Home Community General Travel Transport Uber X at MEL

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  • #3695
    Adam Jobbins
    Keymaster

    FYI – for anyone flying into MEL, you can now book Uber X pickups directly at the airport. The Uber app will direct you to the shared pick up lanes between the T1-3 building and the Park Royal hotel.

    Great to see more airports finally supporting rideshare options.

    #3740
    Kiwiwings
    Participant

    I have to admit I use the skybus as it’s so frequent and direct into town (and there was a VA deal previously), the part I hate is waiting for the onward hotel bus if you’re not within walking distance from there.

    Taxi’s to town were $$$

    I’m debating using Uber next time to the hotel and back to the station as I get a little impatient and I also dislike getting up really early to catch shuttles so you can go and pick up everyone else as well.

     

    I was in WA mid-year and saw advertising for Uber in Perth also.

    #3741
    Adam Jobbins
    Keymaster

    I live quite close to MEL (about 12 mins away in low traffic), and if I am not in a hurry I’ll usually use an Uber to the airport, and probably will from the airport to home now too. If I have a very early flight or I am short on time I use a limo service. It’s about 3x the price of an Uber, but I know that they will move heaven and earth to make sure there is a car waiting for me at the agreed time.

    #4219
    Kiwiwings
    Participant

    Last year I noticed you could actually book Uber for a set time. Are you using this in place of the limo if its cheaper? Not sure if that feature is in the Qantas app but I’ve been using Qantas for Uber since the split with SPG 🙁

    #4222
    Adam Jobbins
    Keymaster

    My experience with Uber at MEL has been pretty poor. Last time I think I waited nearly 40 minutes for a car – along with hundreds of others. The taxi rank can be pretty slow at times, but if I am not in a hurry I will just use that over Uber. If I’m in a hurry, or I know traffic will be a nightmare I’ll still book a car – they are a fixed rate, and last time it took 40 mins in crawling traffic to get home – which would have cost me more in a taxi or Uber, and I would have had to wait.

    #4225
    Kiwiwings
    Participant

    40 mins sounds awful. Maybe I’ll just get Uber from Southern Cross. Earn a few VA points with Skybus on the way in.

    #4237
    Adam Jobbins
    Keymaster

    Skybus isn’t a bad option if you’re heading to the city (But a train would be 1000x better). Not really an option for me as a local given I don’t live or work in the CBD. It is really good to have a competitor to taxi’s at Melbourne – they really have been pretty awful in the past. I’ve lot a bit of interest in Uber specifically lately (Ethics, service slipping), but support the idea of competition whether it’s Uber or something else.

    #4275
    drajk
    Participant

    I was in Melbourne several weeks ago. I go there regularly and frequently taxi drivers have processed my payment via ingogo and I have noticed a discount signup code on receipt.

    When I recently arrived I downloaded the app and used a promo code via google search and created an account which gave me 2x$10 credits.

    I found they do fixed price fares and used ingogo both to and from the city as well as within the city. My prediscount fares from/To airport to/from city were $52.30 and $67.40 for wagons both ways (lots of luggage) which I thought were really good especially as the city destination from the airport was difficult to access and traffic heavy.

    The app has driver messaging and notifications and I found it excellent. It also tells you cab number to avoid getting in the wrong cab – there is a penalty if you have a confirmed booking and don’t use it and equally a driver penalty if they confirm your booking and don’t arrive.

    The departure area from International is  outside Park Royal (walk straight as you exit terminal) – same place as Uber. The wait for a wagon to city was about 5 minutes.

    Anyway in my app is a referral link which may get you $20 credit – I don’t know how long this offer lasts but have posted below. The app is in the Australian App Store – you need an au store account – not sure about android but also a web page – url below.

    I also entered QFF number and got 250 qantas points for both airport trips – the details on qantas point offer suggested would be back to lesser points but was given 250 points each airport trip.

    ingogo referral code LS79T

    app http://ingogo.com.au/refer

    #4351
    Kiwiwings
    Participant

    Hmm… just looking at ingogo. So I’d have to change my apple App Store setting to Australia, then download the app then switch it back to NZ?

     

    The fixed fares don’t really sound like fixed fares but more preview fares. It looks like they’re calculated based on traffic conditions at the time and you are able to preview them. I guess if there’s an accident enroute then your fare shouldn’t increase….in theory. When I’ve used cheap cabs in Auckland with their fixed fares it’s the same fare regardless of traffic etc yet ingogo can vary even if you’re doing the exact same trip from A to B because traffic conditions are different on Monday vs Wednesday it seems.

     

    Looks like it’s 250 QFF points for your first 4 trips which is a good deal.

     

    I have the go catch app which is a taxi service that credits to Qantas also but was fairly unimpressed when my fare went over the maximum estimate by $10 last year. I haven’t forgiven them yet. Prior to that it was fine. Was a pain in the backside to set up. Can’t remember exactly which part was the hold up. May have been address or credit card in NZ. It does work but just seems like a regular taxi service I can earn QF points through.

    #4357
    drajk
    Participant

    I have a separate (using a different email address) App Store account for the Australian App Store. I think I setup while there or may have used VPN. I then change between stores when I need Australian apps unavailable in NZ app store.

    I find knowing what price I’ll be charged for the fare ahead of time reassuring and on my first ingogo fare the traffic was hideous and I know from previous experience that a metered fare would have been a lot higher.

    I have never been overcharged by ingogo – do note however that if using a discount code  like described above they authorise the full fare but I’ve found the resulting charge to be correct.

    #4378
    Adam Jobbins
    Keymaster

    I have the go catch app which is a taxi service that credits to Qantas also but was fairly unimpressed when my fare went over the maximum estimate by $10 last year. I haven’t forgiven them yet. Prior to that it was fine. Was a pain in the backside to set up. Can’t remember exactly which part was the hold up. May have been address or credit card in NZ. It does work but just seems like a regular taxi service I can earn QF points through.

    I’ve had a number of issues with GoCatch. Could have been a good idea, but sadly poorly developed and probably rushed to market.

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