You want to go where?

I would disagree. I think that taxis and car services belong in the destination fora, not in a separate forum, except where you are using the Uber/Lyft app. If I want to find about taxi services, it is in regard to a specific destination. I don't want to go to a separate forum just to find out the best car/limo service in NYC. The NYC forum is fine for that. I can see that Uber and Lyft which have a national/international scope and a separate forum makes sense.

I think effective moderation will be key to keeping this forum focused where it should be and not straying beyond into what should be in the destination fora.

nsx

I like this one.

Prospero

Snicker It is funny how some terms translate differently between English speaking nations.

Here in the UK the “private hire” business is moving towards mobile technology. I typed “private hire” into my App Store app and was presented with 79 apps that offer the facility to book a “ride’. Those were just local operators and I am aware of several others that work in UK cities other than London.

I realise Uber has been game changer but other companies are joining the revolution in their thousands. Maybe there is space for a dedicated forum but equally there is a real risk of fragmentation as the Uber movement increasingly moves local.

nsx

Draft motion:

TalkBoard recommends renaming the heading "Car Rental Programs/Partners" to become Ground Transportation, including Car Rental Programs/Partners"

TalkBoard recommends creation of a new forum at the top position under that heading entitled "Ride Services, including Uber and Lyft" and subtitled "General discussion of single ride services that operate in many cities".

Any comments on this positioning of the new foroum?

lo2e

"Ground Transportation" to me encompasses anything that doesn't fly, including buses, trains, etc. I think that's a bit too broad.

What about "Private Ground Transportation, Including Rental Cars and Ride Services"? Do we need to include "Partners" in there?

tcook052

While I agree with your input it seems this discussion is over if TB members are drafting a motion to create this forum. Expect a formal motion on it shortly and you can return and add your opinion to the forum creation motion at hand.

SkiAdcock

+1.

Prospero

This reads as a structural alteration to FlyerTalk although i'm not sure it that was your intention. FT is the beneficiary of many fantastic ground transportation resource threads. These are truly brilliant collaborative efforts that captured essential local knowledge of community members.

If I may make a suggestion. Please do consult with the community members who developed and maintain these resources before tabling this change proposal and assess the implications to the existing destination forums if ground transportation discussion is moved to a central forum.

dstan's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/new-y...st-really.html
bhatnasx's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/washi...-airports.html
chexfan's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/west/...ors-guide.html
JDiver's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/calif...ve-thread.html
jib71's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...er-thread.html
aBroadAbroad's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thail...d-threads.html
nicolas75's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/franc...need-know.html
chrissxb's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...er-thread.html
stut's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-i...on-guides.html
Kiwi Flyer's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...er-thread.html

nsx

That's not the intent. Only discussion that is NOT location-specific would belong in the new forum.

MSPeconomist

Uber has some promos that aren't location-specific IIRC (I vaguely remember discounts for new users and some credit-card based offers). More importantly, there's the relatively new partnership with Starwood, which is currently being discussed in a thread in the SPG forum on FT.

Carey limousine is a national company that primarily does high end (sedan) car service in most major USA cities and overseas, although a lot of it seems to be a big booking service that outsources to local contractor companies.

Super Shuttle is another example that isn't local. I suspect that their customer experience is more uniform nationally than Uber would be, although when they acquire local operators, the transition period can have location-specific issues.

Prospero

Uber customer loyalty/shared experiences
Peddling referrals (although not permitted under FT rules)
Gripes over cancellation charges
Corporate use of customer data
Drivers getting lost, or following non-optimised sat nav directions
App issues and updates
Account issues and refunds
Why is Über not active in [insert city/region]?
Customer ratings

Most of the above is already covered in TravelBuzz

nsx

Redraft:

TalkBoard recommends renaming the heading "Car Rental Programs/Partners" to become "Ground Transportation Companies, Including Rental Cars and Ride Services"

TalkBoard recommends creation of a new forum at the top position under that heading entitled "Ride Services, including Uber and Lyft" and subtitled "Non city-specific discussion of single ride services".

I added "Companies" to indicate that this is discussion about company policies and deals rather than local issues.

Does this make the intended organization clear?

mia

Why Ground rather than Automobile or Automotive?

nsx

Because I see a possibility to discuss van services like SuperShuttle. And because Vehicular does not roll off the tongue.

mia

I agree with Prospero that Ground Transportation is too broad. My suggestion is: Car Rental Programs and Ride Services. SuperShuttle would be covered as a ride service, as would their Execucar affiliate.