, they are largely only available in and around urban areas.” It notes, not surprisingly, that Uber or Lyft are most popular among young adults, urbanites and college grads. 

Check out the Pew Survey here for some more enlightening numbers about the use of ride hailing services.

In related news this week Uber rolled out a new app for business customers – and it’s not for smartphones. 

Instead, it’s for tablet computers. It’s called UberCENTRAL, and companies can use it to order rides for their customers, clients and guests. The app can handle multiple ride requests simultaneously, and provides for payment by the company and centralized billing and reporting from different locations.

When a company orders a ride for a customer, that person will receive a text message informing them of the trip and driver, along with a link to a live map to facilitate pick-ups.

Uber's new tablet app lets companies order rides for customers. (Image: Uber)

Uber’s new tablet app lets companies order rides for customers. (Image: Uber)

The company said UberCENTRAL works on any tablet and with any browser, and it is now available for use in the U.S. and Canada.

In other ground transportation news, JetBlue said this week that its new Silicon Valley-based venture capital subsidiary, JetBlue Technology Ventures, is putting money into a four-year-old tech star-up called Mozio. JetBlue said the San Francisco-based company’s mission “is to build the ultimate urban mobility app,” one that allows consumers to book shuttles, taxis, limos, express trains, buses and public transit from one interface.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Travel start-ups: Another one bites the dust

FlightCar is shutting down its 12 airport locations. (Image: FlightCar)

FlightCar is shutting down its 12 airport locations. (Image: FlightCar)

There’s been no shortage of start-up companies in the travel arena in recent years. Some of them have made it big, like Uber and Lyft. But others start out with a lot of flash and promise, and then flare out and disappear.

The latest company to join the latter camp is FlightCar, a San Francisco-based venture founded in 2013. Its business model was pretty simple : When you drive to the airport, drop off your car at a FlightCar lot and you get free parking and a car wash. You also agree to let the company rent out your vehicle to someone else while you’re away. And if they do, they’ll give you a share of the revenue.

Things seemed to be going well for a while, but then business started to falter. Stung by poor reviews about its customer service, FlightCar earlier this year went through a major overhaul, replacing a number of key executives and making other operational reforms.

But that apparently wasn’t enough. The company said in a blog post that over the next couple of weeks, it will be shutting down at all 12 airports where it had been operating. It noted that it has sold its technology platform to Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. the automaker’s “innovation lab for new mobility services” located in Silicon Valley. 

It’s the second San Francisco-based ride-sharing innovator to close up shop in recent months. Last December, the same thing happened to Sidecar, originator of a ride-sharing app in 2012. Sidecar got into the market ahead of Uber and Lyft, but it never expanded beyond nine U.S. cities, and was soon overwhelmed by its larger and better-financed competitors.

Beacon's all-you-can-fly business model didn't fly in the northeast. (Image: Beacon)

Beacon’s all-you-can-fly business model didn’t fly in the northeast. (Image: Beacon)

And it’s not just ride-sharing companies that can fail. The California-based all-you-can-fly membership airline Surf Air seems to be doing well, but last year three of its four founders moved east and started a company called Beacon, based on the same all-you-can-fly model for trips between Boston Logan and New York’s Westchester County Airport. They did not replicate their west coast success, however; Beacon shut down in April of this year.

Readers: Did you ever use FlightCar? What was your experience like? What’s the next travel startup to bite the dust? 

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Safer ride sharing with no surge pricing

The iCARS app promises luxury cars with certified professional drivers. (Image: iCARS)

The iCARS app promises luxury cars with certified professional drivers. (Image: iCARS)

A new ground transportation app that fingerprints and drug tests its drivers and does not impose surge pricing is expanding beyond the Bay Area and Texas to several major cities.

The company is called iCARS. It started earlier this year in the San Francisco area and recently began operations in Houston, Dallas and Austin (where Uber and Lyft have been banned). “In the coming months, this growth will be followed by launches in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.,” the company said.

ICARS said it works with local affiliates that can meet its high standards not only for the quality of their vehicles but also for their drivers. While Uber and Lyft have routinely fought against local governing bodies that want to impose requirements like insurance, fingerprinting and independent background checks of their drivers, iCARS says it will only work with local car service providers “who operate insured vehicles driven by professional chauffeurs who meet all state and federal transportation regulations.”

icarapp

Specifically, it said the vendors it uses must carry $1 million in commercial liability insurance, perform regular maintenance on their vehicles, subject their drivers to background checks and random drug tests as well as fingerprinting, provide driver training, and provide drivers with employee benefits as required by state laws. That means it should not run into the same problems that Uber and Lyft have in gaining access to some major airports (as in Austin).

Besides offering iOS and Android apps that individuals can use to hail rides on the spot or book them in the future, iCARS said it also works with third party intermediaries like hotel concierges, travel management companies and corporate travel offices so that they can book rides for any number of travelers, and it promises integrated expense reporting for users and their companies. The company promises that bookings include no hidden fees and no surge pricing.

Vehicles available for iCARS riders include luxury cars in various categories – i.e., Sedan Class, SUV Class and Sprinter Class or Custom Class, depending on the maximum number of seats.

We checked the pricing for a ride from San Francisco Airport to the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero and got estimates ranging from $59 to $87, depending on vehicle class; from DFW Airport to the Dallas Convention Center the estimates ranged from $80 to $120.

Another Uber or Lyft alternative that employs more rigorous driver checks is Wingz which offers pre-booked airport rides, only. It operates at almost 20 airports, primarily located in the West.

Readers: Have you used iCARS or other ridesharing alternatives yet? Thoughts? Would you be willing to switch to providers that require more rigorous vetting of drivers? Please leave your comments below. 

 

 

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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News briefs: New Avis app, PreCheck sign-ups, biz travel spend

Avis Now users can change car assignments based on real time availability. (Image: Avis)

Avis Now users can change car assignments based on real time availability. (Image: Avis)

Business travel news this week includes an announcement from Avis about some customer-friendly enhancements to its mobile app; a summer expansion of enrollment centers for TSA PreCheck membership; and the outlook for business travel volume this year and next – and who has overtaken the U.S. as the busiest business travel market.

Members of the Avis Preferred loyalty program (which is free to join) can now take advantage of new customer features on the company’s mobile app, which is available to them for iOS and Android devices. The bundle of new features, called Avis Now, includes the ability to review and change the user’s assigned vehicle at any time, based on real-time car availability; extend, cancel or confirm a reservation; flash the assigned car’s headlights to help find it on the lot, and lock or unlock its doors from the app; and return the vehicle without help from an agent. Users can also see their rental agreement, confirm fuel or mileage and get assistance on demand. The app is currently available for use at more than 50 U.S. locations, and will be expanded to some international markets in the months ahead, Avis said. (See video here)

TSA is adding some temporary PreCheck enrollment centers this summer. (Image: TSA)

TSA is adding some temporary PreCheck enrollment centers this summer. (Image: TSA)

Faced with a growing backlog of applications for its PreCheck trusted traveler program, the Transportation Security Administration and the outside vendor that operates PreCheck enrollment centers are opening up a number of new, temporary opportunities for applicants this summer, from now through late August. The temporary enrollment centers will be at 14 locations in 13 major markets, and will mostly be open for only a few days at each one. You can see the full schedule of locations and dates here, along with a link to a site for applying online and getting an appointment for a personal visit.

Spending by U.S. business travelers is expected to grow significantly next year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Spending by U.S. business travelers is expected to grow significantly next year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Is business travel in a slump? The Global Business Travel Association says it expects U.S. business travel spending to increase by a mere 0.9 percent this year, to $292.5 billion – but it foresees a big rebound in 2017, with a spending increase of 4.2 percent, to $304.9 billion. “When growth does re-accelerate, companies must be ready with the newest technologies, the most productive workforce and the critical customer relationships necessary to take full advantage,” said GBTA Executive Director Michael McCormick. The U.S. has been lagging behind worldwide growth levels, which posted a 5 percent spending gain in 2015, GBTA said; worldwide, global business travel spending is expected to increase by 5.8 percent annually for the next five years, to a total of $1.6 trillion in 2020. Last year, GBTA said, China surpassed the U.S. in the rankings, with business travel spending of $291.2 billion vs. $289.8 billion for the U.S.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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How much for new Lyft Premier ride to airport?

Lyft's new Premium service includes cars like the BMW 5 Series. (Image: BMW USA)

Lyft’s new Premium service includes cars like the BMW 5 Series. (Image: BMW USA)

Uber has long offered an upscale ride option called Uber Black, and now its smaller competitor Lyft has unveiled a similar luxury service.

It’s called Lyft Premier, and it’s being offered in response to what the company said were many customer requests for “a more stylish arrival for business trips and special nights out.”

Pricing for Lyft Premier

Pricing for Lyft Premier

Lyft Premier is initially available in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York City. Those who summon a Premier ride with their Lyft app will be transported in a BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Lexus ES or Cadillac Escalade, the company said. “Premier will be arriving in more cities soon,” Lyft said.

How much more will you pay for that ride? We checked and found Lyft Premier rates between downtown San Francisco and SFO at $55-$67 compared to regular Lyft rates which run $26-$34. In New York, a Premier ride from Manhattan to JFK runs $101-$121, while a regular Lyft costs $52-$65.

In addition to the new Premier rides, Lyft’s service options include Line (shared ride for no more than two passengers), regular Lyft (car with four seats), and Lyft Plus (six seats).

Have you tried Lyft yet? It’s become our go-to ride-sharing service because they make it so easy to tip drivers. Give ’em a go from our referral link and you’ll get $20 off your first ride!

Related: Should I tip my Uber driver? 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Uber scraps surge pricing – not!

Uber will start to build surge pricing into its up-front fare quotes. (Image: Uber app)

Uber will start to build surge pricing into its up-front fare quotes. (Image: Uber app)

Apparently Uber has determined that plenty of potential customers won’t follow through and summon a ride when their app indicates that surge pricing is in effect in their area. So the ride-sharing giant is changing the way it displays fares.

The company is calling them “upfront fares,” which basically means that any surge multiplier will be factored into the estimated fare that the app displays.

Uber said it started testing this approach a couple of months ago with its UberX service in select cities, and now more will be on the way.

“Upfront fares are calculated using the expected time and distance of the trip and local traffic, as well as how many riders and nearby drivers are using Uber at that moment,” the company said. “And when fares go up due to increased demand, instead of surge lightning bolts and pop-up screens, riders are given the actual fare before they request their ride.”

Uber Newark

Taking Uber from Manhattan to Newark Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This pricing model has been in use with the firm’s uberPOOL service when it launched two years ago. “Knowing how much a ride will cost in advance is clearly something riders appreciate,” Uber said.  ”Today, uberPOOL accounts for over 20 percent of all rides globally.”

Uber’s surge pricing has been controversial from the start. A federal court is currently considering a lawsuit that challenges the model as illegal price-fixing. And researchers at Northeastern University who conducted a study of Uber’s proprietary surge pricing algorithm last year suggested ways to beat the higher fares.

And then there’s the whole issue around whether or not (or how) to tip your Uber (or Lyft) driver, an issue that has resulted in some of TravelSkills’ most well-read posts over the last few months.

Thoughts please! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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7 reasons to take the train instead of the plane

Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)

Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)

U.S. business travelers sometime develop the mindset that flying is the only way to go – probably because in the U.S., rail travel just isn’t very practical from a time standpoint except maybe in the Northeast Corridor. But if a trip to Europe is in your plans this summer, you might want to consider the advantages of a rail system that is not only much faster and more widespread than in the U.S., but can offer intermodal links with air travel as well.

So here are seven reasons why you might want to take trains to get around Europe.

1> They’re fast. If you think France’s TGV trains and the London-Paris Eurostar are the only high speed rail routes in Europe, you are way behind the times. Europeans have been developing high-speed routes all over the continent for the past few decades. Spain alone has four domestic high-speed rail networks, plus a fifth that links it to France. Depending on the route, high-speed trains in Europe travel 125 to 200 mph. Here’s a list of the major high-speed networks in Europe.

High-speed train travel times in Europe. (Image: Eurail)

Train travel times in Europe are getting shorter thanks to high-speed lines. (Image: Eurail)

2> They can even be faster than flying. While jets are still a lot faster than trains, and thus more time-efficient for longer trips, there are many city-pairs where it’s actually faster to take the train when you consider total travel time – i.e., getting to the airport early for heightened security checks; travel time to and from the airport instead of a city center train station, etc. GoEuro (www.goeuro.com), a search engine that compares air and rail travel times, put together a list of 10 key routes in Europe where travelers can save one to four hours if they go by rail instead of flying.

3> Intermodal connections can be very efficient. Some key gateway airports have built-in rail stations right next to or underneath the terminals where travelers can easily transition from air to train travel. At Frankfurt International Airport, for instance, travelers can connect to trains going all over Germany and beyond, including the nation’s high-speed ICE network. And French National Railroads has a TGV station at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Lufthansa and Air France even sell air and connecting rail trips combined in a single ticket – Lufthansa’s Rail&Fly program and Air France’s Air&Rail.

4> They’re comfortable. Seats are generally bigger than airline seats, with plenty of legroom – especially in first class. Many trains have bar/buffet cars; for first class travelers, meals and drinks are included in the ticket price, and may be served at your seat or in the bar/buffet car. Increasingly, European trains have on-board Wi-Fi. And you can sleep on some trains: For longer rail journeys, some routes operate overnight with trains that offer private sleeping cabins. Here’s a list of Europe’s night trains.

Spain's Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha (Chris McGinnis)

Spain’s Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha for 2.5 hour trip to Barcelona (Chris McGinnis)

5> They take you to the heart of town. Airport stations aside, European rail terminals are generally in the center of cities, so you can easily get to or from your hotel with a short cab ride. In fact, there are usually some hotels within walking distance.

6> Forget about delays. While a big storm can play havoc with airline schedules, trains keep operating through all kinds of weather. And they’re not subject to the kinds of air traffic control congestion that can disrupt on-time flight operations. In terms of operational efficiency, about the only thing that can (and sometimes does) disrupt train travel in Europe is a labor strike.

7> They can be quite scenic. You won’t see much of Europe from the air, but trains bring you up close to alpine vistas, dramatic forests, majestic rivers and other things to see through those big windows from the comfort of your seat. Here’s a list from Eurail of some of Europe’s most scenic train routes.

Here’s a list of the 10 most popular high-speed rail routes in Europe:

Source: Eurail

Source: Eurail

Readers: Have you traveled around Europe by train? How was your experience?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Airport ride news: Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Austin & New York

Ride-sharing pick-ups at the Phoenix airport should begin this summer. (Image: Phoenix Sky Harbor International)

Ride-sharing pick-ups at the Phoenix airport are set to begin June 18. (Image: Phoenix Sky Harbor International)

Travelers to Phoenix Sky Harbor will be able to summon Uber and Lyft rides starting next month; an Uber/Lyft competitor expands to five Texas airports; and specialty rental firm Silvercar adds an east coast airport location.

The Phoenix city council has voted in favor of a proposal to let Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride-hailing companies start picking up passengers at Sky Harbor International Airport effective June 18. Uber and Lyft have been negotiating with city officials for almost a year before the approval finally came through. The city initially demanded that drivers undergo a fingerprint check, but that requirement was not included in the final agreement. The agreement imposes a special fee for airport pick-ups of $3.25 for vehicles that carry up to eight passengers.

Another app-based ride-hailing service, Wingz, has expanded into the Texas market, adding new service at Dallas/Ft. Worth, Dallas Love Field, Houston Intercontinental, Houston Hobby and Austin. The difference between Wingz and its two larger competitors is that Wingz does not use surge pricing, so that its rates might be higher than Uber and Lyft’s base rates, but lower than their prices during periods of peak demand. A Wingz executive told the Dallas Business Journal that a three-passenger ride from DFW to downtown Dallas would cost about $42. Wiingz also allows repeat customers to request a specific driver if they want to. Wingz also operates at five Los Angeles-area airports and three in the Bay Area, as well as San Diego, Seattle, Sacramento, Phoenix and Denver.

