Kagehitokiri

"other transportation" - uberx(etc), limo(etc), train, general/charter aviation, boat charter
(trains can be public, private, hotel) (public transportation also includes many other things)

i think there is a lot of demand on FT when considering ALL forms of transport not covered by a current forum, and there is a lot of discussion of those things in existing forums including destination forums, but im not sure what a good name for a potential forum would be, nor am i sure how to describe other than listing the above and anything else that is similar that i forgot

edit - although something along the lines of "transport other than commercial air and rental car" (exclude rather than include) might work ?

uberx(etc) are also popular in terms of social media, so there is some overlap there with some bloggers
uberx(etc) mainly discussed in terms of low price, which overlaps with existing budget forum
budget forum description currently includes "bus and train transport"

MSPeconomist

Note that FT already has an Amtrak forum (listed after airlines, hotels, etc.) as well as a sub forum dedicated to Eruopean trains in the Europe destination forum. Calling a new forum something like "transportation excluding commercial airlines and rental cars" would confuse things, unless you mean to eliminate the current dedicated (sub)fora for Amtrak and European trains. I think that would be a bad idea.

Don't forget ferries, hydrofoils, barges, houseboats, peddle cabs, skateboards, unicycles, tricycles, alpine and nordic skis, roller-skates, rollerblades, covered wagons, snowshoes, sip lines, bungee cords, horses, donkeys, mules, camels, elephants, dogsleds,......

Kagehitokiri

my point re hire/charter (vehicles) discussion remains even ignoring public transport

there was recently discussion in one forum whether to allow discussion of some hire/charter

(this includes aircraft, and cheapest short charters are a lot less than paid longhaul F)

lo2e

Here's something that hadn't dawned on me before - how do people feel about having non-location-specific hired car/driver discussion in the Budget Travel forum for the time being, then if there is enough demand produced there, create a dedicated forum for it?

tcook052

I think that's an excellent idea. A test drive, so to speak.

dchristiva

This is precisely what I envisioned for the near-term, except NOT specifically in the Budget Travel forum.

My mistake for not reading that detail carefully.

mia

I think it is a mistake to categorize these services as budget. They are driven by technology and marketed as much for convenience as for cost savings. There will be many more players as legacy taxi and limo companies adopt similar technologies.

Canarsie

I agree, as I have never thought of Uber or Lyft or others as “budget.”

In fact, there have been times where using them was a more expensive transportation option than using a legacy taxi cab.

Prospero

If I were to seek information on Uber, Lyft, Addison Lee, Halo or Bob’s Private Hire Inc. I’d intuitively visit the respective destination forum in the first instance, just as I would whenever i’m looking for info on other ground transportation options.

My concern with carving Uber et al into a single forum is it may cause unintended "where do I post?" confusion and ultimately fragmentation. My experience with Uber is the service varies significantly between cities of operation. For example, if I were to share my Shanghai Uber experience, China would be my go-to forum simply because I know that is exactly were the local knowledge base resides.

nsx

This is the crux of the issue with discussing ride services on FT. Do others here agree with Prospero's analysis?

jason8612

Hmm, this is a interesting thought. I wouldn't mind seeing a hired car/driver forum. There are plenty out there (in addition to Uber and Lyft) like MyDriver and BlackLane

captiveguru

I think the proper term is "ride-sharing services." I agree, Uber, et al do not fall into the "budget travel" category.

captiveguru

I do not. The Delta forum is filled with location and route-specific posts. Example: if someone wants to know about connecting times at ATL or LAX they post that in the Delta forum.

Why not a Ride Sharing or Car Hire forum with subs for the different brands? Uber, Lyft, etc...

I go tho the Delta forum to get info about Delta's policies, practices, etc... When I used Silver recently to fly from MCO to YWE I went to the United forum to learn about everyone's experiences with Silver.

I do not know how many people use Uber daily, but I am thinking they serve more people on a daily basis that many airlines.

JDiver

The number of Uber vehicles in New York City now exceeds the number of Yellow cabs. Given some locations don't seem to have any, some might advocate they (both) should remain in the NYC Forum.

In the U.K., we often use "mini-taxis" in preference to "black" for price and convenience. There are so many fl's ours of hired cars I wonder how they could fit in one forum, from limos to tuk-tuks. Then, of course, there are hired boats, from Venice to Bangkok. What of those?

captiveguru

True, Uber is not everywhere, but that is an argument for Uber having its own forum. If I go to a location-specific forum and ask an Uber question no one there will have any experience. If I post a question in the Uber forum I am more likely to get the attention of another Uber user who used Uber in that local.

Delta does not fly to all cities, yet it has its own forum.