I took the train from downtown Denver to the airport. Fast, clean, $10.50.

An Uber or left would have been $50.

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Does Lyft have better labor practices than Uber?

(P.S. the pool thing is good to know re Uber!)

Lyft is better. They pay more, and their screening of drivers is better. I had a guy who drove for both say the security check to drive for Uber was less intense.

I haven’t used Uber in years. Lyft used to have a longer wait.

One tip. Put in your pick up address into the app rather than rely on location. Sometimes the location is off and then your driver can’t find you.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
One tip. Put in your pick up address into the app rather than rely on location. Sometimes the location is off and then your driver can’t find you.

This. Especially with tall buildings around, making GPS less accurate.

There may be shuttles from the Stapleton area that still have shuttles.
Don't know of any from downtown to DIA.
I live about an hour and half from Denver. Expect to be in Tucson into May.

More ride-sharing advice.

1. If you choose UberX, you cannot assume the vehicle will be large or the trunk will be empty. If you have a larger group or a lot of luggage, go with Uber Select -- higher price means bigger vehicle. And be careful not to use UberSelect by accident if that's not what you want.

2. Choose where to meet your Lyft/Uber thoughtfully. It needs to be a place where the car can pull over safely and there aren't a bazillion people around so the driver can't see you.

3. If your driver appears to be lost or has arrived but you can't find her, call. Texting is second best -- if they are driving they shouldn't be texting.

4. I always tip. Beware that the apps have a default of a minimum of an 18% tip, but you can tip less by picking a custom amount.

5. Check the license plate number before you get in to make sure it's your vehicle.

6. If the driver is not driving safely, be assertive. As one Uber driver began to exceed 80 mph in the fast lane on a Phoenix freeway in her rattling, old, janky Hundai, I told her to slow to 65 and move over to the right lanes. And gave her a low rating.

Piggybacking on Cindy's comments: many airports have designated areas where you can pick up your Lyft/Uber. However, none of the rideshares are popular with the local taxi companies, so if you do have to pick a location, have it be away from the cab area. In many airports (LGA, JFK excepted from my experience), if you walk to the end of the sidewalk pickup area, it's usually not crowded and easy to wait and be located.

Thanks for all the tips y'all!

So, I didn't end up using Uber from the airport. I couldn't figure out where to go for pick up, and also just wanted to get to the hotel ASAP. So I took at cab to and from the airport (I had to leave the hotel at 5am for my flight, and I didn't want to risk any troubles, so a cab seemed better.) For both cab trips, I asked first if it was a flat fee, and that way they gave me to price and didn't turn on the meter, so I think that was better (still cost an arm and a leg, but I'll get reimbursed, thank goodness).

I did however use Uber while I was at the conference, I used it to get back to the hotel after a dinner. It was fine, but also kind of weird and awkward! :P

I'm going to add the Lyft app to my phone, and plan to do a little more preparation for my next trip. (I have to go to Princeton next, ugh, don't want to deal with New Jersey airports or hotels. This is why I am not a good traveler! )

So, do you always sit in the back when you use Uber/Lyft? Or do you always sit in the front? Or, does it depend, and if so, on what?

I sit in the front if I feel like talkling with the driver and in the back if I don't.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Miller:
I sit in the front if I feel like talkling with the driver and in the back if I don't.

I asked the driver if I could sit in the front. Partly because I was nervous and thought I'd feel better being able to see where we were going. But also partly because I wanted to be able to see, and I really enjoyed seeing downtown Denver at night (with a full moon no less!)