Note: In Austin, Uber & Lyft have left the house

(Photo: Silvercar)

(Photo: Silvercar)

Silvercar, a boutique car rental firm that has a fleet of nothing but fully-loaded silver Audi A4s, has opened a location serving Newark Liberty International Airport. Silvercar uses a mobile app for reservations and rental transactions. At EWR, the company is basing its cars at the WallyPark location. It has also opened a rental outlet in Brooklyn, at the McCarren Hotel & Pool in the Williamsburg district. Silvercar already has a Manhattan outlet, as well as airport locations in Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas. Denver, Miami, Phoenix, Ft. Lauderdale and Chicago.

Have you used Silvercar? What did you think? 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Hyperloop approaching faster than expected

Rendering of passenger boarding a Hyperloop vehicle. (Image: Hyperloop Technologies)

Rendering of passengers boarding a Hyperloop vehicle. (Image: Hyperloop One)

The California Corridor is the staging ground for what could be a revolutionary leap forward in fast ground transportation, as tech companies move forward with ultra-high-speed magnetic levitation systems. And it sounds like the future is approaching faster than expected.

At least three companies are in the news this week with plans to develop “Hyperloop” systems that would use the technology to zip passenger pods or compartments along at speeds of up to 750 mph. The competitors are raising tens of millions of dollars in venture capital, and some are already working on small-scale test tracks.

One is a company called Hyperloop One, inspired by Tesla and SpaceX guru Elon Musk; it would shoot passenger capsules through a low-pressure tube on a cushion of air. (Magnetic levitation systems rely on magnetic forces to lift vehicles above their guide rails, eliminating all that friction that slows down regular trains.) Today, the company completed an initial “test run” in the Nevada desert– see below.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the company’s plan is to create a fully operational hyperloop system by 2020.

Another firm, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, has licensed Maglev technology developed by California’s renowned Lawrence Livermore Laboratories.  The third is a firm called SkyTran, which envisions Maglev vehicles traveling on elevated tracks and is working with NASA.

If the firms achieve the suggested goal of 750 mph, it could mean a San Francisco to L.A. trip in just 30 minutes – without the hassle of airports. Maglev technology is already operating in Japan and China. Last year, a Japan Railways Maglev train achieved a record speed of 374 mph, suggesting that the American developers still have a ways to go. In China, Maglev trains operate between Shanghai Pudong Airport and central Shanghai at speeds of about 268 mph.

Related: New California Corridor small jet service $109 each way

Rendeering of as Hyperloop vehicle in an elevated tube. (Image: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies)

Rendering of a Hyperloop vehicle in an elevated tube. (Image: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies)

Whoever comes out ahead with the technology, a working California Corridor Hyperloop line is many years away. First of all, there’s the cost, estimated at $6 billion. Then there are the logistical difficulties of building a safe and secure route through heavily populated and developed areas – not to mention that much of the corridor is an earthquake zone.

But it’s sure fun to dream about for now. And exciting to see tangible progress toward reality. In the meantime, we have the Sleepbus 🙂

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Uber’s getting headaches from Harvard Business School

Should Uber add a tipping option to its app? (Image: Uber)

Should Uber add a tipping option to its app? (Image: Uber)

Ride-hailing giant Uber is no stranger to controversy (just ask any licensed taxi driver) but now it is enduring a couple of new headaches courtesy of Harvard Business School – one in the form of an article blasting its new tipping confusion, and another in the form of a pricing comparison app created by students there.

As we reported a couple of weeks ago, in its recent settlement of a class action lawsuit filed by its drivers, Uber agreed to let riders know that tips are not included in the fare, and to let drivers solicit tips by putting up a sign in their car or just by asking for them. Uber maintains that this has always been its policy, and said it still will not include a tipping feature in its app.

But Uber is taking fire for that stance from an article in the latest issue of the Harvard Business Review, which carried the headline “Uber’s new tipping policy is a mistake.”

Author Rafi Mohammed, described as a pricing strategy consultant, said that Uber’s decision not to add a tipping feature to its app — instead requiring customers to use cash or a separate credit card transaction if they want to tip a driver – “puts Uber at a significant competitive disadvantage. In addition to the inconvenience of the extra step, which will require business travelers to collect multiple receipts for expense account reimbursements, many riders will feel pressured to be overly generous in the amount they tip.”

That pressure is created by Uber’s driver and passenger rating systems, because drivers will know before they rate a passenger whether and how much that person tipped them, Mohammed notes, adding: “Customers never enjoy being strong-armed over a gratuity.”

He said the “easiest remedy” is for Uber to follow Lyft’s example and allow tipping through its app. “However, if Uber is intent on maintaining its no-tipping policy, it should find another method to reward highly rated drivers,” he added.

Meanwhile, Uber is fighting to block a group of Harvard Business School students from displaying its prices in a new app they created. The app, called Urbanhail, lets users see and compare the price of a trip on different ride-sharing services and taxis before they request a ride. It’s currently available only for Boston, and the group is offering free downloads through the end of May.

Reporting on the spat, The Boston Globe noted that Uber’s terms of use bar app developers from displaying its rates alongside those of competitors, but the students said that their professors encouraged them to move ahead with their plan anyway – just as Uber has often started operating in cities that haven’t authorized it to do so.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Uber/Lyft news: Newark, Twin Cities, Miami, Denver

Uber and Lyft rides will soon be legal in Miami -- including its airport. (Image: Marc Averette/Wikimedia Commons)

Uber and Lyft rides will soon be legal in Miami — including its airport. (Image: Marc Averette/Wikimedia Commons)

Ride-hailing is caught in a tangle of competing regulators at Newark Airport; airport pick-ups start at Minneapolis-St. Paul International; ride-sharing wins a big vote in Miami; and an Uber car races the new train to Denver International.

Ride-hailing firms have been going through tough negotiations with Newark’s city council to win the right to pick up passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport – at one point the city threatened to have police tow the cars of their drivers at EWR — and now a new agreement has been reached between Uber and the city. It would require Uber to pay Newark $3 million up front for airport access, plus $10 million over 10 years. Drivers would get a separate staging area at EWR but could not wait at the terminals. But there are two problems. First, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey claims it has control of who can operate at the airport, not the city, and said it might try to block the deal. And second, Newark’s Terminal A is actually inside the border of the city of Elizabeth, N.J., and the city council there is considering an ordinance that would ban ride-sharing firms from picking up passengers at that terminal.

Despite heavy opposition from local taxi companies, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has started allowing UberX drivers to pick up passengers at the airport. The deal imposes a $6 pick-up fee on drivers. Passengers who summon an UberX car can meet up with it at a designated area in the airport’s Ground Transportation Center. The higher-priced Uber Black cars had already been operating at MSP.

In Florida, Miami Dade County Commissioners have passed an ordinance that will allow Uber and Lyft to operate legally in the county – including Miami International Airport – starting in 10 days. In fact, ride-hailing cars have been operating there for many months without official approval, with drivers sometimes asking riders to sit in the front seat to avoid suspicion. But in the process, they racked up some $4 million in fines, with enforcement especially tough at the airport. Uber and Lyft drivers can only be at the airport if they are summoned by a rider; they can’t hang out there waiting for a fare. The new rules also allow licensed taxis to charge less than their posted rates in order to compete.

In Denver, a new airport train started operating last month between Union Station downtown and Denver International Airport. So a local TV station decided to run a test comparing an Uber ride to DEN with a trip on the new A Line train. Results: The train, which makes six intermediate stops between downtown and the airport, took 37 minutes – about what its schedule calls for. An Uber driver made the trip from Union Station in 26 minutes. So Uber won on travel time by 11 minutes. But the cost? A ticket on the train goes for $9; the Uber ride was just under $44.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Uber testing ‘late fees’ for passengers

Uber is testing late fees and shorter cancellation times. (Image: Uber)

Uber is testing late fees and shorter cancellation times. (Image: Uber)

When you use the Uber app to order a ride, who gets to the meeting spot first – you, or the driver? If it’s always the driver, you might want to start being more prompt, or it could cost you.

Uber is running some pilot tests of new fees that would kick in if their drivers have to wait at curbside an unreasonable amount of time before the passenger shows up – although “unreasonable” has a specific definition.

According to Uber’s website, drivers in the test markets – Dallas. New York, New Jersey and Phoenix – will be able to collect a new fee from passengers who make them wait more than two minutes. The company didn’t say how much the fee would be.

“While we encourage riders to only request a ride when they’re ready, we understand that sometimes they are running a little behind. In these cases, drivers will be compensated for the extra minutes they need,” Uber said.

The tests also shorten the acceptable times for canceling a ride the passenger has already ordered. The old grace period for canceling was five minutes, but in the test markets it’s being cut to two minutes, after which the cancelling passenger “may incur a small fee,” Uber said.

If the pilot tests “improve the experience for riders and drivers, we’ll look at rolling them out more broadly,” Uber said.

Usually, when I’m late to the car, I’ll be sure and give the driver a tip– that’s a lot easier on Lyft because the service includes a tipping option in the app while Uber forces those who’d like to tip to use cash. That’s is why I’ve become a recent devotee of the pink moustache. And you? Please leave your comments below. 

Get $50 in ride credits from Lyft when you use our referral link! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Popular: Uber tipping + New lie-flat seat + China contest + Delta spat + Denver train

Surge pricing benefits drivers and Uber but what about you? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Tipping Uber drivers likely to become more common (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

News broke Friday regarding the controversial issue of whether or not to tip Uber drivers— something TravelSkills covered in a post and poll last month. From Bloomberg: “…Uber has agreed to notify customers more clearly that tips are not included in fares and give tacit approval for optional gratuity. Drivers can now solicit cash tips by asking passengers or posting signs in their vehicles…riders should start seeing gratuities as a major part of an Uber driver’s income. In other words, more like a cabbie….With this information, many riders will begin tipping their drivers, which will increase drivers’ pay substantially.” Check out the full story here…and see where TravelSkills was cited!

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Who knew this would be such a hit? A new lie-flat seat on busy California corridor

2 Venomous Delta-Qatar Airways spat gets uglier

3 Entered yet? Tick-tock! Contest: 2 free United BusinessFirst tickets to China 西安Weekend Edition

4 Routes: AA, Alaska, United, Delta, Frontier, OneJet, JetSmarter

5 A great thing! Denver International Airport rail line opens

6 Date set for new United Club LAX: United progress + Delta move + Southwest + American

7 The little plane New California corridor small-jet service: $109 each way

8 Lyft surges. Taxis drop. And we love Delta, National and Hampton Inn

9 Timely Should I tip my Uber or Lyft driver? [Poll] (Check out the contro comments!)

10 Airports: Delta Sky Club re-do, Hotel at MSP, United Club CLE, JFK nap pods

In case you missed it: The Barclay is back in NYC plus other shiny new hotels! 

XIAN CONTEST! Thanks to all the eager TravelSkills readers who have submitted entries to our contest for two free United BusinessFirst tickets to Xian, China! We are busy reading thru hundreds of clever entries and look forward to announcing the lucky winner this week! Very exciting! Here’s your last chance to enter. 

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

The new Hyatt House in Seattle sits in the shadow of the Sapce Needle. (Image: Hyatt)

The new Hyatt House in Seattle sits in the shadow of the Space Needle. (Image: Hyatt)

Hyatt joins other chains offering members-only discounts

Taxi trips in LA down 30% since arrival of Uber, Lyft

Airlines in court over recent multi-city fare shenanigans

Getting out of the dreaded middle seat

Hey Virgin America fans: JetBlue is after you

Time to give Lyft a try? (Use our link and get $50 in free ride credit!)

Kuwait to require DNA testing of all visitors

Delta is most reliable airline, but least economical

The console provides plenty of storage space both above and below- enough space for laptop and contents of pack or case (Chris McGinnis)

Aer Lingus’ new business class seat on an A330 (Chris McGinnis)

Popular AerLingus new business class now on B757s

The fine art of deciding which passengers to kick off a flight

Survey finds road warriors are generally happy with business travel

Twenty-one kinds of bad behavior at the airport

The U.S. is no longer the world’s biggest market for  business travel

New Istanbul airport is expected to be the world’s largest

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Lyft surges. Taxis drop. And we love Delta, National and Hampton Inn

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are surging in their share of business travel spending. (Image: Lyft)

Lyft, surging 44%,  is giving Uber a run for its money (Image: Lyft)

The latest quarterly report on business travelers’ spending habits from expense tracking giant Certify came with a separate supplement that spells out the boom in business for ride-sharing apps at the expense of traditional ground transportation services.

While Uber continues to dominate the new ride-sharing business, the report sees Lyft moving into a stronger second place in the months ahead.

Certify said its Q1 2016 numbers on business traveler spending show that “use of ride-hailing services among business travelers is at an all-time high and shows no signs of slowing.”

In just two years, Certify said, the new ride-sharing segment’s portion of business travelers’ ground transportation spending has soared from just 8 percent in Q1 of 2014 to 46 percent in the most recent quarter. Over the same two-year period, the share for traditional taxis has fallen from 37 to 14 percent, while rental cars’ share declined from 55 to 40 percent.

In the first quarter of this year, Certify said, Uber captured 43 percent of all ground service rides, but it noted that Lyft is showing signs of a surge. From Q4 of 2015 to Q1 of this year, Certify said, Lyft showed a 44 percent jump in business travel transactions.

Ready to give Lyft a try? Use this link to get $50 in free ride credit! 

“We anticipate Lyft will become a bigger player in the business travel market in 2016,” Certify said, citing its recent closing of $1 billion in new investment capital, which included $500 million from General Motors.

Eliminating the spending numbers for rental cars and looking only at taxis and ride-hailing, Certify said, Uber commanded a 69 percent share of all transactions in Q1 2016, making it “the dominant provider for business travelers in every U.S. city.”

Check out how much more Delta earns per traveler compared to other carriers (Image: Certify)

Check out how much more Delta earns per traveler compared to other carriers (Image: Certify)

Other data from the report, which looked at more than 9 million business travel receipts in the first quarter, found that the three most-expensed restaurants were – in order – Starbucks, McDonald’s and Panera Bread; the most-expensed airlines were Delta, American and Southwest; most-expensed hotel brands were Hampton Inn, Marriott and Homewood Suites; and most-expensed car rental companies were National, Enterprise and Hertz. See the charts below:

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A new lie-flat seat on busy California corridor

Bunk in for the trip to LA or SF (Photo: Sleepbus)

Sleepbus CEO Tom Currier bunks in for the inaugural trip to LA from SF (Photo: Sleepbus)

A startup in San Francisco has launched lie-flat seat service…on a bus between downtown San Francisco and west Los Angeles.

Fares on the new Sleepbus are $65 each way (currently discounted to $48). You can bring up to three bags (plus a bike if you want). There’s an attendant, free wi-fi, in-seat power, coffee and a bathroom onboard. And fog or rain won’t slow down this bus.

The southbound bus leaves San Francisco’s downtown Caltrain station at 11 p.m. sharp, and takes about 6 hours, 30 minute to arrive at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. The bus unloads as soon as it arrives, but Sleepbus says passengers may continue sleeping until “check out time” at 7:30 a.m. The northbound schedule is identical, picking passengers at the Santa Monica Pier North Parking departing at 11 p.m. and arriving in San Francisco the next day at around 5-6 a.m. 

Each bunk has a privacy screen (hopefully a thick one to block snoring sounds) and fresh clean sheets from Casper (the popular online bedding company).

Sleepbus’s Tyler Gothelf told TravelSkills that the first trip to Los Angeles departed April 18th full from SF, and that seats are sold out on four runs over the next week. So far, he says, the company has sold 180 tickets.

Reminds me of the crew rest area on this Boeing 747!

There's the current "pilot" version of Sleepbus (Photo: Sleepbus)

There’s the current “pilot” version of Sleepbus (Photo: Sleepbus)

Sleepbus has rented a rig from an Illinois company for the “pilot phase”, but Gothelf says the company has intentions to switch to Google-style double decker buses in the near future, with bunks upstairs and a lounge downstairs.

