After greater than a two-year absence, Uber, the behemoth ride-hailing firm, is as soon as once more dropping off and selecting up clients to and from Ontario International Airport.
Uber, the primary ride-hailing app out there with greater than 90 million riders and about 4 million drivers, returned to ONT on Dec. 22, simply in time to catch the wave of vacation vacationers going to and from the Inland Empire business gateway.
Without referring to their absence, Uber mentioned in a information launch: “We are proud to partner with the airport in providing accessible, safe and reliable transportation options across the Inland Empire and beyond, especially during the increased travel during the holiday season.”
“It is in everybody’s best interest,” Steve Lambert, ONT spokesman, mentioned Wednesday, Dec. 29. “It is in the airport’s interest to have more options for its customers. And it is certainly in Uber’s best interest who will get passengers” for drivers to and from the airport.
New indicators contained in the airport terminal promote Uber’s return to ONT. And further signage studying “Ride-Share Pick-Up Location” are posted on the east finish of every terminal’s internal curb. Also, ONT has a cellular phone ready lot for personal vehicles to make contact with passengers after which decide them up at the curb, in addition to taxis and Omnitrans bus companies.
While enterprise between the 2 entities seems to be going effectively, that didn’t appear to be the case the previous 27 months.
Uber abruptly give up serving the airport in September 2019 and terminated its contract after the 2 sides couldn’t settle a dispute over airport floor entry charges ONT positioned on ride-app companies known as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs).
Uber wrote in a letter that the $4 payment utilized to each drop-offs and pickups was exorbitant and served no goal. The worldwide firm primarily based in San Francisco wrote a letter to the airport, saying the choice to boost the charges was made by the Ontario International Airport Authority with out consulting with them.
At the time, Robert W. Mitchell, Uber’s airports enterprise growth lead, wrote that $4 per experience supplied by an Uber driver dropping off or selecting up passengers at ONT was “the highest in the United States for an airport of its size,” and prompted the corporate to terminate its contract.
Lyft, an Uber competitor, identified for its pink, mustachioed emblem, picked up the ride-app clients. Besides Uber and Lyft, the ride-hailing enterprise at ONT is shared by newcomers Wingz and Opoli.
Getting to and from ONT is even simpler now with the addition of @Uber to our ride-share choices. 🚗 https://t.co/EDIw5PasmV
— FlyONT (@flyONT) December 22, 2021
Lambert didn’t give particulars on the brand new settlement with Uber. But he did say the corporate is making use of the entry charges, which get handed on to Uber passengers. “Those fees are still in place,” Lambert mentioned.
All charges on TCNs, taxis and personal shuttle service go into the airport’s coffers. “Any revenues generated by the airport have to go back to the airport,” Lambert mentioned.
At LAX, TNCs are charged the identical as at Ontario airport. Uber has operated there constantly for a number of years. “It’s $4 each trip for both pick-up and drop-off,” wrote Health Montgomery, spokesperson for LAX, in an e mail.
Uber has operated at Hollywood Burbank Airport with out interruption since 2015, mentioned Tom Janowitz, senior supervisor of floor entry. Janowitz famous that Uber and Lyft have been doing a brisk enterprise this month. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in drop-offs with Uber and Lyft,” he mentioned.
At Long Beach Airport, Uber has operated constantly since October 2017. Rideshare firms at the airport are charged a $3 payment per journey, mentioned Kate Kuykendall, airport spokesperson.
ONT was named on Dec. 20 because the fastest-growing airport within the United States by Global Traveler, an business publication geared to enterprise and luxurious flyers. This is the fourth straight yr the airport has obtained the popularity.
The airport has approached pre-pandemic ranges not too long ago in passenger volumes. Between July and November, about 2.4 million passengers flew into or out of Ontario airport, about 4% beneath 2019 ranges, the airport reported.