Uber and AirBnB

[FloridaMan]

I just thought I'd mention this gem of an app to those of you who are not using it yet. It's available in a lot of cities already and is a good option when you need to get from point A to point B and you need more time than the crew car allows, cabs are a pain and a rental is overkill. Their rates seem to be better than taxis, the drivers are just about always better than cab drivers, and once a driver elects you to be their pick-up, nobody else can snake them away from you. Also, you know your fare from the app's estimates and can see exactly where your driver is on the map. You're not expected to tip and the entire transaction takes place without you having to touch your wallet or phone once you book your driver. 

 

AirBnB isn't quite as popular yet, but it's certainly a useful app as well when on the road. It's private rental properties. You can often find a cottage or an annex apartment on somebody's house for less than half the cost of a hotel room, with better amenities and somebody helpful who knows the area. 

[larryb]

I haven't tried AirBnB, but I'm a big Uber fan. A fare from the Fullerton, CA airport that would be $25 on a cab is $15 with Uber. The cars are nicer, the drivers are nicer, all around a better experience. Pickup is usually within 5 minutes of requesting the ride. The only downside, and I've had this with both cab and Uber drivers, is lack of local route knowledge. I've had an Uber driver take me to the backside of the Fullerton airport because that is where the gps led him.

[moodychief]

Be cautious as those drivers are not regulated like the taxi drivers are. Did you here about the Uber driver that take a customer on a high speed chase a few months ago in Virginia?

[FloridaMan]

I know that Uber requires background checks and driving records. Most cab drivers just have to front the $75/day to rent the cab. My girlfriend picked up a cab with a foreign driver who then picked up another foreign passenger last halloween in Tampa. The passenger tried to divert the cab to another location with her in it. She said that she convinced the guy that she was staying with friends to get him to stop so "she could get her things." 

[carusoam]

How much first hand experience do you guys have with these services?

Best regards,

-a-

[larryb]

I've taken Uber personally about 8 times or so. With Uber the customer gets to rate the driver through the app after the ride. The drivers must maintain a certain rating or they are let go. So they have an incentive to give good service.  Another nice thing about Uber is that as soon as the ride is completed you get an e-mail receipt. The receipt has a map of your gps route taken. So you can see if the driver took a roundabout path to drive up the fare.

 

The taxi industry sets the bar pretty low. It's not hard to provide a better product. I've had my share of cab rides with the driver racing through town, where you feel lucky to be alive at the end.

 

Larry

[gjensen]

Uber is great, we use it all the time when in NYC. As for AirBnB, I hate it because I am in the hotel business!

[carusoam]

It's one thing to spend a few uncomfortable minutes in a cab.

It is completely different to be in somebody else's house overnight.

This thread deserved to be split in two...

Both, I'm sure have good reasons to exist.

Best regards,

-a-

[FloridaMan]

Uber is great, we use it all the time when in NYC. As for AirBnB, I hate it because I am in the hotel business!

 

I'm not sure I would consider AirBnB to be all that bad for hotels that could leverage it. I haven't looked into it from a property owner's perspective, but I would assume that it would make it easy for hotels to dump cheap rooms on low utilization nights to offset fixed costs and the booking process is easier than most hotels current websites/apps. I know that there's a service charge for the booking with AirBnB, but I don't know how different it is from Kayak, or hotels.com et cetera. 

 

You aren't necessarily in somebody else's house. I'd say more often it's somebody's vacation home or condo that they're not using. 

[Amelia]

I had a splendid experience with Uber near DC recently, (at least after the first driver decided it was too far to reach us and canceled). Second driver arrived right away, we watched his progress on the smart phone, spotless car, sweet older gentleman, knew the way, took half the time the cabbie had on the way in, and seemed surprised and genuinely grateful for his tip. I am sold.

Have also used and enjoyed AirB&B, though some hosts tend to inflate their offerings. I thrive on variety, and one hotel looks an awful lot like the last...and the next. If traveling alone, a hotel is a lonely experience if you aren't a TV addict or a barfly. I really enjoy the personal touch, especially overseas, a chance to interact with local folk. The desk clerk isn't going to want to chit-chat with a random visitor as to what makes her town special.

[jrwilson]

I tried uber based on this thread. Loved it! Fare was half that of a cab and requesting the ride was quick, much faster than a cab. Also liked not having to give any credit card info to the driver, all automatic.

[eman1200]

I personally have not used uber but have heard plenty of great reviews from friends who have.  I have also been spending a lot of time on AirBnB looking for rental places in Myrtle, but prices were at least as much as hotels.  HOWEVER....I was looking during peak season in a very popular destination area.  I think it would work well with off-season or less popular vacation destinations.