Given the hassles of flying the California corridor, what with warnings of longer-than-ever TSA lines, frequent flight delays or cancellations at SFO due to low clouds and fog, traffic hassles on both ends, this might be a good option for some– especially those on the techie neighborhoods that surround Sleepbus endpoints.

And an added bonus is that you could actually sleep on the bus both ways and avoid overly inflated hotel costs in both cities. (SF is now the most expensive city for business travelers in the country.)

Sleepbus Facebook page here. 

Departing SF on the maiden voyage to LA (Photo: Sleepbus)

Departing SF on the maiden voyage to LA on April 18 (Photo: Sleepbus)

In addition, let’s say you need to take a last-minute trip to LA for a meeting. If I booked a trip to SFO-LAX today departing tomorrow and returning the next day, that would run me a whopping $457 round trip. Sleepbus (if it’s not sold out) would run $130.

Check out the UK version of the Sleepbus– the MegabusGold.

If I did it, I’d be sure to pack my Mack’s earplugs and Bucky eye mask. Maybe I’d sleep like I did on my recent Qantas flight to Australia. Or maybe not. But I’m curious.

Would you try Sleepbus? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE to fly in business class from SFO to China and write about it for TravelSkills! Details here. 

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Denver International Airport rail line opens

Denver's airport train takes riders to the city's new transit center at Union Station downtown. (Image: Denver RTD)

Denver’s airport train takes riders to the city’s new transit center at Union Station downtown. (Image: Denver RTD)

Travelers to Denver International Airport finally have a new way to get downtown: The airport’s new rail link will officially open for business on Friday, April 22. Denver’s new transport option is one of the few (but growing) number of one-seat rides to the airport favored by frequent travelers.

The airport station is located underneath the new Westin Denver International Hotel just south of DIA’s Jeppesen Terminal. The 23-mile rail line – designated by Denver’s Regional Transportation District as the University of Colorado A Line – runs through suburban Aurora and the eastern part of Denver all the way to a recently renovated Union Station in the heart of downtown, just steps from the 16th Street Mall.

The 23-mile rail trip has six intermediate stops. (Image: Denver RTD)

The 23-mile rail trip has six intermediate stops- including one in the community built on the old Stapleton airport (Image: Denver RTD)

The Union Station terminus is the city’s new transportation hub, serving regional bus lines and Amtrak trains as well as the airport line. It’s also easy to get to major downtown hotels thanks to the free 16th Street Mall shuttle buses that stop close to Union Station.

The 37-minute airport-downtown trip costs $9; trains operate every 15 minutes and make six intermediate stops. Interestingly, one of the stops along the route to downtown is at Central Park, the center of Stapleton, a new live-work-play community built on the old Stapleton Airport grounds.

The airport rail station is under the new Westin Hotel at DEN. (Image: RTD)

The airport rail station is under the new Westin Hotel at DEN. (Image: RTD)

Denver is just the latest of several major U.S. airports to get new rail links. Within the past three years, San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system extended its service to Oakland International Airport; Dallas’ DART system opened an Orange Line link to Terminal A at Dallas/Ft. Worth International; Utah’s TRAX extended a six-mile light rail line to Salt Lake City International; and Phoenix created a Sky Train connection from Sky Harbor International’s Terminal 4 to the Valley Metro Light Rail network. And Toronto’s one-seat ride from airport to downtown opened last year.

Denver officials see the new rail line as an essential factor in the economic development of the area around the airport. In addition to the new Westin Hotel that opened at DEN last fall, a spokeswoman said that a new Panasonic Enterprise Solutions technology center is being developed near the last rail stop before DEN, bringing more than 300 jobs with it. And the 1,500-room Gaylord Rockies Hotel is being built not far from the airport.

New signage at the airport directs travelers to the Transit Center. (Image: Jim Glab)

New signage at the airport directs travelers to the Transit Center. (Image: Jim Glab)

“In total, Denver is expecting nearly 40,000 new jobs through new and expanding businesses and $2.6 billion in economic impact over the next three decades along the (airport rail) corridor,” the spokeswoman said.

A 2013 study by the American Public Transportation Association and the U.S. Travel Association found that hotels in “rail cities”—i.e., those with direct rail links from the airport to downtown – achieve an 11 percent revenue premium over hotels in non-rail cities. And they tend to attract more meetings.

“Intermodal infrastructure that provides direct transit service from our nation’s airports to these convention cities not only makes rail cities more advantageous than non-rail cities, but also provides a competitive edge in winning global business meetings, conventions and events,” the report said.

Readers: What’s your favorite or most frequently used airport-to-city rail link? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Popular: Delta discounts biz class + United to Europe + Hola, Southwest + Delta dumps fee + Car rental rates down

Delta's flat bed seating on a 767. (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

Sleep in a discounted Delta flat bed to Europe this summer! (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

Before we get started with this week’s most popular post, let’s take a look at an unusual opportunity. Late last week Delta trotted out some very nice discounts for SkyMiles award travel to Europe– in business class. This is the yet another sign that European bookings have taken a hit this summer.Weekend Edition The first was the fare sales we saw from United and SAS this week (our most popular post). And now, this. The discounts start at just 105,000 miles for Delta One (bidness) for roundtrips June 3 to October 29 (with lots of blackout dates). BUT, you must act fast– currently the deals are only good if you book by Thursday, April 21. Here are the details . Even if you don’t have a big stash of SkyMiles, keep in mind that you can convert your American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta miles. Stay tuned to TravelSkills in coming weeks as I think we’ll continue to see some very good deals across the pond this year.

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Deal Alert: Deep summer sale to Europe

2 Southwest’s growing international game

3 Surprise! Delta drops an annoying fee

Air China will use an A330-200 between San Jose and Shanghai. (Image: Mehdi Nazarinia/Wikimedia Commons)

Air China will use an A330-200 between San Jose and Shanghai. (Image: Mehdi Nazarinia/Wikimedia Commons)

4 Routes: San Jose, San Francisco, Atlanta, Newark, Philadelphia, Miami

5 Rental car rates are down. But why? (Poll results show 50% of readers book fewer rental cars due to…)

6 Warning: Be careful pricing multi-leg trips

7 Americans love the air travel experience! Wait. What? (Poll results show that 65% of readers don’t agree…)

8 Takeover targets Starwood & Virgin America team up

9 Should I tip my Uber or Lyft driver?

10 TSA explains confusion over PreCheck policies

Two round trip business class tickets to Asia! Where? Stay tuned (Map image: US Central Intelligence Agency)

Two round trip business class tickets to Asia! Where? Stay tuned (Map image: US Central Intelligence Agency)

The BIG giveaway! Stay tuned to TravelSkills this week for our biggest giveaway EVER. Get this: We have TWO roundtrip business class tickets to give away on a new Asian route from SFO. Any guesses where? The big reveal comes this week. To win them, you’ll have to agree to write up a Trip Report for TravelSkills. Are you game? Stay tuned!

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Virgin America paid $11 million to license Virgin name in 2015

5 new gates at Chicago O’Hare for American

BMW planning a new ridesharing service like Uber

No more tips for Charlotte airport’s old-school bathroom attendants

Virgin customers: Like, but not love when it comes to Alaska Airlines

Uber continues to disrupt ground transport with a new carpool sharing option (Photo: Uber)

Wait: I can’t get my Uber here? Come on! (Photo: Uber)

5 big cities that DON’T have Uber (yet)

Plane geek gets clipped by low flying plane VIDEO 

Now earn elite qualifying United miles on Brazil’s Azul airlines

New Beijing Airport looks like lady parts

All-you-can-fly airline in the northeast shuts down

AmEx Rewards points can be used for online tech purchases

Flyers’ rights group asks FAA to reconsider regulation of seat size

Atlanta’s airport eyes open market-style food concessions in Concourse E

Here’s a look at Southwest’s LAX Terminal 1 renovations

New forecast downgrades the outlook for business travel growth

Air France late-departing business class flyers from NYC can dine before boarding

First class seat design has 4K video, mood lighting, wireless charging and its own app

Airbus might move lavs, galleys below main deck on A350-1000

This hotel is located in an iconic clocktower building on Madison Square Park (Photo: Marriott)

This hotel is located in an iconic clocktower building on Madison Square Park (Photo: Marriott)

Headed to NYC soon? Don’t miss TravelSkills reviews New York’s five newest business class hotels. Did you see all of ’em? If not, here ya go:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Uber-Lyft updates for Newark, Boston, Seattle, New Orleans, Los Angeles

Uber at the airport in Newark still a question mark (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Uber at the airport in Newark still a question mark (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In the latest news about Uber, Lyft and other ride sharing operators, the ongoing controversy about passenger pick-ups at Newark Airport is apparently not close to resolution; an entrepreneur in Boston plans to launch a whole new kind of ride-sharing for skittish customers; passenger pick-ups officially begin at two major airports; and L.A. taxi drivers are feeling the pain.

All eyes of ride-sharing drivers in northern New Jersey will be on the Newark City Council next week as it plans to vote on new fees for those operators – and the proposed fees have caused some outrage. The city’s plan is to assess a $500 annual fee on drivers to operate in Newark, plus an additional $1,000 fee for the right to pick up passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport and at Newark Penn Station. An Uber executive told NJ.com that if the fee ordinance is approved, Uber will simply stop operating in Newark. Earlier, Newark officials had threatened to tow the cars of ride-sharing drivers if they caught them at Newark Airport.

A former Uber driver in Boston, taking note of occasional news reports about crime and violence committed by or upon the service’s vehicle operators, plans to start a new ride-sharing service specifically for customers who might feel vulnerable or threatened. The new operation, called Chariot for Women, will use only female drivers and will restrict its customer base to women and children under 13. The only thing that might stand in its way, according to the Washington Post, is the question of whether it is legal to restrict service by age and/or gender.

Ride-sharing apps continue to make inroads at airports -- with some exceptions. (Image: Uber)

Ride-sharing apps continue to make inroads at airports — with some exceptions. (Image: Uber)

It’s official: UberX and Lyft have started picking up passengers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport under a one-year pilot program approved by the Port of Seattle. UberPool, Uber’s car-pooling service, has also started operating at Sea-Tac. A writer for GeekWire tried out the new option, and found only one problem: Difficulty locating the passenger pick-up area on the third floor of the parking garage. “I knew the pick-up area was staged on the third floor of the parking garage. But for anyone else arriving at the airport trying to find their Uber or Lyft driver, this is difficult to locate because there are no signs pointing people to the pickup area until you exit the terminal and enter the third floor of the parking garage,” the writer noted.

UberX last week started picking up arriving passengers at New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport, and Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a Tweet that “more ride-sharing companies will follow.” Uber said the minimum cost of a ride between the airport and downtown is $33, subject to surge pricing increases, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Drivers will wait for their customers in a designated app-based ride services area on the upper level of the airport’s Ground Transportation Center.

Taxi drivers have long complained that ride-sharing apps are costing them business, and a report in the Los Angeles Times suggests they are right. It cites statistics from the city’s Department of Transportation showing that in 2012 – just before Uber and Lyft started operating in the city – taxis operated a total of 8.4 million trips. In 2015, that number dropped to 6 million. The story cited a cab company manager who said taxi drivers take-home pay has dropped from $800 per week a few years ago to $400-$500 now. And the number of licensed taxi drivers in the city has declined by 586 over the past three years, with some of them defecting to ride-sharing services.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Rental car rates are down. But why? [POLL]

The new car rental center at San Diego's airport opens January 20. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

The new car rental center at San Diego’s airport might not be as busy as expected (Image: San Diego International Airport)

Apparently, it’s not just cabbies getting clobbered by ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Today Hertz warned that weak demand for rental cars will cut its revenues for the first quarter by about 3 percent.

While that’s bad news for Hertz and other car rental companies, it’s good news for those of us who frequently rent cars. Why? Because when there are too many rental cars chasing too few travelers, prices decline.

While Hertz did not mention in its warning that ride-sharing alternatives such as Uber or Lyft are having an impact, the New York chattering classes did.

“I think this is a challenged group, all of which are dealing with Uber,” said CNBC’s vociferous Jim Cramer, adding “Their failure to acknowledge Uber shows their head is in the sand.”

“If by ‘excess capacity’ he means ‘Uber’ then, yes, we are in agreement.” – Jason Clampet, Skift

In recent years, the rental car industry has consolidated into just three primary giants (Hertz, Enterprise & Avis)– which you think would lead to higher prices, but that’s not happening. You’d also think that it would lead to higher stock prices, but Hertz’s price is down 55 percent over the last year. And it’s likely due to competition from the likes of Uber and Lyft. Or is it?

Question for TravelSkills readers: Is the availability of ride-sharing options like Uber/Lyft reducing your reliance on rental cars? Please take our poll: 

TravelSkills POLL

Is the availability of ride-sharing options like Uber & Lyft reducing your reliance on rental cars?

View Results

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Please click the clear-looking or “vote” button

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Is Uber’s surge pricing legal? Court will decide

Surge pricing benefits drivers and Uber but what about you? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Surge pricing benefits drivers and Uber but what about you? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Uber has revolutionized ground transportation costs with its “surge pricing,” which requires passengers to pay more during periods of heavy demand. But a federal judge in New York has opened up the possibility that surge pricing might be a violation of antitrust law.

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff refused to throw out an antitrust suit against Uber CEO Travis Kalanick that was filed by disgruntled passengers.  In his ruling, Rakoff suggested that Uber’s use of Kalanick’s surge pricing algorithm to set fares for all drivers in a given area could be viewed as a price-fixing conspiracy, especially since Uber considers its drivers to be independent operators rather than employees.

If the Uber drivers really were independent, the court reasoned, they would be competing against each other on price instead of all raising their prices in lockstep when Uber’s algorithm told them to do so.

Uber itself was not named as a defendant. The plaintiffs are seeking class action status for the suit on behalf of Uber users nationwide, but the court has not yet ruled on that application.

“Today’s decision confirms that apps are not exempt from the antitrust laws,” a lawyer for the plaintiffs told Reuters.

Don’t expect surge pricing to disappear any time soon. This, like most of the many lawsuits filed against Uber, will likely fade away over time.

Don’t like surge pricing? Here are some ways to get around it: 5 ways to avoid surge pricing from Uber & Lyft

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San Francisco’s dubious distinction

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco ranks number one in the nation in business travel costs. (Image: SF Travel)

Every year, the trade publication Business Travel News (BTN) conducts a comprehensive study of the total daily costs that road warriors pay in various U.S. and foreign cities. And for the third year in a row, San Francisco took the top honors in the U.S.

Whether it’s an honor is questionable, however: BTN said that in 2015, the City by the Bay remained the most expensive destination in the nation for business travel, with an average daily cost of $547.34 for a hotel room, a rental car and meals. That’s an increase of 7.4 percent from 2014, and it beat out New York ($523.05) and Boston ($502.69), which ranked second and third. Here’s a link to the full results of the study.

BTN said the average amount paid for a San Francisco hotel stay in 2015 was $370.78 per night, including $52.36 in sales tax, occupancy tax and surcharges – an increase of 9.6 percent over 2014. In some cities, the year-over-year increases in average hotel costs paid by business travelers were quite substantial; e.g., BTN said the rate of increase was 22.4 percent in Detroit, 18.2 percent in San Jose, 15.7 percent in Los Angeles, 16 percent in Las Vegas, 14.3 percent in Boston and 14 percent in Seattle.

One of the interesting things about the detailed breakdowns of costs for hotels and rental cars is the fact that the BTN study separates out the level of taxes and fees, which can be incredibly high. For instance, it said that car rentals in San Francisco and Santa Barbara carried taxes and fees that averaged more than 50 percent of the actual rental rate; in some cities (Boston and Little Rock), that figure topped 60 percent.

The study did not examine the posted rates of hotels or rental car companies; instead, it looked at the actual average daily rate paid by business travelers from January through November, collected from a leading global corporate travel agency. Dining prices were gathered through a survey of restaurants in each city.

BTN said that the overall average daily cost for business travel in the top 100 U.S. cities during 2015 rose 3.9 percent over the previous year, to $318.80. It found a different trend overseas, noting that in 13 of the 19 non-U.S. Western Hemisphere cities covered in the study, the average per diem dropped by double digit percentages. And in the 59 cities covered in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the average per diem dropped from $362 in 2014 to $323 last year.

The most expensive city in Europe, the Middle East and Africa was London, with an average per diem for hotel, rental car and meals of $554.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Uber/Lyft at airports: Seattle, San Diego, Milwaukee, New Orleans

Uber and Lyft pick-ups at Seattle-Tacoma cold start in a few days. (Image: Port of Seattle)

Uber and Lyft pick-ups at Seattle-Tacoma could start in a few days. (Image: Port of Seattle)

Ridesharing has changed the business trip more than just about anything else in recent memory (except maybe PreCheck!). Luckily, the phenomenon is now pervasive in most cities around the world. But, when it comes to highly regulated airports, it’s still hit or miss. You never really know if you can or can’t legally use your app when you step off the plane.

So we try to keep TravelSkills readers up to date on that front…

In airport ride-sharing developments, passenger pick-ups could start next week at Seattle-Tacoma, a new competitor starts up at San Diego, UberX and Lyft lift off at Milwaukee, and approval moves ahead for New Orleans.

March 31 is the launch date for ride-sharing services to begin passenger pick-ups at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, assuming that operators like Lyft and Uber can sign agreements with the Port of Seattle by then. The port authority has authorized the use of ride-sharing firms, which it calls Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), for a one-year test period. The airport designated an area on the third floor of its parking garage for arriving passengers to meet drivers, and it will assess a fee of $5 per pick-up. One innovative requirement set by the port authority is a “green standard” for ride-sharing services. That standard “establishes a threshold for emissions based on fleet weighted average MPG, deadheading, and pooling or ridesharing for unrelated passengers,” the airport said. “If TNC’s do not meet the environmental performance standards after six-month and nine-month periods, an additional $5 per trip fee will be incurred until standards are reached.”

Inside San Diego's snappy new Terminal 2 West (Chris McGinnis)

Inside San Diego’s snappy new Terminal 2 West (Chris McGinnis)

After running a limited pilot program for a few months, ride-sharing service Wingz has officially started operations at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field, taking on Uber and Lyft with a slightly different concept. Like those two operators, Wingz uses app-based bookings via iPhone or Android, and its drivers use their own vehicles, but it quotes a flat price. The rate may be slightly higher than the lowest rates of Uber or Lyft, but it will not change based on levels of demand. A Wingz ride from Lindbergh Field to downtown San Diego is estimated to cost around $25. With San Diego, it now operates at 16 airports, mostly in California.

Passenger pick-ups by UberX and Lyft started last week at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Before that, only Uber Black and Uber SUV pick-ups were permitted. The approval of UberX and Lyft is for a 90-day pilot period, the newspaper said, and the airport will collect a $3 fee per passenger for pick-ups. The airport has designated a pick-up area between baggage carousels 1 and 2, through doors marked “Exit to Ticketing.”

Approval for ride-sharing services to pick up passengers at New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport moved ahead last week, but no start-up date has been set. Last week, the Aviation Board that oversees the airport approved a resolution to authorize ride-sharing pick-ups and to develop a new fee structure that will cover Uber and Lyft passenger pick-ups, but the actual fee levels still have to be determined. According to the website nola.com, the airport’s general counsel said that the ride-sharing companies have “an unequivocal constitutional right” to pick up passengers, but the city’s taxi drivers are challenging that notion: They have filed a lawsuit to block UberX and Lyft, and a court hearing is slated for April 1.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Airport ride-sharing advances for Phoenix, Charlotte – but not Boston

Ride-sharing pick-ups at the Phoenix airport should begin this summer. (Image: Phoenix Sky Harbor International)

Ride-sharing pick-ups at the Phoenix airport should begin this summer. (Image: Phoenix Sky Harbor International)

Uber and Lyft continue to make progress in their ongoing battle to secure airport passenger pick-up rights, most recently in Phoenix and in Charlotte. But Boston is proving a tough nut to crack.

The Phoenix City Council this week passed a proposal that will allow ride-sharing companies to make passenger pick-ups at Sky Harbor International Airport. The council has to vote formally once again after a two-month waiting period, but the measure is expected to pass, so that passenger services at PHX can begin sometime this summer. Phoenix will use a special tag or GPS-based system to track vehicle movements at the airport, imposing a fee of $2.75 per ride starting in 2017. Ride-sharing companies have been lobbying the council for many months to win approval, but they got a big boost when Arizona Governor Doug Ducey came out in favor of their effort.

Ride-sharing also formally started this week at North Carolina’s Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, an American Airlines hub. UberX and Lyft now have designated passenger pick-up and drop-off spots at the airport, and rides will incur an extra $1 fee.

But Uber and Lyft were not so fortunate in Massachusetts. There, the state legislature’s Financial Services Committee just approved a bill to regulate ride-sharing companies. The proposal would subject drivers to background checks by both their companies and the state, and would impose insurance requirements on the firms. But according to the Associated Press, the bill would also ban passenger pick-ups at Boston’s Logan Airport at least until 2021. The AP said the latter provision was “a concession to the taxi industry.”

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Uber introduces automated business expense reporting

Uber riders can now file business expense claims automatically.

Uber riders can now file business expense claims automatically. (Image: Uber)

A few months ago, ride-sharing giant Uber introduced a new feature to its app called Business Profiles, which allowed customers to keep their personal rides separate from their business rides by designating them as one or the other. And now the company is taking that one step further by integrating its app with four leading providers of travel and expense reporting systems for companies.

The four providers are Concur, Certify, Expensify and Chrome River. Uber said that its new partnerships with those four firms “cover the vast majority of the managed expense market, so that business riders have the ability to simplify expensing with just one tap.”

With Uber’s new Auto-Expense feature, a customer who uses one of those four firms for expense reporting simply indicates within the Uber Business Profile that a ride is for business, and it will be automatically filed with the expensing firm designated by the user. 

“With nearly one million​ people activating business profiles, business travel has become one of Uber’s fastest-growing segments. Providing the ability for our riders to automatically submit their receipts for expense reimbursement is a logistical step forward in making trips more seamless,” said Max Crowley, the head of of Uber for Business.

“We saw business travelers using Uber grow by 220 percent from 2014 to 2015,” said Barry Padgett, Concur’s chief product officer. “That’s a lot of receipts.”

 

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New Metro line to serve LA’s “Silicon Beach”

LA's Metro Rail's new line runs just north of I-10 from Downtown LA to the beach (Image: LACMTA)

LA’s Metro Rail’s new line runs just north of I-10 from Downtown LA to “Silicon Beach” (Image: LACMTA)

A new way to navigate Los Angeles arrives on May 20 when the latest extension of the city’s Metro light rail line makes its debut. The new line runs along the southern edge of city’s busy west side, paralleling Interstate 10 on an unused rail bed from downtown all the way to Santa Monica and the city’s new “Silicon Beach” near the coast.

The extension represents the first time in more than 50 years that anyone has been able to reach the beach from the city’s urban core. The once popular Santa Monica Line of the Pacific Electric red car system ceased operation in 1953.

What does this mean for business travelers? Well, in a couple of months, it will be possible to traverse the city’s traffic- clogged western side without ever getting behind the wheel of a rental car or overpaying for a car or cab. Which means you could stay in a beachy Santa Monica hotel, skip traffic and take the train to your meetings downtown or in Century City without having to face the city’s traffic beast.

The trip between downtown and the beach will take about 46 minutes and will make use of seven new stations. Stops include Palms, Westwood/Rancho Park, Expo/Sepulveda, Expo/Bundy, 26th Street/Bergamot, 17th Street/Santa Monica College and Downtown Santa Monica. The new rail extension will also serve the Westside Pavilion in West L.A. and the job-heavy tech and media corridors along Olympic Boulevard.

Trains are set to depart every 12 minutes and the cost of a one-way trip is only $1.75.

Take the train to the beach in Santa Monica (Photo: Jon Sullivan / Wikimedia Commons)

Take the train to the beach in Santa Monica (Photo: Jon Sullivan / Wikimedia Commons)

The first phase of the Expo line opened in 2012 from the 7th and Metro Station in downtown L.A. to USC/Exposition Park and Culver City, a trip that clocks in at about eight and a half miles. The new extension nearly doubles that length.

That said, once you get to the end of the new line, you will land at the new Santa Monica Metro station. This station, full of colorful creations by local artists, sits smack in the middle of the thriving seaside community on Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue, right across the street from the Santa Monica Place shopping mall and only two blocks from a couple of decent business friendly hotels: the Wyndham Santa Monica At The Pier and the Doubletree Suites by Hilton Hotel Santa Monica. A bit further away, but walkable on a nice day, are the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, The JW Marriott, the Fairmont Miramar and the Le Meridien.

Would you use LA’s Metro system while on a business trip? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Uber, Lyft progress at Newark, Atlanta, Phoenix airports

The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. Terminal at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. (Image: Atlanta Airport)

The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. Terminal at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. (Image: Atlanta Airport)

Although they often meet with stiff resistance from local officials and taxi drivers, ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft continue to make slow but certain progress in their fight for the right to pick up passengers at major airports. Three of the latest battlegrounds are Newark, Atlanta and Phoenix.

We reported recently that Newark’s city prosecutor had threatened to have police start towing the vehicles of Uber and Lyft drivers this week if they were caught waiting for passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport. But now there’s apparently been a change of heart. According to local media, Newark public safety officials have now promised that the city will not start towing cars at the airport, and said they would meet with the city prosecutor and his staff in a bid to work things out. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also said it would not act against the ride-sharing drivers. UPDATE: It seems the City of Newark has flip-flopped on this and the ban is back on according to NY Post (We will monitor status)

Airport officials at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson are said to be getting close to announcing a plan that would allow ride-sharing services to make passenger pick-ups legally at the nation’s busiest airport. Some drivers have reportedly been operating on the sly at ATL, taking the risk of getting a ticket, but a firm plan to legitimize ride-sharing pick-ups has been long overdue. According to Atlanta’s WSB-TV, airport officials are expected to “soon go public” with an approval plan. Noting that such a plan is half a year behind schedule due to rabid opposition from taxi drivers, the station quoted an airport spokesperson as saying that there is clear customer demand for ride-sharing, and that the airport is “fine-tuning” legislation to legalize pick-ups at ATL. The station said the airport is expected to designate pick-up spots for Uber and Lyft drivers, and noted that police have routinely been patrolling the cell phone waiting area, telling ride-share drivers to move out.

The Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board has passed a new policy for ground transportation at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport that would clear the way for UberX and Lyft to pick up arriving passengers. The measure still requires approval by the City Council, where it faces opposition from taxi services and other ground transportation providers (although it has public support from Arizona Governor Doug Ducey). The proposal would require drivers to pay a fee for each pick-up, but would ease up on some of the security requirements that officials had been demanding, like a fingerprint background check for drivers. According to the Arizona Republic, the ride-sharing services could start picking up arrivals at PHX by this summer.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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How to really upgrade your next car rental

National's Premier Selection lets you upgrade on the spot. (Image: National Car Rental)

National’s Premier Selection lets you upgrade on the spot. (Image: National Car Rental)

Car rentals tend to be one of the more routine parts of business travel: You book your standard mid-sized sedan and don’t really think about it — it’s just transportation. But rental companies have been expanding their fleets in recent years with more luxurious, powerful and sporty models so that road warriors can put a bit of excitement and comfort into their driving experience and feel a little extra oomph when they step on the gas pedal.

And when you’re trying to close a deal with an undecided client, it can’t hurt your image when you pick him or her up for lunch with a set of fancy wheels.

sponsored-sliderTypical of this trend is National Car Rental’s Premier Selection, now entering its third year. Renters who walk into the National lots at 25 major U.S. airport locations will see a clearly designated area where the Premier Selection vehicles are kept, and they can easily upgrade to one no matter what type of car they’ve reserved.

This year, National is rolling out an expanded range of Audi and BMW vehicles in its Premier Selection fleet, and is also adding the outdoorsy 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser.

The special fleet started out with posh rides like Cadillac Escalades, Lincoln Navigators and Lexus IS250s and has been branching out from there. In 2014, one newcomer to the Premier Selection fleet was the Kia K900 sedan, a full-size, rear-drive luxury vehicle loaded with all the extras. (Note: Not all vehicle types may be available at all locations.)

Maserati's Ghibli S Q$: Can you handle it? (Image: Maserati)

Maserati’s Ghibli S Q4 Can you handle it? (Image: Maserati)

Another newcomer to the fleet about a year ago is the high-performance, all-wheel-drive version of Maserati’s Ghibli S Q4. It’s equipped with a twin-turbo V6 Ferrari engine that cranks out more than 400 horsepower, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It also has a leather interior, heated front seats with eight-way power adjustments, dual zone climate control and other luxury amenities. 

Who knows? You might like one of these hot cars so much that you end up buying one.

A study commissioned by Enterprise Holdings, National’s parent company, found that renters at National’s airport locations were 45 percent more likely to buy a new car within six months of their rental than the average U.S. consumer — and of those who did so, more than three-fourths bought a vehicle different from the type they already owned. The finding “strongly indicates that many car rental customers are using their rentals to experience new makes and models,” a spokesman said.

National created its Premier Selection program with input from a few hundred of its most loyal Emerald Club members. Customers who see something they like in the Premier Selection area can easily upgrade without going to the rental counter.

Would you upgrade your next car rental to Premier Selection? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 

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American unveils Uber partnership

American Airlines is creating new Uber promotions and tie-ins. (Image: Uber)

American Airlines is creating new Uber promotions and tie-ins. (Image: Uber)

American Airlines said this week it is teaming up with ride-sharing giant Uber to provide new services, discounts and promotions to its passengers.

The airline said it is updating its mobile app to offer new functionality that ties in with Uber rides. When a customer books a flight on aa.com, the e-ticket confirmation that comes back to them via e-mail will include a “Remind me to Uber” icon. If the passenger clicks on it, he or she will be sent a reminder to book a ride.

The airline’s app also now has a new airport navigation feature that will guide users to the nearest Uber pick-up location at 11 major U.S. airports, including Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, New York LaGuardia, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington Reagan National.

AA customers who aren’t already signed up with Uber can get a $20 discount on the car service when they register an account and use promo code RIDEAA. In March, AA Executive Platinums will be given a unique code for a discount of up to $25 off an Uber ride whether or not they are currently Uber users. And from now through July 31, AA customers who use an AAdvantage Aviator MasterCard to pay for Uber rides will get two bonus miles for every dollar spent.

United was the first carrier to partner with Uber for a presence on its app.

 

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Should I tip my Uber or Lyft driver? [Poll]

Is your inclination to tip drivers changing? (Photo: Uber)

Is your inclination to tip drivers changing? (Photo: Uber)

Last week I received an earful of anger from an UberX driver about how recent discounting by the ridesharing app is translating to less money for its drivers.

He complained about how expensive it is to operate a car in San Francisco and that his costs are going up at a time when his revenues are going down. He said he thought that Uber “wants all its drivers to end up homeless” or “put Lyft out of business” and that he supported the various driver protests taking place in San Francisco during Super Bowl week.

Since I had accepted his ride at 1.6x surge I asked, “Well it seems I’m paying Uber surge pricing a lot more these days, don’t you guys make more when a surge is in effect? And aren’t you paying less for gas these days?”

He said something like, “Yes, we make more during surge, but it’s not enough to counteract the losses during non-surge, which is most of the time.” He did not respond to my question about lower gas prices.

His diatribe went on for nearly the length of my 20-minute ride across town. When I got out of the car, I thought to myself, “Jeez this guy needs to find another job.”

I also wondered if perhaps he was gunning for a tip.

I did not tip him, but it made me wonder… should I be tipping my Uber drivers these days?

When Uber first cranked up five years ago, one of the hallmarks of the new service was that it was cashless… there’s nothing to do at the end of the ride except to say “thanks” and “goodbye.” It was my understanding that the tip was built into the rate and that the the tip would be taken care of by Uber.

What about you? Please take our TravelSkills poll at the bottom of this post!

