Lyft comes to Canada, sans-moustache

The ridesharing service Lyft, an Uber alternative, is coming to Toronto, building on its success in 300+ U.S. cities, providing 1 million rides a day.

"Lyft's marketing strategy, which is geared toward the young and technologically savvy, draws a relaxed and friendly demographic." Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times

As a brand, Lyft became known for the large pink furry moustaches drivers attached to the front of their cars. While memorable, the furry moustaches were eventually dropped, to overcome the resistance of some riders to arrive at destinations, such as business meetings, in a car with a giant moustache.

The replacement was nicknamed the "Glowstache" (a small, glowing plastic dashboard moustache). The latest Lyft iteration is a new color-changing dashboard indicator called "Amp."

Lyft is designed to encourage interaction between riders and drivers. When launched, Lyft riders were encouraged to sit in the front seat and fist bump with drivers upon meeting.

"You feel like you're in the car with a friend, and that's no mistake... Whether it's bringing someone a sandwich for the ride or letting them choose the music in the car, Lyft drivers have their own budding community growing." Drew Olanoff, TechCrunch

Music preferences are just one of the personal details that both passengers and drivers are encouraged to add to their profiles, facilitating conversation.

"Lyft is a real community—with both the drivers and riders being inherently social—making real friendships and saving money." Scott Weiss, Andreessen Horowitz (venture capital investor)

How it works:

• Riders must download the Lyft mobile app to their iOS or Android-based phone, sign up, enter a valid phone number, and enter a valid form of payment (either a credit card, or link to an Apple Pay, Google Wallet or PayPal account).
• Passengers can then request a ride from a nearby driver.
• Once confirmed, the app shows the driver's name, ratings by past passengers, and photos of the driver and car.
• At the end of the ride, the passenger is given the opportunity to provide a gratuity to the driver, billed to the rider's payment method.
• After a ride is completed, drivers and passengers are given the opportunity to rate each other on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Any driver averaging a low rating by users is dropped from the service. Lyft does not allow passengers to know their rating.

The 5 year old transportation network company is based in San Francisco, California. Canada is Lyft's first international operation.

Related content
Lyft Launches Toronto Expansion on Tuesday - CTV
CITY Q&A: Timothy Houghton, head of Lyft Toronto, on what it’s like to take on Uber - Toronto Life
Lyft Launches in Toronto with SickKids Donation - Betakit
Lyft plans to operate more than 100 vehicles in Hamilton - CBC
Lyft is Coming to Canada - Huffington Post

More from IHateTaxis
Is Uber Doomed?
The Uber Tip Dilemma
Uber Provides the Taxi Industry a Good Kick in the Pants
Canadian Taxi Monopoly is Attempting to Curb Consumer Choice
Dear Canadian Taxi Monopoly: Your Uber Boogie Man Doesn't Scare Me
Taxi Truths Campaign Puts Lipstick on a Pig

Beware the Barnacle

Barnacles (creative commons image callony on Flickr)

No, we are not referring to the above, but a new kind of "barnacle" that has been hitting the news this week in the world of parking enforcement. We'll let some media excerpts tell the story...

"Returning to your car to find a ticket tucked under the wiper sucks. So imagine how you’d feel finding a six square foot block of yellow plastic splayed across your windshield, rendering it impossible to see a thing." WIRED

"It's called The Barnacle. No, it's not the pesky sea creature you find stuck to the bottoms of boats. It's a contraption only humans could create. The Barnacle takes your standard, old parking ticket infraction to a whole new level." CBC Radio

"The Barnacle is certainly strange, but
anything is better than getting booted."

"Using two industrial-grade suction cups, the Barnacle mounts to a car's windshield, which unlike a boot, allows the car to be towed. The Barnacle comes with a screen to let the parking offender know why it was installed, and a credit card reader, so they can pay to have it removed. If the offender tries to drive off, an alarm will sound." Road and Track

"Personally, I think The Barnacle is the perfect punishment for a parking criminal. It’s bright, yellow, and obnoxious. Everyone who passes by will know you've done wrong. Also, good luck getting it off or ignoring it!" Daily Buzz

The Barnacle website
@ThisIsBarnacle on Twitter

Don't worry, there are no plans to deploy the devices at airports, and that's not really the target market.

At this point, the Barnacle is being piloted in two USA cities - Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Who knows if the parking officials in your city are paying attention...


Related stories on the Barnacle
This New Form of Parking Enforcement Sucks. Like, Actually Sucks - Wired
This Weird Windshield Blocker Could Replace the Parking Boot - Road and Track
New Barnacle “Parking Ticket” Covers Entire Windshield, Won’t Come Off - The Daily Buzz
Got a stack of tickets in your glovebox? You may find a Barnacle stuck to your car - Road Show by CNET
Forget the wheel clamp, security firm reveals stick on 'Barnacle' that blocks the entire windscreen - Daily Mail
The Barnacle: A new kind of parking ticket coming to a windshield near you? - CBC Radio (audio and video links)

More stories and resources from IHateTaxis
Ray the Parking Robot Valet
Brexit and the impact on travel - travel bloggers
Brexit and the impact on travel - new stories
Airport Beacons 2.0
Airports of the Future - New Perspectives
What is a Data Driven Airport?

