Uber in Tokyo
Mar 18, 2016, 12:02 am
#62
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
27k seems like a lot for the trip into Tokyo, nearly 10x the JR train or the limo-bus. Even more so with consideration to the Keisei trains.
Maybe my frugality is at play here. Plus I usually travel alone so have no economies of scale. Perhaps others would consider it money well spent, but almost $240.00 for a one-way ride?
Maybe my frugality is at play here. Plus I usually travel alone so have no economies of scale. Perhaps others would consider it money well spent, but almost $240.00 for a one-way ride?
Mar 18, 2016, 1:12 am
#63
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
Heading to HND from the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on Sunday evening.
Any recommendations for a car transfer other than just hopping in a normal taxi? For a better experience (at the same or similar price) or simply something cheaper (also a car though)?
Last time I tried Uber (year back?) they sent a normal taxi. Cost seemed the same.
Any recommendations for a car transfer other than just hopping in a normal taxi? For a better experience (at the same or similar price) or simply something cheaper (also a car though)?
Last time I tried Uber (year back?) they sent a normal taxi. Cost seemed the same.
Mar 18, 2016, 11:38 am
#64
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Heading to HND from the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on Sunday evening.
Any recommendations for a car transfer other than just hopping in a normal taxi? For a better experience (at the same or similar price) or simply something cheaper (also a car though)?
Last time I tried Uber (year back?) they sent a normal taxi. Cost seemed the same.
Any recommendations for a car transfer other than just hopping in a normal taxi? For a better experience (at the same or similar price) or simply something cheaper (also a car though)?
Last time I tried Uber (year back?) they sent a normal taxi. Cost seemed the same.
Mar 18, 2016, 8:34 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 181
I took Uber Black from Shibuya to Haneda mid Feb and the gentleman driver was driving a Toyota minivan that's actually nice, not Dodge minivan or anything like that. It's a little bit pricey, but having a luggage plus a futon (don't ask! :P) it actually worked out well.
The driver was a retired human resource manager for an American company and he speaks good English, but I ended up speaking Japanese with him most of the time since well, I want to practice my Japanese haha. He told me that most of his customers are foreigners and speak English.
The driver was a retired human resource manager for an American company and he speaks good English, but I ended up speaking Japanese with him most of the time since well, I want to practice my Japanese haha. He told me that most of his customers are foreigners and speak English.
Mar 22, 2016, 2:38 am
#66
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: Virgin Australia Velocity Gold
Posts: 49
Interestingly the Japanese taxi companies released their own app a while back in response to the whole uber thing. It's called 全国タクシー("nationwide taxi") and lets you hail a cab from really anywhere in the country. It tells you how long it'll take for the cab to come, lets you see the car's progress as it's approaching (just like uber). The fare is the same as if you called up a taxi company - standard fare plus something like 400 yen for a reservation charge. I don't think uber is ever going to really catch up in Japan, but this app is getting a lot more popular: http://www.japantaxi.jp/
There's no English mode so it's useless for most tourists though. I wonder if they will release an English version in the future...
There's no English mode so it's useless for most tourists though. I wonder if they will release an English version in the future...
Mar 22, 2016, 3:43 am
#67
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,596
The last couple of times I tried to use the Japan Taxi app (on weekday mornings when it was raining), it didn't work because Nihon Kotsu's booking network was overloaded...
Mar 22, 2016, 7:21 am
#68
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
Launched the Uber app Sunday night at 10pm or so in Roppongi. Advertisement for a 30% discount to HND from various zones. Prices still looked identical to a taxi (~7K from Roppongi Hills to HND).
Anyways, no cars available was listed, thus I hopped in a taxi. Told the driver I was in a rush, have never gotten to HND faster. Total fare was about 6300, not horrible, and less than Uber's discounted rate. Of course it was a typical tiny cab, certainly nothing special.
Anyways, no cars available was listed, thus I hopped in a taxi. Told the driver I was in a rush, have never gotten to HND faster. Total fare was about 6300, not horrible, and less than Uber's discounted rate. Of course it was a typical tiny cab, certainly nothing special.
Dec 29, 2016, 10:54 pm
#71
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
As you might well agree, often times a small and well oiled team can run circles around poorly organized larger and better funded groups.
Personally I went back to taxis and hotel cars across Asia.
Jan 1, 2017, 6:04 am
#74
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,596
I stopped using JapanTaxi recently when I found out that if you use the app in English (or any language other than Japanese), it tells the driver that your name is "gaikokujin-sama" (Mr./Mrs. Foreigner) instead of giving them your actual name.