But that understanding and ease is starting to erode. I’ve asked around have found that, at least anecdotally,  a lot of folks are now tipping their Uber drivers with cash. I get emails from Uber drivers asking me to encourage users to start tipping more. As a matter of fact, I did a quick Twitter poll this week and found that about 30% of my followers regularly tip Uber or Lyft drivers. And with UberX saving me so much on rides these days, I wouldn’t mind tossing in a tip from time to time.

But should I?

Image: Lyft

Add a tip after riding Image: Lyft

Uber’s FAQs clearly discourage tipping, stating, “You don’t need cash when you ride with Uber. Once you arrive at your destination, your fare is automatically charged to your credit card on file — there’s no need to tip.” So if you do want to tip your driver, you have to do it with cash– which can be unwieldy and time consuming and awkward if you don’t have the right change. (Update: UberTAXI does allow users to leave tips)

On the other hand, Lyft, which I have started to use a lot more frequently, encourages tipping, but only after the ride. When you get your receipt, it asks if you’d like to tip your driver. It even offers a “how to tip your driver” page on its website. Nonetheless, when I ask my friends if they tip on Lyft…or ask my Lyft drivers how often they get tips, it sounds somewhat rare.

On FlyWheel, the taxi industry’s new mobile platform, “You can adjust the tip amount (percentage) at any point during your ride or up to 5 minutes after. The tip is automatically applied and charged to your card along with the metered fare and $1 service fee. On average, most passengers leave a 20% tip so that’s where we set the default amount.”

So, in the end, even though that Uber driver irritated me with his complaining, he made me re-assess my tipping practices when it comes to ride-sharing. So starting now, if I have a few extra bills or a $5, I’ll offer it to a good Uber driver. And I will regularly say “yes” when Lyft asks me for a tip. And as always, I’ll tip my taxi driver with cash, or via FlyWheel.

What about you? Please take our TravelSkills poll or leave your comments below. 

Do you regularly tip your Uber or Lyft driver?

Loading ... Loading ...

Please click the clear-looking or “vote” button

Update: Check out this online forum of Uber drivers under the headline “Gratuity”

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So you want to go to the Super Bowl?

JetBlue will add several extra flights between DEN and SFO for the Super Bowl (Image: Jim Glab)

JetBlue adding several flights between DEN and SFO for the Super Bowl (Image: Jim Glab)

Let’s say a rabid Denver Broncos fan decided to go to the Super Bowl to cheer on his team. How much would it cost?

We looked into that on Tuesday afternoon (January 26). The time we searched is important, because a devoted fan would have started booking things in the Bay Area as soon as his team wrapped up the AFC championship game against the Patriots last Sunday. Since then, things have been booking up fast.

We were advised as much by a number of websites we looked at for our hypothetical February 6-8 trip. Once they got the dates and the destination, the sites would display — often in red type — messages like “this is a period of heavy demand” or “going fast — book now.”

The game is in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California — at the far south end of San Francisco Bay, next to San Jose. But most fly-in fans will probably come in through SFO and stay in San Francisco (more flights, better restaurants, accommodations, and parties) about 40 minutes away.

Someone who spent hours and hours searching the web might be able to find better prices, but here’s the thing: You don’t have hours and hours.  Here’s what we found:

THE BIG GAME: $4,000+

Superbowl

(Image: VividSeats.com- click for more info)

The first step is to secure a game ticket. At events ticketing giant Stubhub, we learned that as of Tuesday, the lowest-price tickets were going for $3,906 — oops, just looked again and they went up to $4,200 — and that’s for a seat high above the end zone. Closer to midfield, but still in nosebleed territory, tickets started at $4,040. (The 50-yard line close to the field? That’ll set you back $25,000 per ticket — and there are only two left as of Tuesday afternoon!) Oh, and don’t forget the $80 stadium parking fee if you drive.

AIR FARE: $700+

Both JetBlue and Southwest have scheduled a few extra flights from Denver to the Bay Area for game weekend.

But when we searched on Southwest for our February 6-8 schedule, we couldn’t get any westbound non-stops to either SFO or San Jose — they were sold out. The best deal was a $768 roundtrip to SFO via a connection through Phoenix westbound and a non-stop return flight. To San Jose, Southwest’s best was $810 roundtrip via Phoenix in both directions.

So we tried to cast our net a bit wider by trying Kayak.com and had better luck — DEN-SFO non-stops in both directions at reasonable times for $717 roundtrip (westbound on Frontier, back on JetBlue).

JetBlue, which does not normally offer nonstops on the DEN-SFO route, had a few seats left for Friday departures and Monday returns at $741 round trip.

HOTEL/HOUSE: $600+

Check in counter at San Francisco's Mark Twain hotel (Image: Mark Twain Hotel)

Check in counter at San Francisco’s Mark Twain hotel with rooms for $848 per night (Image: Mark Twain Hotel)

To find a room, we turned to Trivago, which searches across multiple booking sites for the best rates. San Francisco has thousands of hotel rooms, but they all heard about the game and took the opportunity to raise rates to what they think the market will bear. The best deal we found for our two-night stay was a quote of $848 at the Mark Twain, a modest three-star property a few blocks from Union Square.

Not nice enough? The Stanford Court is nicer, rated at four stars, and a two-night quote of $2,710 for a room with a queen bed — and there were only a couple of those left.

Want to save money by staying closer to the game in Santa Clara? Don’t count on it: The best two-night rates we could find — for bargain-basement two-star properties in Santa Clara — were $918 at the Best Western and $950 at the Mission Inn. But based on the screaming admonitions on the booking pages (“We have 1 room left!” the Mission Inn warned), those are probably gone by now. Better stick with San Francisco.

Better yet, consider Airbnb. Its website shows a number of San Francisco rentals at rates better than hotels. The lowest one we found for Super Bowl weekend (not counting a room in someone’s house or apartment) was a two-bedroom apartment in the Mission District with a two-night rate of $440. Oh, wait — that doesn’t include the $90 cleaning fee, a $64 “service fee,” and $74 in occupancy taxes. Still, the $668 total is less than a hotel that weekend.

CAR: $158

Companies are still unsure about the safety aspects of ride-sharing service. (Image: Uber)

No telling what Uber’s surge price will be on game day by the Bay (Image: Uber)

Unless you want to take your chances with Uber’s surge pricing on game day — we can only shudder to think what a ride from downtown to Santa Clara and back would cost — you’ll need a car. And that wasn’t bad, relatively speaking. Expedia steered us to the Payless counter at SFO, which was offering a two-day rental of a mid-sized car for just $158.

So adding that all up, the total for our bare-bones options comes to $5,583 for one person with air fare, a rental car, Airbnb, and a game ticket that requires binoculars if you want to really see the action on the field. And it doesn’t include parking at your hotel, meals, drinks, or a souvenir Peyton Manning jersey.

On second thought, what’s wrong with a big-screen TV, a six-pack and a pizza back in Denver?

Have you ever been to the Super Bowl? Would you pay $5,000+ to see your team play? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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Uber, Lyft, Airbnb bookings surge

Business travelers' spending on Lyft rides jumped 714 percent last year. (Image: Lyft)

Business travelers’ spending on Lyft rides jumped 712 percent last year. (Image: Lyft)

The latest analysis of business travelers’ expense reports from Certify, a leading T&E software provider, shows “sharing economy” services like Uber, Lyft and Airbnb are continuing to hammer away at the traditional taxi, rental car and lodging businesses.

In fact, Certify found that business travelers’ spending on Uber rides in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2015 surpassed car rental spending for the first time in the ground transportation category.

“Prior to the fourth quarter, only San Francisco and Boston reported Uber as having a greater percent of rides than car rental,” Certify noted, referring to Uber’s growth as “astronomical.” Ride-sharing app competitor Lyft, although much smaller, is surging as well: Certify said spending on Lyft rides in 2015 was up more than 700 percent year-over-year.

On the lodging side, Certify found that business traveler spending on Airbnb bookings jumped 261 percent in 2015 for U.S. accommodations and 249 percent for international locations. The top U.S. cities for business travelers using Airbnb instead of hotels were San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Oakland and New York.

Certify CEO Robert Neveu said that as recently as 2013, the expense-tracking company  “couldn’t have anticipated…the phenomenal growth of Uber and the impact it and other sharing economy services would have on corporate travel today. It’s a story that will continue to unfold for years to come.”

In the fourth quarter of 2015, the report shows, the most-expenses restaurant company for road warriors was Starbucks; rating as the most-expensed in other categories were Delta among airlines, Marriott for hotels and National for car rentals.

Below are some infographics summarizing Certify’s findings (note: In the second chart, ride-sharing services are categorized under ‘miscellaneous’):

certify1

certify2

Among Uber, Lyft or Airbnb, which do you use the most? Why? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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Finally! UberX joins Lyft legally at LAX

UberX started pick-ups at LAX. (Image: Uber)

UberX started pick-ups at LAX. (Image: Uber)

A few weeks ago, ride-sharing service Lyft started to pick up passengers at Los Angeles International Airport, and now UberX is dong the same.

Uber said on its website that effective today (January 21), its UberX drivers can start to pick up passengers at LAX terminals (Note: the new approval for UberX does not yet include UberPool).

In August, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to give ride-sharing app services the right to pick up passengers at the airport, but it took months of haggling between regulators and the ride-sharing companies to agree on licensing and permit requirements.

Lyft came to terms with the city first, and now Uber has followed suit for its UberX drivers. While a regular taxi ride from LAX to downtown costs about $50 -plus tip, the fare is estimated at $30 on UberX or Lyft, although it would be higher in times of peak demand. 

Uber said arriving LAX passengers using its app should select a vehicle type, terminal and airline to request a ride. Pick-ups could be on the lower or upper levels of the terminal; the driver will call to confirm the location.

Rides on UberX and Lyft incur a $4 surcharge for both pick-ups and drop-offs under terms worked out with airport authorities.

Get up to $50 off your first Lyft ride with our link! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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Big change at San Diego International airport

The new car rental center at San Diego's airport opens January 20. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

The new car rental center at San Diego’s airport opens January 20. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

January 20 will be the first day of business at a big new facility in San Diego International Airport that will change things for everyone who rents a car there.

It’s the opening of the new $316 million Consolidated Rental Car Center on the northeast side of the airport grounds, just off Pacific Highway — a location that will give renters easy access to Interstate 5. 

The facility will serve as the base of operations for the 14 rental operators serving the airport, including big national brands as well as independents and local firms.

Its opening is expected to mean a big reduction in rental car traffic on North Harbor Drive, the access road from downtown San Diego to the airport terminals. Most of the major rental companies previously had their operations just off that road, immediately southeast of the terminals.

X marks the location of the airport's new rental facility. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

X marks the location of the airport’s new rental facility. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

It will also mean fewer shuttle buses moving around the airport, since the individual rental company shuttles will be replaced by a fleet of alternative-fuel buses that will carry all rental car  customers between the terminals and the new rental center.

Construction of the new facility started in 2013. It is financed by airport user fees that the rental companies pass along to customers.

Even more changes are in store for the airport in the future; last month, airport officials settled on a design for a massive reconstruction of the facility’s dated Terminal 1 and part of Terminal 2, although that project is still a few years away.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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5 travel deals: Hawaii + Ski hotels + Airline lounges + Uber + more

Hawaiian Airlines new Airbus A330s are its long haul workhorses (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hawaiian Airlines new Airbus A330 at HNL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

HAWAII: Whenever you see a roundtrip fare from the west coast to Hawaii for less than $400, it’s time to book! Right now Hawaiian Air has roundtrips from west coast cities to Hawaii for $400 or less– that’s a great deal. $728 roundtrip from New York. From Book by January 21 for trips in April or May. Hawaiian sale details. United also has some good deals to Hawaii for winter trips, but none for less than $400.

Need info: Chris is headed to Kauai next month (for the first time) and needs tips/advice on what to see. Email him

SKI: Best Western is offering some excellent last minute deals (around $100 per night or less) at hotels near ski resorts in the US and Canada. This is a flash sale and deals disappear at midnight January 20. Details. TIP: If you are not into NFL football, hit the slopes instead! Superbowl Sunday (Feb 7) is usually one of the BEST Sundays of the year due to lack of crowds.

LOUNGES: The helpful LoungeBuddy app has teamed up with TripIt. TripIt Pro members get a one-time $25 credit to use on a lounge pass, as part of the TripIt Pro VIP Benefits program. Just book your lounge pass through LoungeBuddy and then forward the reservation, just like any other travel plan, to plans@tripit.com.  Then, when you arrive at the airport, pull up your lounge pass information right from the TripIt app. More details here.

(Image: Uber)

(Image: Uber)

UBER DISCOUNTS: To bump up demand during slow winter months, Uber says it has discounted fares in 80 U.S. cities. Bloomberg reports that Uber will cut prices in Los Angeles and San Francisco by 10 percent, Houston by 20 percent, and Richmond, Virginia, by 15 percent. Prices in some cities, including New York and Chicago, will remain unchanged– but if you fly to/from Newark Airport, you are in luck. Uber says that is has cut fares from EWR to midtown Manhattan by 50% to around $45 each way! Haven’t tried Uber yet? Use this link and get $15 off your first ride!

Curious about Lyft? Give it a try and get up to $50 off your first ride!

SEE DOUBLE: Both Virgin America and JetBlue are unleashing a powerful tool to help boost winter bookings. Both are offering double points promotions. You must register for both: Virgin double & JetBlue double

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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More cash for Lyft, Silvercar leads to interesting new options

The future of ridesharing? GM's Chevrolet EN-V concept car needs neither a driver nor gasoline. (Image: GM)

The future of ridesharing? GM’s Chevrolet EN-V concept car needs neither a driver nor gasoline. (Image: GM)

Popular Lyft, Silvercar got a shot in the arm in the form of big venture capital injections to start off the New Year:

San Francisco-based Lyft said it has raised a cool $1 billion in fresh funding — half of it from General Motors. Saudi Arabia-based Kingdom Holding Company, run by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, kicked in another $100 million. Other investors include Janus Capital Management, Alibaba, Rakuten and Didi Kualdi.

Lyft said it will work with GM to create an “autonomous on-demand network” — a reference to the eventual deployment of driverless cars that consumers can summon with an app. “Together, the companies will work to help make this integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles part of people’s daily lives,” Lyft said.

Lyft and General Motors also said they will create “a series of national rental hubs” where those who want to drive for Lyft can do so without owning a car — by renting one from GM for that purpose.

Calling itself “the fastest-growing rideshare platform in the United States,” Lyft noted that it now operates in more than 190 cities, and has achieved a market share of more than 40 percent in San Francisco and Austin. Lyft recently became the first ride-sharing app to start picking up passengers at Los Angeles International Airport.

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Meanwhile, boutique car rental firm Silvercar said it has secured $28 million in new funding, most of it from Audi. Focusing on the domestic airport rental business, Silvercar offers only one kind of vehicle: Silver Audis fully loaded with amenities. The app-based operation focuses on smooth rental transactions and speedy delivery of service.

Silvercar said it will use the funding to “expand to new markets nationwide.”

Last month, Silvercar opened an outlet at Las Vegas McCarran Airport, giving it a total of 12 locations, also including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, Phoenix, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Dallas Love Field, Austin, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago O’Hare and New York City.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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Twisting seats + loyalty programs review + in-flight beers + Hertz sale + more

Here are some newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Newly designed airline seat twists as you move. (Image: Factorydesign)

Newly designed airline seat twists as you move. (Image: Factorydesign)

New design concept: An airline seatback that twists along with your body.

The New York Times reviews changes in airline, hotel loyalty programs.

Who’s got the best in-flight brews? Airline beers are rated.

Air Canada offers a World Travel Pass through January 18 only.

Portland International Airport will open a movie theater in the spring.

New York City plans to convert old public pay phones into 1G Wi-Fi stations.

Hilton’s DoubleTree brand introduces optional amenity packages.

United sees opportunity for more growth in China routes.

Odd tactics passengers have tried to get around paying a checked bag fee.

Hertz winter sale offers discounts of up to 30 percent for Gold Rewards members.