Lily Airlines Fine Dining

Crew add an authentic touch

The reasons weren't clear right away, leaving the residents of Wuhan, China to wonder why a rusting, derelict Boeing 737 appeared on a busy street in their city.

Among the rumours in the city of 11 million, capital of the Hubei Province in central China, were an open-to-the-public flight simulator, or a restaurant (what, no hotel or nightclub rumours?).

It turns out the restaurant rumour was true, and the grounded airliner has opened for business.

Guests 'board' the Lily Airways Restaurant via a gangway and are served by staff sporting airline-themed uniforms. Rest assured, no standard airline fare is served onboard: the fine-dining menu is prepared by western chefs.

The aircraft was acquired from bankrupt Batavia Air. an Indonesian company, by a Chinese business man, Li Yang , for 35 million Yuan. The plane was partly dismantled, towed and reassembled on-site.

The bonus? There is actually a flight simulator in the cockpit, for those who are willing to fork out the extra cash.


For more photos, check out these news pieces:
Now that’s going to cause some serious traffic jams! A passenger PLANE appears in the middle of busy road in China - Daily Mail
First look inside China’s £4 million fine-dining restaurant converted from a retired Boeing 737 - Jet Line Marvel
This Restaurant Is Inside a Boeing 737 - Food and Wine
LOOK: Restaurant opens inside a Boeing 737 in downtown Wuhan - Shanghaist
Photos: China Unveils Its First Restaurant Inside an Airplane - China Aviation Daily
Airplane restaurant opens in Wuhan - China Daily


Related resources
Review: The Airplane Restaurant, Colorado Springs - One Mile at a Time
The Burning Man 747 - IHateTaxis Blog
Awe-inspiring homes and buildings made out of old airplanes - Gizmodo
Top 10 Ways To Recycle Airplanes - The Very Best Top 10
10 Odd Uses for Airplanes - Wacky Archives
Fine Dining In a Converted DC-10. Plus - Ask The Pilot


More from IHateTaxis
What I learned from my taxi driver
Brexit and the impact on travel - Travel bloggers
Mugging: are you a target?
Famous Fare: Nimoy Drives JFK
Spot the deadly fake taxi on your international travels!

Airports of the Future - new perspectives

Heathrow's hub airport of the future design concept by Grimshaw

How will the airport of the future differ from today's leading edge airport? In what ways can airport leaders look at the passenger experience (PaxEx) they provide to meet the needs of tomorrow's traveller? Here are some fresh new perspectives:

5 things air transport stakeholders must do now to avoid missing out on huge industry transformation opportunities

At Future Travel Experience Europe 2016 in Amsterdam, hundreds of the most pioneering passenger experience-focused minds came together to share their plans and visions for the end-to-end travel experience of 2025. As part of FTE’s strategy to drive positive industry change, here we highlight five of the key conclusions from the event and suggest potential ways forward... [read the full article on Future Travel Experience].

 

The Future of Airports - Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports

When I think of my own personal journey, it began while talking with someone who ran an airport. I was working for an airline and asked how they viewed customer relationships. He said: “We see airlines as suppliers of our customers.” That was when I personally realized that attitudes and approaches had to change; and I decided to move into airports [read the full interview on Air Transport IT Review].

Preparing for the airport terminal of the future - Future Travel Experience

"Driven by an increase in automation, commercialisation and the importance of ‘sense of place’, in addition to evolving passenger demands, airport terminal design has been changing. It will continue to do so as technology developments, especially in relation to passenger processing, shape how terminals look now and how they will differ in the future. To provide insight into the key factors impacting terminal design and to explore the latest developments in this space, FTE spoke to American Airlines’ Managing Director of Real Estate, Katherine Goudreau; LaGuardia Gateway Partners’ CEO, Stewart Steeves; SOM Director, Derek Moore; UNStudio Founder and Principal Architect, Ben van Berkel; and Merchant Aviation’s CEO, Kiran Merchant... [read the full article on Future Travel Experience].



Related resources
From Robots to Augmented Reality: Envisioning YVR of the Future - Apex
The Airport of the Future Is Coming, But It’s Still Not Here - Skift
Heathrow selects Grimshaw to design ‘hub airport of the future’ concept - Future Travel Experience
The Airport Of The Future Isn’t An Airport: It’s A City (and you don't need to be a passenger to visit) - Popular Science


Resources from IHateTaxis
What is a data driven airport? - IHateTaxis blog
Heathrow's sleek new transport screens - IHateTaxis blog
A few thoughts on Frankfurt Airport - IHateTaxis blog
Mamava lactation pods - LayoverIdeas blog

Tijuana Airport's new Cross Border Xpress (CBX) terminal

Tijuana Airport's new CBX terminal opens
 in San Diego on December 9, 2015

For the past 2 years, San Diego residents have watched a new building take shape next to the USA/Mexican border, complete with an overhead walkway. It's a new portal, of sorts, into Mexico.

