Report: Uber, Lyft Preferred Transportation Method for Business Travelers
Certify's quarterly SpendSmart report shows an increase in ride-hailing use among business travelers, although car rentals and taxis are still holding their ground in certain markets.
Ride-hailing is continuing to cement itself as the preferred mode of transportation among business travelers, as transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft now represent more than 70% of the ground transportation market.
According to the Certify Q1 2018 SpendSmart report, which analyzed over 10 million business receipts and expenses, ride-hailing use has increased 63% over the past four years — and 12% in the past year alone. Meanwhile, car rental usage has decreased 32% and taxi rides have decreased 31%.
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In Q1 2018, ride-hailing dominated markets in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Boston; taxis fared slightly better in New York City and Chicago, where they represented 27% and 25% of business rides, respectively. However, taxi usage in both New York City and Chicago fell about 10% between Q1 2017 and Q1 2018.
Within the ride-hailing market, Uber remains the industry leader, but Lyft has been making considerable strides. Lyft use between Q1 2017 and Q1 2018 almost doubled, while Uber use declined during the same period.
Uber use has continually been declining for the past four years, quarter over quarter. The report doesn’t specify what is causing Uber's reach to shrink, but a recent slew of missteps hasn't been good for the San Francisco-based company's reputation.
Travel ratings collected by Certify show ride-hailing users continually rate their Lyft experiences higher than Uber and taxis. Additionally, Certify’s data shows on average, business travelers are paying less for Lyft rides than Uber or taxis.
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Martin Romjue has been editing and reporting for ARN since 2023 and fully transitioned to the role of chairman of the International Car Rental Show in 2026.