The rate of new hotel openings in the U.S. is expected to accelerate in the next two years.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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Lyft starts LAX passenger pick-ups; Uber coming soon

Lyft has started passenger pick-ups at LAX. (Image: Los Angeles International Airport)

Lyft has started passenger pick-ups at LAX. (Image: Los Angeles International Airport)

It’s been four months since the Los Angeles City Council approved ride-sharing app services like Lyft and UberX to pick up customers at Los Angeles International Airport, but this week — after long negotiations between those companies and regulators over licensing and permit requirements — Lyft finally started to handle arriving passengers at LAX.

UberX, which got a later start in the process, still isn’t authorized for airport pickups, although it is expected to begin soon.

Lyft agreed to pay the airport a fee of $4 for each passenger pick-up and drop-off at LAX. Those fees will be passed along to passengers. The airport designated a special parking area for Lyft drivers to use while they are waiting for a ride request. The pick-ups will be on LAX’s upper departures level.

As in other cities, the airport pick-ups in Los Angeles were bitterly opposed by taxi drivers. But city officials considered the ride-sharing services an important step forward. “As we continue rebuilding nearly every terminal at the airport, and work to bring rail to LAX, our passengers deserve access to all available options to ensure they have an excellent experience,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

A ride from the airport to downtown L.A. on Lyft or Uber is expected to cost about $30 during non-peak periods, compared with $50 in a taxi.

Through January 1, Lyft is offering customers $5 off two rides to or from LAX when they enter code FLY2015 in the payment section of the app.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Delta free upgrades disappearing + Shipping vs. checking a bag +_San Francisco’s new long-haul routes + Is Newark our worst airport? + Delta, United forge new international partnerships

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Scheduled flights to Cuba + Uber at San Jose + New Year’s Eve in NYC + HHonors double points

Here are some newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Scheduled airline service to Havana could start in 2016. (Image: y.becart/Flickr)

Scheduled airline service to Havana could start in 2016. (Image: y.becart/Flickr)

New pact means scheduled air service to Cuba likely to start in 2016.

Uber can now pick up passengers at Mineta San Jose Airport

New York City hotel rates go through the roof for New Year’s Eve.

Hilton HHonors offers double points/miles for stays from January through April.

Facebook Messenger can now be used to sign up for Uber, request rides.

New aviation agreement with Mexico will open more routes.

Design approved for reconstruction of San Diego Airport’s Terminal 1.

Flip through these photos to see how glamorous air travel was 50 years ago.

New app will create a market for passengers to swap seat assignments.

Wild bubble-top design would let passengers get a rooftop view during flights.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  New Oakland-London route + Big hotel acquisition + Uber at Las Vegas McCarran + American’s international Premium Economy service + Healthy eating for travelers

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Uber gets OK to pick up at Las Vegas McCarran

Uber pick-ups are now legal at Las Vegas McCarran. (Image: Jim Glab)

Uber pick-ups are now legal at Las Vegas McCarran. (Image: Jim Glab)

After several weeks of back-and-forth with the Clark County Commission, which oversees Nevada’s Las Vegas McCarran Airport,  UberX drivers this week finally got clearance to begin passenger pick-ups at the airport effective immediately.

Competitor Lyft had reached agreement with regulators earlier, and began to serve the airport last month.

Some Uber drivers apparently took matters into their own hands before the agreement was reached, according to the Las Vegas Sun; the newspaper said that by December 1, airport authorities had issued some 1,600 tickets to Uber drivers for unauthorized rides at McCarran.

It’s another big win in airport access for the ride-sharing apps, which are steadily adding more legal authority to pick up arriving passengers. Last month, they started pick-ups at Chicago’s busy O’Hare and Midway airports.

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, officials are expected to formally approve an agreement next week that will permit ride-sharing pick-ups, although according to the Triangle Business Journal, those drivers have already started making pick-ups there, using special zones dedicated to their services.

In Atlanta, an Uber official told local station WABE that the company has started car-pool pickups at Hartsfield-Jackson International — a service it calls uberPOOL — even though the airport still does not allow any Uber pick-ups there. Uber will also offer the uberPOOL service in downtown Atlanta, Midtown, and Buckhead.

Uber is testing a light bar that makes its cars easy to find. (Image: Uber)

Uber is testing a light bar that makes its cars easy to find. (Image: Uber)

In other news, the Washington Post reports that Uber has started testing a new feature in the Seattle market: a colored light in the windshield that will help passengers find the Uber car that has come to pick them up. An enhanced app lets the passenger select a color while he’s waiting for pick-up and the approaching driver activates the light in the windshield to glow in that same color, making it easy to spot in areas with lots of traffic.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: 5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

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How to save money using Google Maps overseas

No more expensive cell phone data connections required with Google Maps (Image: Google)

No more expensive cell phone data connections required with Google Maps (Image: Google)

When you’re on the road in a rental car, do you rely on a mapping app on your phone to get you where you’re going, and to find the things you need along the way? Those apps are great — until you lose your Internet connection.

Now Google Maps says it has solved that problem with a new upgrade of its app.

Users can now download a particular area or region to their phone, and if they lose connectivity, the app will still let them conduct destination searches, obtain turn-by-turn driving directions and find information about specific places along the way.

New! Get $20 off your first Lyft ride!

How does it work?

According to Google Maps, “You can download an area by searching for a city, county or country, for instance, and tapping “Download” on the resulting place sheet, or by going to “Offline Areas” in the Google Maps menu and tapping on the “+” button. Once downloaded, Google Maps will move into offline mode automatically when it recognizes you’re in a location with spotty service or no connectivity at all.”

Once it finds a connection again, “it will switch back online so you can easily access the full version of Maps, including live traffic conditions for your current route. By default, we’ll only download areas to your device when you are on a Wi-Fi connection to prevent large data fees.”

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Trip Report: Singapore Airlines + 5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  +Best/worst airports for Thanksgiving + Trans-Pac fare war? 

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5 ways to avoid surge pricing from Uber & Lyft

Researchers suggest ways to avoid Uber's surge pricing. (Image: Uber app)

Researchers suggest ways to avoid Uber’s surge pricing. (Image: Uber app)

As a business person you believe in the laws of supply and demand, right? But you might find them a little hard to swallow when they work against you — like when you hail an Uber ride from a location with high demand and limited drivers available. Because that’s when Uber’s irritating surge pricing kicks in.

Now a new study from Northeastern University suggests that savvy customers might be able to outsmart surge pricing and save themselves quite a bit on the fare.

Uber says surge pricing is determined by a proprietary algorithm that the company created; the theory is that jacking up the price in a designated area will attract more drivers there to fill the higher-than-usual demand.

But the study by researchers at Northeastern’s College of Computer and Information Science suggests that there a couple of easy ways to avoid surge pricing.

One is to wait five minutes or so; another is to walk a few blocks in an effort to put yourself into a different Uber “surge area.”

These conclusions are based on research for locations in Manhattan and San Francisco. “For example, 20 percent of the time in Times Square, customers can save 50 percent or more by being in an adjacent surge area,” they wrote. They also found that Uber’s surge pricing algorithm re-evaluates fares every five minutes, so a surge surcharge could quickly disappear.

Downloaded the Lyft app yet? Here’s how to get $20 off your first Lyft ride! 

One difficulty: Uber doesn’t publicly divulge the boundaries of its surge areas, so a customer trying to outflank surge pricing can’t be sure how far or in which direction to walk in order to get into an adjacent area. The researchers noted that Manhattan has 16 surge areas and Boston has nine; they said they are working on a project to define where the surge areas are, and they plan to put that online.

Top tips for avoiding the surge?

1- Wait if you can. That’s because surges can be short-lived.

2- Move. Try moving your location pin around to see if you can find a nearby area outside the surge zone. Or walk across the street or to the next block.

3- Try SurgeProtector, a free app, helps find locations near you with lower or no surge pricing.

4- Share. You can also consider using UberPOOL or Lyft Line that offer flat rates, but you might have to share the seat with another rider.

5- Grab a cab. Or use a taxi app like FlyWheel for a taxicab.

How do YOU get around surge pricing? Please leave your tips below. 

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Uber/Lyft: Airport pick-ups start in Chicago; new airport fee in D.C.

Ride-sharing airport pick-ups in Chicago will be allowed starting later this month. (Image: Jim Glab)

Ride-sharing airport pick-ups in Chicago will be allowed starting later this month. (Image: Jim Glab)

Ride-sharing operators like Uber and Lyft will soon be able to pick up passengers at Chicago’s two airports, but they’re facing a new fee for Washington D.C. airport rides.

In Chicago, the city’s Department of Aviation has released new rules for ride-sharing app pickups at O’Hare and Midway airports and at the McCormick Place convention center. Passenger pick-ups at those places will be allowed starting November 18.

At both airports, passengers who summon an Uber or Lyft driver will have to meet them on the upper level roadway — not the lower level where taxis and other transportation services can be found. The drivers can’t get out of their cars to look for their customers, but they will be allowed to have signs identifying themselves.

Pick-ups are allowed only in designated areas — at O’Hare’s domestic terminals, on the upper level between Terminals 1 and 2 and between Terminals 2 and 3; and at the international terminal (Terminal 5), at the west end of the lower level. Pick-ups at Midway will be adjacent to Door 1 on the upper level.

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In Washington D.C., meanwhile, a new $4 fee has been imposed on Uber and Lyft rides to and from Reagan National and Dulles airports. An Uber official told The Washingtonian that the company’s drivers will pass the fee along to customers.

The fee brings the companies into compliance with airport rules and Virginia law, and it means ride-sharing drivers will be able to wait in staging areas at the airports instead of off-site. Uber complained that the fee for taxi pick-ups at the airports is only $3, and said the new Washington surcharge is among the highest in the country for its drivers.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Roundup: This week’s offers and promotions

Frontier is offering double miles through December. (Image: Jim Glab)

Frontier is offering double miles through December. (Image: Jim Glab)

Several companies have come out with some new enticing promotions for travelers. Here’s a brief recap of this week’s specials.

Members of InterContinental Hotels Group’s IHG Rewards Club who register online can take part in the company’s new Priceless Surprises promotion (www.ihg.com/surprises). If they use a MasterCard to book and check into any IHG property worldwide from November 15 to February 15, they’ll get 1,000 bonus program points for their first stay. For the second and each subsequent stay, they’ll get a “Priceless Surprise.” These can range from a prepaid gift card to a free night to free trips to a million IHG Rewards Club points.

Frontier Airlines is trying to incentivize passengers during November and December by offering them double frequent flyer miles on all new bookings made for travel completed by December 31. The offer can help EarlyReturns program members top off their accounts and maybe get to elite status (20,000 miles or 25 segments) before the year runs out.

Through the end of December, American Express is seeking to lure Platinum and Centurion cardmembers to its New York LaGuardia Centurion Lounge with an offer of free Uber rides. Cardmembers who show their credentials at the lounge will get a promotion code good for two rides via Uber cars from LaGuardia to any location in New York’s five boroughs — including taxes, tolls, fees and surge pricing. Not flying to LGA? Get $20 off your first Uber ride here

It’s a good time to book a Hawaii trip now that Virgin America has entered the market from San Francisco. Not only has Virgin’s expansion kicked off a fare war that is bringing incredible bargains to the mainland-Hawaii market, but Virgin and United have both trimmed the mileage cost of reward travel to the islands by 20 percent.

Meanwhile, Virgin America also has a new tie-in with Airbnb. Members of the airline’s Elevate program can earn 1,500 points for their first stay at an Airbnb property, and one point per dollar for subsequent stays.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Can tech rescue taxis from ride-sharing?

New apps will help taxi drivers compete against ride-sharing. (Image: Jim Glab)

New apps will help taxi drivers compete against ride-sharing. (Image: Jim Glab)

As ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft continue their relentless growth and gain access to passenger pick-ups at more airports, some new technologies are in the works that could help licensed taxis compete more effectively.

Flywheel, which provides an app that consumers can use to request taxi pick-ups in six western cities, is starting to test a new smartphone-based taxi meter that will let taxi drivers consolidate much of the equipment and systems they now use.

The GPS-based TaxiOS for Android phones will replace dispatch systems, navigation, payment systems and meters in a single app. Customers would be able to make cashless payments and track their rides with the app, just as they do with Uber and Lyft. It will also work with telephone dispatch systems, and passengers could still raise their hand to hail a cab in the street.

TaxiOS is being tested in some taxis in San Francisco and will be expanded after regulatory clearance.

Meanwhile, a 2016 launch in New York, London and Singapore is planned for the new Karhoo app, which has raised $250 million thus far in venture capital funding. New York-based Karhoo will work with existing taxi and black car fleets, letting the customer see and compare his ride options at a glance, and summon a nearby driver for a pickup.

Company officials say that when Karhoo launches in New York City, it will be working with fleets that include 28,000 yellow cabs and black cars currently operating there, thus avoiding the kinds of regulatory hoops that Uber and Lyft are having to jump through to enter a market.

And there’s Arro, an app available for Android and Apple phones that’s currently in use in New York and coming soon to Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Like Flywheel, Arro can be used to hail licensed taxis and to pay for the ride — even if the customer didn’t use the app to request the vehicle. It also promises regular taxi fares with no Uber-like surge pricing.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Taxi meter accuracy questioned

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

Investigators found taxi meters inaccurate 47% of the time (Image: Jim Glab)

An investigation by Good Morning America found that taxi meters in New Jersey are inaccurate 47% of the time.

In a segment that aired this week, GMA followed New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs employees who do spot checks on taxis in the Newark area. Cabs are inspected by police and then required to drive on a track that is measured exactly one mile.

When GMA was taping, one cab checked out just fine. But the two that followed were overcharging passengers– one overbilled by about $3 for a ten-mile ride. Another overbilled by almost $9 for a ten-mile ride. Drivers told GMA that they had not tampered with the meters, but would have them fixed immediately.

Regulators said that cabs with inaccurate meters are slapped with red stickers, and the cab is taken out of service.

GMA reports that during the a full week of testing New Jersey regulators uncovered a failure rate of 47%.

When GMA contacted the New Jersey Cab Association, they downplayed the failure rate by saying that most cabs operate from the airport where flat rates are in effect.

“That little box next to the driver is supposed to be an impartial arbiter of time, distance and cost — making sure that neither you nor the driver gets ripped off.” How Stuff Works

The report ended with the reporter stating that new technology would likely soon replace the old meters. GMA also recommended that cab riders always ask the driver for an estimation of the fare, get a receipt and if you think you’ve been hosed, to call the local regulator.

Although not mentioned in the GMA report, it’s likely that “new technology” in cabs will be in the form of what we see in ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft that use GPS tracking to determine exact fares.

Here’s how to get $20 off you first Uber ride! 

Here’s the Good Morning America segment:

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Uber, Lyft advance in Chicago, Las Vegas, Arizona

Flights to Las Vegas frequently get lucky numbers (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Ride-sharing pick-ups are now legal at Las Vegas McCarran Airport. (Image: Jim Glab)

A compromise plan worked out in Chicago’s city council appears to have removed a major stumbling block for UberX and Lyft pick-ups at the city’s airports, and ride-sharing pick-ups have started at Las Vegas McCarran.

It was only last month that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel switched from being an opponent to an advocate of ride-sharing pick-ups at the city’s airports, and now a compromise worked out in the city council should mean Uber and Lyft could start collecting passengers at O’Hare and Midway soon.

At issue was the amount of regulation that ride-sharing rivers should have to face. Chicago aldermen who were allies of the city’s taxi industry wanted to require Uber and Lyft drivers to obtain chauffeur’s licenses, just as cabbies do. But that demand was dropped in exchange for increasing the per-ride fee from 50 to 52 cents, in part so the city could reduce the cost of chauffeur’s licenses and background checks for taxi drivers.

To advance its cause, Uber even produced an online video ad campaign, uploading a YouTube video that features interviews with travelers waiting in long taxi lines at O’Hare.

In the next step, the city’s Aviation Commissioner will have to issue rules about required signage for ride-sharing vehicles to display. The expansion of ride-sharing authority will also apply to passenger pick-ups at McCormick Place and Navy Pier, which are currently restricted to licensed taxis.