When the new Tijuana Airport Cross Border Xpress terminal (CBX) opens on December 9, 2015, making it the only airport in the world to have terminals in two countries.

 "CBX", situated in San Diego, California, USA, is connected to Tijuana International Airport's Terminal 1 by a passenger foot bridge. Eligible passengers will pay USD 18 for access to the 525 foot bridge.

The Terminal 2 building will serve as a check-in and processing facility for departing passengers only, with its own parking and customs offices. There are no gates or arrival facilities. The structural scheme of CBX is intended to allow greater access to flights out of Tijuana Airport for both domestic and international air carriers.

The design of the joint binational Terminal 2 is the work of late Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.

Related resources
Cross-border airport? New California terminal extends to Mexico
Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) transportation guide
San Diego International Airport (SAN) transportation guide

New Cab Share app is a mixed review!

Cab sharing = BFFL?
Image: richpompetti on flickr, creativecommons

by Todd Romaine

In the brave new taxi world of Uber, others are also creating innovations that link smart phone technology, the internet, and attempted cost savings to the consumer. For a few Canadian student inventors, their cabshare app (cabshareanada.ca, @cabsharecanada) is an attempt to link consumers into one taxi versus two by creating a social platform to connect passengers heading out in the same direction. And in theory, it makes total sense to cut down on fares but one wonders the actual practicality of it in real time. While it makes sense at an airport or train station to link up with another passenger to travel in the same direction, it is less likely to happen outside of major transportation nodes. And even if it does work, you would need to figure out who is paying what amount and by what means. It is highly improbable both random travelers are going to the exact address and, of course, whether or not a taxi driver will accept payments in half cash, half credit.

In other words, the bartering process could continue throughout your journey with both the other passenger and the driver. Also, all too often, taxi drivers are onto this perceived scheme and will attempt to double charge the fare and treat individuals seperately.

Also for those anti-social types, whom prefer to be using your smartphone for the whole ride to the airport or elsewhere you now are somewhat obligated to engage in idle chit chat with your new found friend. The same individual that may be creeping your Facebook profile later on and assuming a friendship exists because of awkward chat in a taxi?

All in all, is it really worth it? For some people, it will be, but for individuals like myself I would prefer avoiding the unnecessary complexities of a routine task of getting from A to B. The cost of privacy and a silent ride without potential haggling with the person next to you is worth the extra few dollars in my perspective.

Related resources
New Vancouver app provides alternative to Uber
Free Taxi Vancouver - one guy in a chicken suit
Dear Canadian Taxi Monopoly: your Uber Boogie Man doesn't scare me
Uber provides the taxi industry a good kick in the pants

Travel Innovations We Like

The good thing about innovation is that every so often it hits stuff that makes a difference to your life. Here are a few cool things we've spotted lately:

Order a burger delivered to you at your gate

iPads at the gate

• At La Guardia Airport (LGA), gates in Terminal D now feature tables of the type you might see in a bar or coffee shop equipped with, yes, you guessed it, iPads free for anyone to use. In addition to flight alterts and games, you can order food delivered to the gate. Elegant. Now there's a word you don't hear often in conversation about New York airports! BTW, they are cropping up elsewhere too... watch out for them!
• Read more:  How iPads Spruce Up Airport `Bus Station’ Seating Areas
  

Scottevest's iPad Compatible Clothing

iPad cloaking devices

• We love this one: a jacket (or vest) with a secret pocket you can slip your iPad into and, presto!, it's invisible. Invisible to anyone watching you walk down the street that is. Best yet, this innovation comes with more... more pockets! Scottevest's clothing have oodles of pockets - some have 20 or more! - and they've got that cool magic clear plastic thingy stuff that will let you work your finger sensitive device through the pocket and built in wiring (technical term: TEC-Technology Enabled Clothing®, which they invented).

Buy your luggage it's own ticket

Luggage that travels solo

• With all the hassle - and charges - that come with flying with luggage these days, why not travel light and give your luggage it's own ticket to ride? If only.... Well, it's not "if" anymore. Lugless promises "travel without the baggage". You can ship your little carry on, your big suitcase, your bike, your whatever - and they deliver it at the other end. They send you a protective wrapper, pick it up (perhaps using their friends at FedEx, UPS or the like), then deliver it to your destination. Door-to-door. Hey, that's better than you get! The prices are pretty good (we think) and a real dream for journeys like travel overseas or sports fanatics that just can't leave their surfboard at home. 

What are your favourite innovations of late?