Dumb Question on Uber and Lynk

Seems like many Uber drivers expect a tip, per Huffington Post. So I go ahead and tip but the drivers do say it's not expected of riders.

Even With an Uber Drivers' 'Union', Little Has Changed in Their Fight for In-App Tipping - by Johana Bhuiyan/ Transportation/ Uber/ Recode/ recode.net

"The group has launched an online petition and awareness campaign similar to those drivers have launched before the Independent Drivers Guild was formed.

As part of a five-year labor agreement with Uber, the New York arm of the International Association of Machinists has been working to help independent drivers get their voices and concerns heard by Uber management. Under the agreement, the group — called the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) — is guaranteed a once-a-month meeting with Uber management, and a right to appeal driver deactivations.

While it may look like a union and sound like a union, it stops just short of that, because the group is expressly prohibited from collectively bargaining for changes in fares. But that doesn’t mean they can’t fight for things like in-app tipping, which drivers, who were surveyed by the IDG, voted as the concern-du-jour that they wanted addressed at the group’s first meeting with Uber management.

The lack of a tipping option in the Uber app has long been a pain point for drivers, who feel they’re losing out on additional earnings. Calls for in-app tipping are rampant during driver protests. But Uber’s stance has always been that tipping adds a layer of inconvenience for riders, one that the company is not willing to risk..."

Richard

Also, Uber prices are based on demand--I think they call it "Surge pricing." So check the rate with a shared van service or taxi company before you are ready to depart since they don't apply "surge pricing." Then, when you compare with Uber (they give you a price range when you ask), you'll know if you're getting a bargain or not. When we used Uber to go to the airport in Houston, it was half the price of Super Shuttle; when my daughter (whose house we used Uber from) priced Uber to the airport, it was rush hour and it was more than Super Shuttle and more than driving herself and paying parking at the airport.

PStreet1 said:

Also, Uber prices are based on demand--I think they call it "Surge pricing." So check the rate with a shared van service or taxi company before you are ready to depart since they don't apply "surge pricing." Then, when you compare with Uber (they give you a price range when you ask), you'll know if you're getting a bargain or not. When we used Uber to go to the airport in Houston, it was half the price of Super Shuttle; when my daughter (whose house we used Uber from) priced Uber to the airport, it was rush hour and it was more than Super Shuttle and more than driving herself and paying parking at the airport.

Click to expand...

I used a service form a downtown Chicago hotel to the airport last week. I was going to use Uber but they just started a surge pricing when I was ready, so instead I used Lyft. A few minutes after approving the Lyft request, Surge pricing ended (so it wasn't active very long, in this instance). It cost me ~$27 to get to the airport, I had a great conversation with the driver, car was very clean, and he drove better than any taxi I've had in years.

Ironically, I spoke with him about the income he's earning from Lyft and he said it was very good for him. It filled in extra hours and helped out financially. He was doing better than many others, but perhaps it's because of the particular hours per day he works, etc. I've also heard and read that many drivers aren't earning enough.