In Nevada, meanwhile, Lyft said it has become the first ride-sharing company to start picking up passengers at Las Vegas McCarran Airport, although Uber is expected to join the fray soon.

Last month, Nevada started to allow ride-sharing services to operate in the state, but there was some uncertainty as to whether or not Clark County — home of Las Vegas — had the authority to impose additional requirements on the operators, and the start of ride-sharing in Las Vegas did not initially include pick-ups at the city’s airport.

But last week, Clark County allowed Uber, Lyft and other services to apply for licenses that would let them serve all of the city, including the airport — and Lyft was first out of the gate.

And in Arizona, Uber has recorded more than 20,000 signatures on a new online petition that calls on Phoenix city and airport officials to allow UberX pick-ups at Sky Harbor Airport. Again, the issue is the amount of regulation that drivers should be subject to. Uber sent a link to its petition to Arizona residents who have downloaded its app.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Uber gaining fast on taxis

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

Are licensed taxi drivers justified in their fears that ride-sharing apps like Uber are going to take away a significant portion of their business? In New York City — the nation’s largest market for hired rides — the answer appears to be yes.

The statistical website Fivethirtyeight.com got data from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission for the second quarter of 2015 and compared it with numbers from the same quarter a year earlier to see how the market was changing.

It found that in the borough of Manhattan’s “core” area — i.e., the southern half of the island, where the vast bulk of the business is — the number of passengers picked up by Uber drivers during the quarter increased by 3.82 million year-over-year. And the number of taxi pick-ups? It declined by almost the same amount — 3.83 million.

“Throughout Manhattan, riders have shifted from taxis to Ubers millions of times, perhaps attracted to features Uber promotes as advantages: newer cars, no need to hail, driver ratings and no tipping,” Fivethirtyeight.com said.

Taxis are still carrying more than four times as many riders as Uber drivers in New York City overall, but the trend lines are clearly going up for Uber and down for taxis.

Meanwhile, although business is good for Uber, some of its drivers are less than thrilled with the current business model. An Uber drivers’ group called Uber Freedom has called for a three-day strike in major U.S. cities over this weekend, urging drivers to shut down their apps and stay off the job.

The group wants Uber to add a tipping option to the app, to increase rates for UberX rides by 60 percent, and increase the minimum fare and the cancellation fee to $7.

Get $20 off your first Uber ride! 

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This new car rental idea will disrupt

Skurt is trying a new app-based model fro car rentals. (Image: Skurt)

Skurt is trying a new app-based model for car rentals. (Image: Skurt)

It’s not new for rental car companies to offer a car delivery or customer pick-up service, but it may involve a trip back to their office to handle the paperwork. Now a new entrant in the business is offering a no-paperwork, app-based service that lets renters go directly from the airport terminal into the driver’s seat with no intermediate stops.

It’s called Skurt (www.skurtapp.com), and the only airport where it’s currently available is Los Angeles International. The company recently secured $1.3 million in venture capital financing, and it is targeting San Francisco International as its next location.

Here’s how it works:  When a customer who has booked a car with the app arrives at his destination airport, a company rep will be waiting in the arrivals area holding up a sign with the renter’s name on it, and will take the customer right to the car nearby and hand him the keys. To return the car, the customer drives to Skurt’s LAX location near the airport entrance to pick up a rep who will ride back to the terminal with them and take the car from there.

The company said customers can use their phone to scan the barcode on the back of their driver’s license, verifying their eligibility to rent; the license information is stored, making it easier to book additional rentals in the future.  The minimum age requirement is 21, and Skurt promises roadside assistance if necessary. The Skurt app is currently available only for iPhones.

Skurt doesn’t own its own fleet. Instead, “We currently partner with independent rental car companies to help maximize overall fleet utilization. Our partners consider it another distribution platform for them which allows them to earn on units sitting without potentially affecting their brand,” said Skurt co-founder John Mangel on the website Producthunt.com, which highlights new and innovative companies.

Would you use an app like this to avoid that pain point of a business trip between your airplane seat and your car seat? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New hotel openings + Cathay Pacific’s new lounge + Joining PreCheck gets easier + Air India’s San Francisco plans + New perks from United, Virgin America

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Uber outrage in Chicago

Chicago could soon allow ride-sharing pick-ups at airports. (Image: Jim Glab)

Chicago could soon allow ride-sharing pick-ups at airports. (Image: Jim Glab)

Just a few months ago, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was adamant about not allowing ride-sharing apps using “citizen drivers” like UberX and Lyft to be used for passenger pick-ups at O’Hare and Midway airports as well as the city’s huge McCormick Place convention center. (UberBLACK pickups/drops are currently allowed at Chicago airports.) But now he has changed his mind.

The new 2016 budget proposal issued by Emanuel this week would reverse the city’s existing policy, allowing ride-sharing pick-ups at those restricted venues. What changed his mind? Chicago is facing a budget gap of hundreds of millions of dollars, and this is one way to erase some of the red ink.   

The plan still must be approved by the Chicago City Council, so there is no immediate estimate of when the newly proposed policy might take effect.

But the news did elicit outrage from the city’s licensed cab drivers, who staged massive protests by refusing to pick up waiting passengers at the O’Hare and Midway airport terminals for a period of two hours on Wednesday.

The cabbies’ outrage was not soothed by the fact that the budget plan would allow for a 15 percent increase in taxi fares. Drivers said that wouldn’t be enough to make up for the business they would lose to the unlicensed Uber and Lyft drivers.

According to the new budget proposal, ride-sharing drivers would have to pay the city a fee of $5 each time they pick up or drop off a passenger at the airports or the convention center — more than double the fee charged to taxi drivers. In addition, there would also be a new 50 cent surcharge on all taxi and ride-sharing trips.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: TSA PreCheck: No more free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Pope’s visit could be hell for travelers in NYC, DC, Philly

The visit of Pope Francis is expected to disrupt travel to the northeast next week. (Image: Catholic Church of England and Wales/Flickr)

The visit of Pope Francis is expected to disrupt travel to the northeast next week. (Image: Catholic Church of England and Wales/Flickr)

If your travel schedule will take you to the northeast next week — specifically to New York, Philadelphia and/or Washington D.C. — you might want to reschedule. If you can’t, you should study the itinerary for Pope Francis’ official visit to the U.S. and try to work your schedule around his.

Why? Because millions of the faithful are going to be thronging those three cities to get a glimpse of His Holiness, and massive security precautions will be in place — and the result will be overcrowded public transportation, massive street closures, monumental traffic backups and general chaos and disruption for visitors who need to get to a meeting.

Pope Francis (Photo courtesy Bill Wilson Photos)

Pope Francis (Photo courtesy Bill Wilson Photos)

The specifics: Pope Francis is due to arrive in the U.S. Tuesday afternoon at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. He’ll be in the nation’s capital on Wednesday and Thursday, September 23 and 24; on Thursday afternoon he flies into New York JFK, and he’ll remain in the city through Friday, September 25; he’ll fly out of JFK to Philadelphia Saturday morning, and he’ll be in Philadelphia Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27.

For starters, check out the official schedule for the Pope’s visit to see exactly where he will be in each city at which hours of the day.

Although Washington D.C. is no stranger to welcoming foreign dignitaries, the schedule of street closings and parking restrictions in the heart of the city is quite exhaustive for the papal visit. You can find all the details, hour by hour, at this website. In many cases, the closings will start hours before the Pope actually gets into the area.

In New York City on September 24 and 25, the traffic disruptions in midtown Manhattan will be truly epic, especially for the crosstown traffic that is usually backed up under normal circumstances. Again, the closures will begin well before the Pope arrives at specific locations. Read the details of all the street closures here.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is warning travelers to New York City to use mass transit during the papal visit. The agency is planning to lay on extra trains and buses into the city to handle the crowds, and it cautions that all the street closings “may result in traffic congestion and pedestrian diversions in various parts of the city.”

Amtrak is advising travelers that if they plan on traveling by rail to Philadelphia on September 26 or 27, they will need a reservation for all trains, noting that the Pope is expected to attract more than a million people to the City of Brotherly Love. The rail service will also be scheduling a number of extra trains to handle the crowds.

Even if you hope to do nothing more than drive through Philadelphia on a major interstate highway that weekend, you could be forced to reroute yourself. Major highway closings will include I-76, I-676 and US Route 1. Philadelphia has designated certain “traffic boxes” in Center City starting Friday evening. What does a traffic box mean? It means cars will be allowed to leave the area but not to enter it, and there will be no bus or trolley service within it. You can see all the Philadelphia details here.  The city’s SEPTA regional rail and transit system will continue to operate that weekend, but trains will skip lots of stations when the Pope is in town.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Surviving San Francisco + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Uber, Lyft in Vegas, D.C.: It’s complicated!

Uber says its drivers are ow cruising The Strip in Las Vegas. (Image: Jim Glab)

Uber says its drivers are now cruising The Strip in Las Vegas. (Image: Jim Glab)

After being blocked from Nevada operations last fall by a court injunction, Uber said in an email blast this week that it has finally started picking up UberX riders in Nevada following state approval. An Uber spokesperson told TravelSkills that Uber airport pickups are currently not allowed at McCarran or Reno-Tahoe airports, but airport drop offs are. 

Meanwhile, a decision on ride-sharing operations in the nation’s capital is expected this week as well.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, the Nevada Transportation Authority on Monday approved ride-sharing in the state by both Uber and Lyft, and Uber said the following day that it had started operations in Las Vegas. That announcement came on the same day that the Clark County Board of Commissioners introduced a new ordinance to impose a  special business license requirement on ride-sharing operators; the commissioners scheduled an October 20 hearing on the proposal.

So is Uber operating legally? According to lawyers for the state, Nevada law bars local and county governments from imposing special license requirements on ride-sharing firms — an opinion Clark County clearly disagrees with. In any case, Uber apparently isn’t waiting for further bureaucratic clarification and its drivers hit The Strip today.

Meanwhile, a vote is expected Wednesday at the Metropolitan Washington (D.C.) Airports Authority on a proposal to allow ride-sharing operators to legally access Reagan National and Dulles airports. The companies would pay a one-time fee of $5,000 to access the airports, and drivers would be assessed $4 for each passenger pick-up and drop-off.

In other developments, Uber has added an enhancement to its Uber for Business platform — which companies use to track and pay for employees’ rides — by making it possible for users to switch seamlessly on the app from their business profile to their personal profile without having to log off and log back in again.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Surviving San Francisco + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Easiest ways to save on calls from other countries

My mom & dad during their recent trip to San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Me and my parents on their recent jaunt to San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

At the tender young age of 84, my dad is still going strong, frequently hitting the skies to burn off the Delta SkyMiles he’s earned over a lifetime of frequent travel.
This week he and my mom are off to Canada, and they turned to me with a question I get on a regular basis from readers who don’t want to get “ripped off” by phone companies overcharging for voice and data when overseas. Those overcharges are painful anywhere, but especially irritating when traveling in Canada– and less than 100 miles from the U.S. border.

Dad has an iPhone 5 and uses AT&T as his provider. He’ll use the phone to stay in touch with his family in the U.S. and to make or receive occasional voice calls for his consulting work.

 

Since this is a quick five-day trip, I know my dad would not want to go to the trouble of swapping out a SIM card for his iPhone. Or switching to T-Mobile which recently made calling from Canada and Mexico a lot cheaper. He also won’t use the phone enough to opt for one of AT&T’s international calling packages (starting at $30).

So here’s the advice I gave him.

When you get to Canada, turn off your data roaming (settings>cellular>roaming>turn off data roaming) and leave voice roaming on. Be sure that all the apps running in the background on your phone are turned off (remember how I showed you to do that? Double click the round button and swipe away all programs to turn them off). That way you can make and receive calls and texts but you won’t overpay for data, which is where AT&T will get you.

Cellular voice calls on your iPhone will likely cost about $1 per minute (rip off) so try and restrict your calls to times that you have an internet connection. Use your iphone Facetime app to make video or audio calls– since those are FREE, which I know you like 🙂

Related: 3 ways to make low- or no-cost calls abroad

However, remember that those Facetime calls are limited to only your contacts who use iPhones or iPads– and when you have access to wi-fi. (All your kids have iPhones)

Text costs can vary from 50 cents to $1.50 each… AT&T charges vary. (Be careful about sending texts including large photos!)

If you want to make regular calls to non-iPhone users, (for example, work related stuff) you should download at app called Viber. (Go to the app store on your phone and search for Viber.) You sign up and provide your credit card, but calls are only a few cents a minute (vs the $1 or so you’ll pay AT&T), so prepay $10 which should provide you with plenty of prepaid minutes.

Viber's easy to use dialer looks & works like cell phone (Image: Viber)

Viber’s easy to use dialer looks & works like cell phone (Image: Viber)

With Viber, you make calls just like you would from your phone (an easy to understand app) but remember that it ONLY works when you are connected to Wi-fi. Luckily, finding free, fast wi-fi is increasingly easy in Canada.

So, to sum it up: turn off data roaming, use your phone for cellular calls and texts only in urgent situations, and try to use Facetime and/or Viber when you are in a wi-fi hotspot.

I sent that advice off to Dad, who is also an avid fan of Uber and Lyft, which he plans to use to get around Montreal and Ottawa with my mom. He asked, “What about using Uber… do I need data for that?”

My answer: Yes, you will need to use data for Uber when you are not in a wi-fi hot spot, but it won’t break the bank. So, when summoning Uber from a restaurant,  be sure that all other apps are off, then turn on data roaming and launch Uber, request your pick up, and leave it on until your car arrives, then turn data roaming off. NOTE: Be SURE to turn data roaming off when you are finished!

How do you save money on calls in other countries? Provide your tips or advice and I’ll be sure my dad sees them! 

 

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New York City’s unusual new subway line

The entrance to Manhattan's new 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station. (Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

The entrance to Manhattan’s new 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station. (Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

It’s almost two years behind schedule, but New York City is about to cut the ribbon on a subway project that should prove to be a major benefit for business travelers attending conventions in the Big Apple– or visitors headed to the city’s burgeoning Far West Side including the High Line and Hudson Yards development.

It’s a mile-long extension of the Number 7 subway line that will allow conventioneers to zip underground to Manhattan’s huge Javits Center, sparing them an aggravating taxi (or Uber) ride in the city’s notorious crosstown traffic.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has set a September 13 start of service on the extension. The new 7 line runs east to west across midtown Manhattan along 42nd Street, with stops at Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue and Times Square. The new extension will continue west from Times Square to 11th Avenue, then turn south to 34th Street and the Javits Center, where a new station — 80 feet underground — has been built.

Related: Rail link and hotel at Denver International Airport

The new station is called 34th Street-Hudson Yards. Besides the convention center, it will also serve the eventual residents of the huge Hudson Yards residential project that is going up nearby. The Number 7 extension is the first new subway line to open in New York since 1989.

So what’s so unusual about this new line? If you’ve ever sweltered in a New York underground subway station during the odiferous dog days of summer, here’s a real bonus: The new 34th Street–Hudson Yards station is the first one in the entire system to be climate-controlled. Ahhhh.

Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

.. Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers 

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UberX, Lyft at LAX finally gets green light

Uber and Lyft will soon start picking up passengers at Los Angeles International. (Image: NTSB)

Uber and Lyft will soon start picking up passengers at Los Angeles International. (Image: NTSB)

Los Angeles International Airport will become the largest in the country to allow passenger pick-ups by ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft following a final vote of approval this week by the Los Angeles City Council. Uber still has to apply for a permit under new rules and while no firm start date has been set,  service could commence “in coming weeks.” 

Earlier, the ride-sharing services were expected to start full operation at LAX in August, but that was pushed back after the city council got involved.

SNEAK PEEK! New Delta Sky Club at SFO (PHOTOS)

Once LAX officials finalize operating contracts with the companies, the pick-ups could begin within a matter of weeks. A ride from LAX to downtown that costs $50 in a licensed taxi is expected to run about $30 in an UberX or Lyft car — or more in periods of peak demand, according to the Los Angeles Times.

