If someone had asked me a month ago what mix or car companies I planned to use, I would said Uber most of the time and car services when I didn't want to take a chance on availability or surge pricing. Going forward, I will utilize a car service for trips to local airports, Lyft when available and Uber internationally and when other services aren't convenient in the US.

A few years ago many cabs had minimal competition and didn't need to care about the quality of their service. Once Uber started and cab companies realized that the threat was going to remain, the quality of service improved considerably. I still prefer Uber, but the difference in quality isn't as dramatic because taxi service has improved and experienced Uber drivers prefer to work the surge and not base rates. I have noticed a tendency for Uber driver's justifiable unhappiness to be reflected in their attitudes towards passengers. Although a tip at the end of the ride will make a driver happy as one exits the car, the driver may not have been in a good mood until then.

In some cities, it is difficult to justify driving for Uber without tips and I understand the driver's frustration. On the other hand, in NYC prices are just as high as those of cabs that need a special vehicle with handicap access and a medallion currently valued at roughtly $700,000 but that apparently hasn't stopped stop some NYC drivers from complaining.

I prefer the original Uber model where the price was supposed to inclusive. Although I wouldn't mind if prices were adjusted to incorporate a tip, I don't want to pay tips in cash. When I travel internationally, I don't always exchange money at the airport and when on a business trip I don't want to track additional tips in a foreign currency. Although Uber is more expensive than a taxi when going from the airport in Bangkok to city hotels, I prefer the cashless model of Uber.

If tipping is going to be part of Uber, I hope the company will allow riders to use preset tip amounts for all of their services in the future. Although I like Uber, I will utilize Lyft instead of Uber whenever possible because tips can be handled in the app after I know how the amount of my fare.