Uber versus Lyft

I used Uber twice last weekend - once on a scheduled drop off at Laguardia and once for an on-call pickup from Newark.

The quoted fare range to Laguardia was 69 to 84 bucks. I made the reservation. Next morning when he actually came at the appointed time, the charge was quoted at 119. WTF? At that point I didn't have any options and just accepted it.

On return, the uberX estimate was 29-35. After agreeing to pickup seconds later the charge is quoted as 48. I took a cab.

Does anyone know if Lyft does this as well?

Seems kinda bait-and-switchy...

In general, I dunno. The Lyft I took this morning was the same as the originally quoted price. I'm sure they charge extra for time in traffic.

I always start with Lyft first.

ctrzaska said:

I always start with Lyft first.

Thanks. Does the fare typically fall within the quoted range?

I can't offhand recall a time when it didn't. Maybe a buck or two above the upper end? Maybe? (Not including tolls etc, of course.)

I've never used Lyft. The tolls are not included in the quote? So it sounds more like a cab - no?

I never use Uber for a host of reasons, some operational, some financial and some political. I've had very good experiences with Lyft and Lyft Line.

Thanks! Will give them a shot next time.

if you're not in a hurry, try Lyft Line, their shared ride service. It's significantly cheaper and often you don't even share a ride. Sometimes there is another person in the car or you pick someone up or drop them off before heading to your destination but it doesn't bother me. As I said, if you're not in a hurry, it's no big deal.

Did surge pricing apply to any of your quotes? That is the usual culprit.

Thanks SMr.T.

Surge pricing was not indicated. I guess my big issue is that if they quote you a range and then when you actually go to commit the price it's much higher than the range, what is the purpose of the range other than to mislead?

I managed to pay attention to the quoted Lyft fare coming back from the airport last night (Boston). Quote was $40.38 and actual fare was $40.38. Zero traffic as it was (sadly) after 1 AM.

As it should be. Thanks RobB

What happens when uber and lyft drivers undergo background checks like cab drivers.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/0...

the LGA and JFK estimates are always about $25-35 lower than the final total will be because they add in tolls and some sort of surcharge (it's in the fine print somewhere). I asked about this when I too was surprised it was significantly more.

For other locations and airports (like EWR for example), the Uber quote is always exactly what you pay.

More on uber's labor policy. "Uber has become the 21st century Walmart – a company that earns billions of dollars and refuses to provide basic benefits to its workforce, making taxpayers pick up the tab."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...