There was some uneasiness among city council members about the qualifications — or lack of qualifications — required of ride-share drivers, so the council will ask the state’s Public Utilities Commission to demand fingerprinting and background checks of all for-hire drivers.

Uber and Lyft would be also required to pay the airport a $4 fee for each pick-up and drop-off at LAX; drivers will have to do both on the airport’s upper departure level, and will have to wait in a specified holding area until they are summoned by a customer.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Upgraded Hilton HHonors app + New perks for Starwood/AmEx cardholders + Alaska/AA airport lounge benefits + New international routes


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In Case You Missed It: Singapore super sale + AmEx/Apple Pay + Swiss’ ‘throne seats’ + Lame upgrade excuses

Singapore Airlines' super sale fares can be booked into September. (Image: Singapore)

Singapore Airlines’ super sale fares can be booked into September. (Image: Singapore)

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills last week:

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Upgraded Hilton HHonors app + New perks for Starwood/AmEx cardholders + Alaska/AA airport lounge benefits + New international routes

Quick note: TravelSkills will be in vacation mode during August, with only periodic posts. We’ll be back at full steam in September so stay tuned! And enjoy your summer. –Chris


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In Case You Missed It: New plane + Ritz Chicago + Airline change fees + No trophies

The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago is finally a full-fledged member of Ritz-Carlton Hotels. (Image: Ritz-Carlton, Chicago)

The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago is finally a full-fledged member of Ritz-Carlton Hotels. (Image: Ritz-Carlton, Chicago)

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

>Airbus files a patent for a plane that could fly twice as fast as Concorde.

>The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago has finally become part of Ritz-Carlton’s reservations system and loyalty program.

>A new survey finds that business travelers tend to be big online shoppers.

>Delta, United and American all say they will no longer transport big game hunters’ trophies.

>Lufthansa expands restaurant-style meal service in business class to more long-haul routes.

>Here’s a handy chart of ticket change fees on major airlines.

>And here’s another on maximum carry-on bag sizes.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines  + Fingerprint as boarding pass? + Hotel rate shocker  + More!

Quick note: TravelSkills will be in vacation mode during August, with only periodic posts. We’ll be back at full steam in September so stay tuned! And enjoy your summer. –Chris


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Gas prices plummet to record lows = good news for travelers

Pump prices should keep dropping for drivers- especially in those green states (Image: Jim Glab)

Pump prices should keep dropping for drivers- especially in those green states (Image: Gas Buddy)

While business travelers may focus their complaints on air travel, the fact is that more of them get to their destinations by car than by plane — and there’s good news for drivers this week from GasBuddy, the website that tracks prices at the pump.

GasBuddy’s analysts are predicting that the national average price per gallon will drop below $2 by year’s end.

Monthly National Average Price per Gallon and Projections

Source: GasBuddy

“Last year the national average shed more than $1.27 from August 1 through December 31, when the U.S. average was $2.24,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. “This year, if we see just half of that decline it will bring us to below $2 per gallon.”

Where is gas the cheapest? Look at the map above and you’ll see that it’s cheapest in the midwest and southern states, and most expensive in the west.

According to GasBuddy, supply vs. demand trends going into the last part of the year will be putting downward pressure on crude oil prices — something they expect to continue well into next year.

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“Demand for gasoline slips in autumn and winter. At the same time, refining margins are strong and with the switch to cheaper winter grade gasoline in the coming month, ample supply of discounted gasoline will be available to motorists. It’s the perfect recipe for savings at the pump till the end of the year,” said Will Speer, another petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.

You can find state-by-state pricing information and graphics at GasBuddy’s website. 

How much are you paying per gallon this summer? Leave your price and comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines  + Fingerprint as boarding pass? + Hotel rate shocker  + More!


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Silvercar CEO talks with TravelSkills

(Photo: Silvercar)

(Photo: Silvercar)

Imagine stepping off the plane, making your way to the rental car lot, using your smart phone to unlock your car, then driving off the lot.

No garish car rental counters, no queues of frustrated travelers waiting for cars or lines to exit the lot, no attempts to up-sell you with insurance or gas options.

You just get in your car and go.

That’s the pitch from two-year-old Silvercar, which is now operating in 10 locations across the country and growing fast.

Screen Shot 2015-07-30 at 5.37.21 PMI have not had a chance to try Silvercar yet, but plan to as soon as I need a rental car in one of the cities where it operates. Have you?

As TravelSkills readers know,  I’m a fan of smartphone based travel solutions like Uber and HotelTonight— and the Silvercar app falls into this category. You can’t rent a Silvercar if you don’t have the app on your phone.

Last month Silvercar CEO  Luke Schneider was in San Francisco on a breezy Tuesday afternoon and we sat down for a chat about his company. (Schneider is a serial entrepreneur and was CTO at Zipcar before it was bought by Avis.)

Here’s what I learned.

1) Silvercar is the largest Audi customer in the US… it adds about 200 new cars to its fleet every quarter and only rents one type of car: a silver four-door Audi A4 sedan. (Another reason I’m interested… I drive an Audi at home.)

2) The company has a higher Net Promoter Score than Apple. You know how companies always ask how likely you are to recommend them to friends or family? A significant 90% of Silvercar customers say they would do so. Based on what I’ve found online, only around 60-80% of Apple customers say that. And in the car rental industry, the average Net Promoter score is a dismal 18%. Check out the company Facebook page where customers eagerly post photos of their Silvercars in exotic or unusual locations like the one below.

Silvercar fanboy Than Maung won 4 free days with this sweet shot (Facebook)

Silvercar fanboy Than Maung won 4 free days with this sweet shot (Facebook)

3) Silvercar is not expensive. Schneider says that on average, a Silvercar rental runs about 10% less than a Chevy Impala from one of the major rental car companies. Rates range from $59 to $89 per day (plus taxes and fees that vary from airport to airport).

4) All its Audis come with three essential add-ons included in the price: GPS, wi-fi (seriously), and XM radio. Remember, there are no extras in the flat rate. And get this: There are no messy fuel options. When you are done with the car, you park it and leave it. Silvercar takes care of filling it up, and bills you at the local market rate plus a flat $5 fill up fee. (Or you can fill it up on your own to skip the $5 fee.)

5) Most of Silvercar’s customers don’t travel enough to rank among the ultra-elite, super-duper frequent travelers. They are not wedded to frequent flyer programs and partners– Schneider says his customers trend younger, like the experience of flying airlines like Virgin America or JetBlue, stay at Kimpton hotels and shop at Whole Foods. (Well hello, hipster!)

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6) Silvercar eschews the new centralized car rental centers popping up at airports all over. Why? Because they require that the rental companies maintain a counter. Silvercar saves money by NOT having a counter and not paying employees to staff it. Remember– with this app, you just walk to your car, scan a bar code with your phone, and you are good to go. The transaction is completely paperless. (And there’s a concierge on the lot to assist with any kinks in the system)

Silvercar is currently available at five out of the six biggest airport car rental markets in the U.S. – Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Phoenix (PHX), and San Francisco (SFO), as well as Chicago (ORD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Dallas (DAL and DFW) and Austin (AUS) with plans to roll out in five additional markets this year. I was hoping Atlanta would be included in that list, but according to Schneider, it could be a while before the world’s busiest airport gets Silvercar.

Have you tried it yet? How was it? Would you? Please leave your comments below.

To get $25 off your first Silvercar rental, just go to the sign-up page. Be sure to type the referral code TravelSkills into the field at the bottom of the page, and we get $25, too! THANKS!

–Chris McGinnis

 


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Surprisingly, Uber, Lyft still forbidden

Companies are still unsure about the safety aspects of ride-sharing service. (Image: Uber)

Many companies are still unsure about the safety aspects of ride-sharing services. (Image: Uber)

Although a recent analysis of business travelers’ expense reports showed that ride-sharing services — especially Uber — had overtaken taxis (but not rental cars) as the ground transportation option of choice, new research from the Global Business Travel Association comes to a different conclusion.

Rather than polling business travelers, the GBTA study surveyed corporate travel managers, and it found that rental cars are the preferred choice for traveling employees’ ground transport, cited by 36 percent, followed by taxis (24 percent), chauffeur-driven cars (13 percent) and then ride-sharing services (11 percent).

According to the survey, 24 percent of the travel managers said their companies do not allow employees to use ride-sharing services at all — “by far the highest percentage for any form of ground transportation,” said Michael McCormick, GBTA’s executive director. “In addition, a large number of companies still have not adopted policies around ride-sharing companies, revealing a need for education about the benefits and the risks.”

The risks of ride-sharing are what really concern companies, since “duty of care” is so important to them. That’s the legal principle that says companies can be held liable for things that happen to their employees while they’re traveling for the company.

Get $20 off your first Uber ride!

The survey also asked travel managers what was most important to them and their travelers in selecting a method of transportation. “Topping the list was traveler and vehicle safety, availability for a timely pick-up, and convenience of payments methods, with three-quarters of business travelers and eight in ten travel buyers calling these factors highly important,” GBTA said.

The travel managers said that about two-thirds of their travelers are not familiar with the safety-related aspects of ride-sharing services, like driver certification and training, and local regulations affecting the app-based companies.

“Travel buyers (i.e., company travel managers) are more familiar with most of the duty of care aspects than business travelers, but less than a quarter are very familiar with all of them, showing education is necessary to inform them of the differences between ground transportation methods,” GBTA said.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines  + Fingerprint as boarding pass? + Hotel rate shocker  + More!

 


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UberX, Lyft cleared for pick-ups at LAX

Uber and Lyft pick-ups at LAX could start soon. (Image: Thomas Hawk/Flickr)

Uber and Lyft pick-ups at LAX could start soon. (Image: Thomas Hawk/Flickr)

Ride-sharing services won a big victory this week when Los Angeles officials agreed to let the UberX and Lyft pick up passengers at Los Angeles International, the largest airport yet to grant such rights. (Until now, only pricey UberBLACK cars were allowed to pick up at LAX.)

But that victory came just a day after a potentially big legal setback for Uber that could see its operating rights suspended in California.

LAX airport commissioners gave a go-ahead to the ride-sharing apps in spite of the usual solid opposition from local taxi, shuttle and limo operators. According to the Los Angeles Times, an UberX ride from LAX to downtown would cost about $30 during times of low demand — although that could rise due to Uber’s dynamic pricing model — vs. about $50 for a traditional taxi.

Before the pickups can start in August, the ride-sharing companies have to connect their apps to a digital service that alerts the airport to Uber and Lyft vehicle arrivals at the airport, because the agreement requires them to pay a $4 fee for each pick-up and drop-off.

A day before the airport’s approval was announced, a judge at California’s Public Utilities Commission recommended that Uber should pay a $7.3 million fine and have its operations suspended in the state.

The commission’s administrative law judge said Uber is in violation of a 2013 law that authorized the ride-sharing companies because it has not submitted data required by the state. The rules require ride-sharing companies to provide lots of information about its business, including zip codes where riders were picked up, fares paid, dates and times of rides and so on.

Uber is expected to appeal the ruling, a process that could take months to sort out. So you’ll still be able to get your ride on… at least for now.

LAX is the third in a string of recent ridesharing victories in California where UberX and Lyft are now able to pick up and drop off at SFO, San Diego as well as LAX.

UPDATE: Sounds like LA officials might be getting cold feet about all this. So be sure to check with your rideshare before you arrive at LAX.

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New rewards plan at Avis

Avis Preferred members can now earn points to redeem for free days or upgrades. (Image: Avis)

Avis Preferred members can now earn points to redeem for free days or upgrades. (Image: Avis)

Avis is trying harder to boost its profile with business travelers: The company announced that members of its Avis Preferred program can now earn points to be redeemed for upgrades and free rental days.

The enhancement to Avis Preferred gives customers an alternative to earning mileage or points in airline or hotel frequent traveler programs when they rent from Avis. There are no blackout dates for redeeming points on Avis car rentals.

The program enhancement provides renters with one point per dollar spent on vehicle rentals and two points per dollar for adding on optional things like satellite radio, GPS and so on.

The improved program also creates a new Avis Preferred Plus status, earned by completing 12 rentals or spending $5,000 with Avis in a calendar year. Preferred Plus members will get free one-class upgrades whenever available, a dedicated reservations line, and special monthly offers by email. They’ll also earn a 25 to 50 percent point bonus on all rental transactions.

Competitors Hertz and Enterprise/National both have similar point rewards programs to be used instead of earning miles/points with partner airlines and hotel companies.

According to a recent study by Certify, Avis is one of the least expensed rental car companies among business travelers, so perhaps it is using this new program to change that?

Which rental car company do you use the most? Why? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: This guy got 1 million United miles  + More changes to Delta SkyMiles+Airline fees: No end in sight + ATMs are out + More!


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Surprising findings in your expense reports (Infographic)

Business travelers spent more on Uber and AirBnB in San Francisco than in any other city. (Image: Jim Glab)

Business travelers spent more on Uber and AirBnB in San Francisco than in any other city. (Image: Jim Glab)

Spending in the so-called “sharing economy” is showing big gains among business travelers, who are increasingly turning to ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft as well as the accommodations-sharing service AirBnB.

That’s according to the latest analysis of business traveler expense reports compiled by the travel and expense management company Certify, covering the second quarter of 2015.

Among its key findings: Business travelers are now spending more on Uber rides than on traditional taxicabs; and spending on accommodations booked through AirBnB, while still relatively small compared to traditional hotels, posted a growth rate of 143 percent just from the first quarter to the second quarter. Uber now accounts for 55 percent of ground transportation spending compared with 43 percent for taxis, the report said, noting that the market share of both taxis and rental cars have declined as ride-sharing services grow.

In sorting data by destination, Certify determined that sharing services are most popular among business travelers to the epicenter of the sharing economy, San Francisco, where Uber accounted for 79 percent of  spending on local rides, and spending on AirBnB was highest in the country at an average of $558 per stay. (Story continues below graphic.)

Sharing Economy Infographic

“It’s clear that the sharing economy is here to stay for business people,” said Certify CEO Robert Neveu. “We believe this market shift is based on both convenience and price, since these newer services are typically more cost-effective compared with traditional vendors. Established travel providers will need to adapt quickly or face further market share erosion to the sharing economy.” 

Although Uber dominates in ground transportation, the report noted that competitor Lyft is actually cheaper, with an average expensed cost of $22.51 per ride vs. $30.03 for Uber and $34.48 for taxis. Just over a year ago, Uber claimed just 22% of local ground transport– now it’s vaulted to 55%.

Meanwhile, business travelers continue to favor Starbucks and fast food over other types of food and beverage outlets when they’re on the road. Below are some statistics from the Q2 Certify spending report.

Most-Expensed Restaurants: Caffeine, burgers and doughnuts are our fuel, right? 
Starbucks: 4.67% of expenses, averaging $10.77 per receipt
McDonald’s: 2.73%, averaging $7.75
Subway: 1.65%, averaging $16.69
Panera Bread: 1.62%, averaging $37.9
Dunkin’ Donuts: 1.32%, averaging $11.57

Most Expensed Airlines: Delta is killing it with business travelers
Delta: 20.07%, averaging $410.64
United: 13.46%, averaging $413.19
American: 11.7%, averaging $364.14
Southwest: 11.15%, averaging $304.84
US Airways: 07.58%, averaging $302.46

Most-Expensed Hotels: Marriott & Hilton brands rule 
Marriott: 8.76% of expenses, averaging $243.07
Hampton Inn: 8.15%, averaging $228.52
Courtyard by Marriott: 6.52%, averaging $173.48
Hilton Garden Inn: 4.10%, averaging $190.13
Holiday Inn Express: 4.04%, averaging $239.08

Most Expensed Car-Rental Services: We are loving our Emerald Aisle, right? 
National: 23.82%, averaging $180.52
Enterprise: 16.27%, averaging $181.78
Hertz: 14.49%, averaging $215.85
Avis: 13.79%, averaging $179.85
Budget: 03.96%, averaging $196.16

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: This guy got 1 million United miles  + More changes to Delta SkyMiles+Airline fees: No end in sight + ATMs are out + More!


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