Last Updated on August 3, 2021 by Greg Bessoni
Rideshare companies are mobile service providers in the transportation sector. These companies match the clients, the passengers, with vehicles through mobile apps and websites (Furuhata 28).
Rideshare companies are for both aircraft and watercraft. In the US, the famous rideshare companies include Uber and Lyft, with Uber being the largest in ridesharing and Lyft the second. These companies are known for providing their services in the areas with few taxicabs, and they charge lower rates compared to other tax service providers. Uber and Lyft are standard means of transport for many travelers.
Both companies are accessible through the mobile app, and they cover major cities across the United States.
There is a high restriction for travelers at the airport. Some airports allow individual rideshare companies to access the airport. Some airports would enable only Uber, while others allow only Lyft. For example, Buffalo Niagara International Airport initially permitted only Lyft, but by 2019, they also allowed Uber to provide the service.
The busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, since 2017 they have been allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to pick-up and drop-off the passengers. Most airports that allow rideshare companies to charge their customers more for them to cover security and other costs associated with allowing those companies in the airport. When one gets to an airport in the US, they can easily access Uber and Lyft through their mobile.
Some airports allow only the drivers that have purchased the permit. Honolulu Hawaii’s International Airport allows only the companies that get a license and permit to pick and drop passengers at the airport. However, Uber and Lyft companies are legal at most airports.
Uber services are available in more than 200 cities while Lyft is available to roughly 60 cities, and hence Uber outshines its competitor.
Trip charges for both Uber and Lyft are almost similar. It is estimated that their costs are 20 percent cheaper than the taxicabs. To stay relevant, Uber and Lyft compete to out price each other (Jiang 863). The estimated chargers per mile are $1.50. To start a ride, they charge about $0.25. Their charges are cost-effective when compared to taxi services.
When the demand for the service is high, these two companies call up for prime time prices. As for the Uber, when the demand is high, they call for surge rate and whatever the cost the passenger would incur outside of rush is multiplied by the surge rate. While for Lyft during the prime time they charge an extra fee through percentages and these charges vary by the location and the demand. However, it is always convenient using these companies since they notify their riders ahead of time.
Both rideshare companies connect the riders with the driver via an app. One can also request a ride using any browser where they require the rider to manually verify their phone number and then pay through the browser.
Since 2008, Shuttlefare.com is helping riders to search for airport ride with private transportation specialist and airport shuttle routes. They ensure that the rider connects with reliable transportation companies like Lyft, among others.
Lyft Transportation Company displays the price for the available car and in the area with extremely accurate estimates. The rate quoted for the ride is accessible through the mobile app and also through the browser.
Works cited
Furuhata, Masabumi, et al. “Ridesharing: The state-of-the-art and future directions.” Transportation Research Part B: Methodological 57 (2013): 28-46.
Jiang, S., Chen, L., Mislove, A., & Wilson, C. (2018, April). On ridesharing competition and accessibility: Evidence from Uber, Lyft, and taxi. In Proceedings of the 2018 World Wide Web Conference (pp. 863-872). International World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee.