Peer-to-Peer Travel tips

A key selling point of rideshare services like Uber and Lyft is their transparency. Users know where their ride is, how soon it will arrive to pick them up, and how much the fare will be to their destination.

While its success is based principally on attractive pricing and ease of use, Uber’s business model critically depends on a ready supply of available and motivated workers. While there’s no sign that the supply of potential drivers is drying up, yet, the enthusiasm of Uber drivers seems to be eroding.

Today’s announcement that Southwest has a new marketing relationship with a rideshare company was no surprise. As rideshare services have become an ever-larger part of the travel landscape, such tie-ups have proliferated. It won’t be long before every airline and hotel loyalty program has a rideshare company on its roster of points-earning partners.

Last week, Airbnb removed 2,233 New York based listings from its site in its latest attempt to appease New York City legislators. Airbnb has been in the news recently for fighting legal battles in its hometown of San Francisco, and New York is another major listings city for the company.

In a big win for Uber, the ride-sharing service today announced a new partnership with American, the world’s largest airline. “The companies will work together to provide customers faster service, better airport navigation, rider promotions and mileage promotions.”

Uber’s policy on tipping is simple and clear: “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.”

What’s better than an Uber ride? A cheaper Uber ride, naturally!

Beginning earlier this month, some Uber customers in Pittsburgh have been treated to a preview of what many expect to be the future of ridesharing. Fourteen self-driving Ford Fusions began ferrying riders within a 12-square-mile section of the city’s downtown.

Computing the Social Value of Uber. (It’s High.)

Perhaps because it’s a new and novel business model, drivers for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have come in for considerable scrutiny. Who are these people? Are they safe, responsible, reliable? Am I putting my life at risk when I punch up an Uber ride?

Uber is known, and mostly loved, for its on-demand ridesharing service. Need a lift? Launch the Uber app on your smartphone, and within minutes a car and driver will be idling at the curb, at your service.

The traditional taxi business is far from dead, but the ever-burgeoning popularity of rideshare services like Uber and Lyft is a clear threat to the survival of the yellow cabs that for decades have been a mainstay of big-city transportation. It’s fair to say that the rise of Uber and its ilk have led to the erosion of taxis, and could eventually lead to their outright demise (or, perhaps, their radical transformation).

For the 1 percenters, whose dining-out budgets are boundless, choosing a restaurant often entails a perusal of one of the established price-is-no-object restaurant review guides. You know the ones: the Michelin Guide, Zagat, Gayot, La Liste.

If New York has its way, the popular accommodations-sharing company Airbnb will be toast.

Beginning today at 8:00 a.m., travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport will be able to book Uber rides to their homes or hotels.

When Hilton and Uber connected in September 2015, that connection was notably tentative. Unlike the Starwood-Uber link, which allows Starwood Preferred Guest members to earn points for Uber rides, the Hilton-Uber tie-up was limited to reminding Hilton customers to book an Uber ride during their hotel stay. Hardly a game-changer, for either of the two companies or their customers.

One of my least favorite things about Airbnb is not being able to “Instant Book.” When a listing’s dates are available for booking and I “Request to Book”, I don’t understand why my card is charged and there’s still a chance I might be denied a stay there. If I am denied, I then have to wait up to seven days for the money to be refunded, and have to front the money for a new place to stay. I’ve looked to other platforms numerous times because I can’t instantly book with Airbnb—and the process can be very frustrating.

It’s been a bad week for Hertz. And it could be just the first of many bad weeks to come.

As a college student in 2002, I was lucky to be part of a small group of Americans who gained legal passage to Cuba through a little-known educational byway. I couldn’t have timed my visit better, because shortly thereafter the U.S. government implemented a policy change that eliminated the travel exemption for Cuba.

Airbnb is expanding beyond the rental-sphere. The ubiquitous home-sharing platform announced today that it will now connect travelers and locals for more than just a place to sleep. “Trips” is a new Airbnb feature that allows locals to list their own “Experiences” and “Places” for visitors to try out. They include classes, guided tours, and hidden local spots in the following 12 cities, with more to be added:

The European Union’s Court of Justice this week rejected Uber’s claim that it is merely a digital service provider, connecting travelers with independent drivers. Instead, Uber is properly classified as a transport company, and must be regulated accordingly.