It’s coming up on the holiday season, and once again, holiday travel will take a bite out of household budgets, with costs typically rising as demand surges.
Airfare, car rentals, train tickets and other travel expenses often see an uptick at this time. Over Thanksgiving, AAA projected that there will be nearly 80 million travelers, 1.7 million more than last year and 2 million more than before the pandemic. There is one other issue for travelers to think about: getting to the airport or train station.
For ride-share services, this presents a prime opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand, with their pitch being affordable options for getting to and from the airport.
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Effective Wednesday, the ride-hailing giant Uber will offer some of its most economical options.
UberX Share will be available at airports in Austin, Denver, New York, Washington, D.C., Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix and San Francisco. It will simultaneously launch in certain international airports such as Amsterdam and Madrid.
The company said that riders will get an upfront discount when using the pooling option, which was re-launched in 2022 after the company spent months “revamping” it.
Even if someone isn’t matched with a rider, Uber said users can save up to 25% compared to the UberX fare.
Uber Shuttle, which launched in New York City last month, will also be available to travel to and from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Starting Wednesday, there will be three routes to and from LGA Airport, with service every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
Uber’s main competitor, Lyft, told FOX Business that it has seen a record number of scheduled rides, one of its more economical options, in the prior quarter. The company said most of its scheduled rides are to and from the airport.
Lyft explained that when passengers schedule rides, it means they can lock in the price, potentially avoiding any surge pricing closer to their trip.
Rideshare and taxi services can often be among the costlier ways to get to an airport, as they essentially offer private rides, The Points Guy editorial director Nick Ewen told Fox Business. While public transportation is cheaper, the issue is that “many U.S. airports don’t have the easiest to navigate public transportation system,” he said.
However, he noted that the option to schedule rides in advance highlights a broader trend in the industry, as demand continues to surge.
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As travel demand rises, Ewen noted that more providers will likely focus on easing crowding and managing flow, with planners benefiting the most.
“That is really what we’ve seen about other aspects of the industry with a lot of tourist attractions now going to time tickets,” he said.
