Uber drivers at CNS routinely cancelling rides to manipulate surge pricing

[NM]

I find it really depends on the location. For example, arrived into CNS and decided to use Uber. Booked and then driver assigned and soon cancelled. New driver assigned and then cancelled. happened three time and each time the price was going up - due to "high demand". Gave up and wandered back to the taxi rank and no wait at all and a very pleasant taxi driver. He explained that the Uber drivers often manipulate the surging at the airport in this way. Taxi ride was lower cost than the surging Uber price at that time.

Return to the airport and Uber drivers were unable to manipulate the surging and readily/quickly available. Got a very pleasant Uber driver who confirmed they never wait at the airport for inbound flights because a cartel of drivers try to make everyone play their game.

heading back to CNS soon. Will head straight to taxi rank. return to the airport will likely be Uber.

 

[anat0l]

I find it really depends on the location. For example, arrived into CNS and decided to use Uber. Booked and then driver assigned and soon cancelled. New driver assigned and then cancelled. happened three time and each time the price was going up - due to "high demand". Gave up and wandered back to the taxi rank and no wait at all and a very pleasant taxi driver. He explained that the Uber drivers often manipulate the surging at the airport in this way. Taxi ride was lower cost than the surging Uber price at that time.

Return to the airport and Uber drivers were unable to manipulate the surging and readily/quickly available. Got a very pleasant Uber driver who confirmed they never wait at the airport for inbound flights because a cartel of drivers try to make everyone play their game.

heading back to CNS soon. Will head straight to taxi rank. return to the airport will likely be Uber.

Very accurate observation about CNS; matches a lot of my experience. I stuck out for a fair fare on rideshare from CNS airport recently, and I eventually got one, but it took so long. It probably would have been easier to eat whatever "discount" Uber may have given over a taxi and just take the taxi.

One thing is that I've forgotten how to get a quick taxi estimate for fares since I've been so used to rideshare apps giving you that information in the app.

 

[Mattg]

I find it really depends on the location. For example, arrived into CNS and decided to use Uber. Booked and then driver assigned and soon cancelled. New driver assigned and then cancelled. happened three time and each time the price was going up - due to "high demand". Gave up and wandered back to the taxi rank and no wait at all and a very pleasant taxi driver. He explained that the Uber drivers often manipulate the surging at the airport in this way. Taxi ride was lower cost than the surging Uber price at that time.

Return to the airport and Uber drivers were unable to manipulate the surging and readily/quickly available. Got a very pleasant Uber driver who confirmed they never wait at the airport for inbound flights because a cartel of drivers try to make everyone play their game.

heading back to CNS soon. Will head straight to taxi rank. return to the airport will likely be Uber.

That's pretty bad re. Uber drivers manipulating the system at CNS. I wonder if Uber is aware of this and/or tried to crack down on it? IMHO Uber should ban drivers who do this systematically.

 

[kpc]

I find it really depends on the location. For example, arrived into CNS and decided to use Uber. Booked and then driver assigned and soon cancelled. New driver assigned and then cancelled. happened three time and each time the price was going up - due to "high demand". Gave up and wandered back to the taxi rank and no wait at all and a very pleasant taxi driver. He explained that the Uber drivers often manipulate the surging at the airport in this way. Taxi ride was lower cost than the surging Uber price at that time.

Return to the airport and Uber drivers were unable to manipulate the surging and readily/quickly available. Got a very pleasant Uber driver who confirmed they never wait at the airport for inbound flights because a cartel of drivers try to make everyone play their game.

heading back to CNS soon. Will head straight to taxi rank. return to the airport will likely be Uber.

When we arr in Cns last year to attend Ozfest, we tried Didi..haha...that didn't exist in Cns although the app suggested it did! We then tried Uber which had some ridiculously high surge pricing....we waited 15-20 mins and the price dropped significantly ($16.81 to Hilton -13 min ride ). No issues catching an Uber back to airport ($12.49 but we had some promo which gave us $8 of the ride -12 min ride).

 

[serfty]

That's pretty bad re. Uber drivers manipulating the system at CNS. I wonder if Uber is aware of this and/or tried to crack down on it? IMHO Uber should ban drivers who do this systematically.

It's UBER, taxi, or shuttle bus from Cairns. No other PT options unless you walk.

Ealier this month 8pm, Uber was $35, took taxi for $22.

Return next day was Uber for $15.

 

[Justinf]

When we arr in Cns last year to attend Ozfest, we tried Didi..haha...that didn't exist in Cns although the app suggested it did! We then tried Uber which had some ridiculously high surge pricing....we waited 15-20 mins and the price dropped significantly ($16.81 to Hilto ). No issues catching an Uber back to airport.

That’s usually the way.
Sometimes I will get quoted $120 for a 15km trip, but just wait five minutes and it goes back to the $35 it is meant to be.

 

[kevrosmith]

There is a Cairns Taxi app you can use to book a taxi in Cairns (doesn’t really apply at the airport though with the rank being there) but you can track the taxi assigned arriving and gives an estimate of fare value. Used to be able to pay through app, but they disabled that feature and not sure if it’s back

Apple Store version ‎Cairns Taxis Booking App

Not sure about Android sorry

 

[RealtimeY]

This is a phenomenon that happens quite often, not just at CNS. Often they’ll accept the ride and just never arrive to pick you up, forcing you to cancel first.

 

[anat0l]

There is a Cairns Taxi app you can use to book a taxi in Cairns (doesn’t really apply at the airport though with the rank being there) but you can track the taxi assigned arriving and gives an estimate of fare value. Used to be able to pay through app, but they disabled that feature and not sure if it’s back

Apple Store version ‎Cairns Taxis Booking App

Not sure about Android sorry

There is an Android version: Cairns Taxis – Apps on Google Play

Haven't tried it myself, but should be useful the next time I go to CNS.

This is a phenomenon that happens quite often, not just at CNS. Often they’ll accept the ride and just never arrive to pick you up, forcing you to cancel first.

True - it's happened quite a few times in Brisbane (not necessarily the airport... old taxi driver tricks in camping at the airport for jobs means there's rarely a job turned down when it's from the airport). Damn annoying really, but nothing much Uber will do about it, even if you report the driver.

It seems quite concentrated at Cairns and more particularly the airport. Usually, even if there are drivers playing that game, there are (in theory) a good decent number of others who aren't and will genuinely take your job and come to pick you up, viz. it shouldn't take 3 or more retries to get a genuine driver, particularly when an international flight has just arrived. It also doesn't make much sense to do the whole go around as Cairns airport and the city centre aren't terribly far apart unlike most other major Australian centres, and what would an Uber driver know anyway - they don't know where they are heading to until they have confirmed that the passenger has been picked up.