Last Updated on July 31, 2019 by Laurice Wardini
What is Jayride?
Jayride is a concierge service that helps you book private transfers from the airport. Whereas airlines usually leave the remainder of your journey up to you, Jayride finishes the job– getting you home to Point B (your hotel or other destination).
All the local transportation options are viewable on one site, making it easier to compare prices and Jayride reviews. They cover a wide range of international locations across the world. You book directly through their trusted site rather than having to deal with unfamiliar drivers and companies.
What Does Jayride Offer?
Jayride offers a range of rides from standard shuttle buses to luxury limos. Jayride’s founder, Rod Bishop, knows that modern travelers prefer to plan ahead and to go “seamlessly door to door” as he shared in an interview. This is especially true when traveling in a foreign country or on a very tight schedule. SuperShuttle is a similar company that you may have heard of, but Jayride has its differences and advantages.
Jayride is the middle man who eliminates language barriers, figures out currency conversions, and protects you from the all too common risk of getting ripped off. Through their site or app, you can make secure payments and manage your travel plans in advance.
It sounds great, but how well does it actually work?
Managing Your Jayride Booking
Here’s what pops up on Jayride’s landing page:
It’s straightforward. The process is outlined in four simple steps: Compare, Book, Keep in Touch and Enjoy the Ride. After you fill out your info and pay, your reservation can be easily managed online based on your Booking ID and email address. They encourage you to manage the booking yourself:
Don’t Call Jayride
While managing your booking online seems very user-friendly, their phone number isn’t easy to find. You won’t see it on their website.
If you do find the Jayride contact number and reach them by phone, according to reviews, calls are handled by a less-than-professional overseas calling service. Jayride clearly prefers that you manage your own booking through the site, or email them.
What About Emails?
The Jayride help page states that emails are checked 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. However, they may not get back to you until 24+ hours later. If you have a sudden change, this presents a bit of a challenge.
Jayride is great for those who plan ahead and for situations where everything goes as planned. However, if you panic or need to talk to someone last minute, you might be out of luck.
What the Jayride Reviews Say
Because they work with thousands of transportation services, some rides inevitably go smoother than others. Reviews are mixed. The majority of customers are delighted by the convenience and comparison pricing.
Happy customers stated that they were able to get a car seat as needed (rarely an option with Uber or other services) and that the drivers were professional and helpful. Others tell a different story. Despite doing everything right on the customer end, the ride didn’t show up or there was no way to get in touch with the driver for last-minute directions.
It’s tough to tell if this is Jayride’s fault, if Jayride is taking the blame for a bad driving company, or if the customer entered wrong info. Without easy access to reach Jayride’s customer service, frustrations are bound to happen.
How Jayride Handles Issues
As with any transportation service, it seems to go more smoothly if you get picked up and dropped off in a location that’s easy to find. When complaints are filed, Jayride promptly takes responsibility and follows up with consumers, offering full refunds for inconveniences or missed rides.
The website explicitly states that as long as you cancel or make changes with 48 hours notice, you are guaranteed 100% refund and no cancellation fees. The same courtesy seems to be given when things don’t go well after the fact.
Pricing
One of the challenges Jayride faces is that individual transportation companies bill differently. Some go by the mile, by the destination, by tolls or traffic. It can be hard to offer comparisons when not given cookie-cutter numbers to work with.
To deal with this issue, Jayride completes a contract with the services they promote and establishes set rates. This takes the burden off the customer who would otherwise be tasked with making comparisons on their own. Many reviews state that Jayride prices are inexpensive.
While a Jayride trip from LAX to Hollywood area might cost anywhere from $40–$80. This seems typical, but you can definitely find some better deals (like this $20 LAX shuttle deal).
Growing Pains
The appeal of Jayride and the key to their ultimate success will be the fact that they are international. They work with over 500 airports and update their services regularly. This surely makes Jayride a mammoth operation to manage and issues do arise.
Ultimately, Jayride is still young. It was officially launched in 2012. Jayride could be a pioneer in coordinating global transportation among thousands of services. That being said, it’s still a work in progress.
Right now, Jayride is easier and more practical than downloading multiple ride-sharing apps on your phone. However, it may not be more reliable than having your hotel or airport book transportation for you (if this is an option). If you want to shop around for the best deal, with access to transportation at your fingertips, it’s worth giving Jayride a try.
Jayride Shuttle Is Getting There
As with any middle man, sometimes Jayride makes the process easier and sometimes they complicate things. There are negative Jayride review stories of people not getting picked up, having to wait, or being charged extra. It’s hard to pinpoint who’s to blame in these situations.
Jayride is very responsive to reviews on TrustPilot.com so if you do have a bad experience or have trouble with your refund, leaving a review will attract immediate attention from the company. On the upside, most Jayride reviews are positive. Travelers describe the process as easy, quick and cheap.
In addition, using Jayride in certain locations might be more useful than in others. For instance, most people in the US would prefer ride services they’re already familiar with like Lyft or Uber. If you’re traveling internationally to Australia, New Zealand or Europe, Jayride shuttle seems promising. Some issues were noted for travelers in India and other parts of the world.
As Jayride continues to build a network of reliable services, the hope is those bad companies will be weeded out over time. Perhaps, after a few more test travelers, Jayride can truly claim the title of a World-Class Company.
Pros + Cons of Jayride
Pros
- Book rides directly through Jayride to avoid unfamiliar drivers and companies
- Available internationally in over 500 airports
- Inexpensive rates
- Guaranteed refund if canceled within 48 hours
- User-friendly website
- Easy to manage your booking
- Car seats are readily available
Cons
- The phone number for customer service is difficult to find
- Customer service is slow and lacking, which is inconvenient when your ride doesn’t go as planned
- A number of negative Jayride reviews and experiences
Shuttlefare.com will feature more sites that help travelers find transportation and analyze each from the good, the bad and all of the above to help our audience make informed decisions on their next airport shuttle, taxi, Yellowcab, Uber / Lyft or Public Transportation. If you need an immediate ride quote and reservation you can also visit the Trusted Leader since 2008 Shuttlefare.com today!
