Today, I decided to mix up my normal commute and try out Uber’s new UberX Share product! Read on to learn whether you should incorporate UberX Share into your commuting routine!

My Experience

Going into my UberX Share, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I be riding alone? Would another passenger join me on my route? Would there be another passenger already in the car?

After I put in my ride request, the trip started like any other Uber ride with Uber searching for a driver. Once Uber confirmed a driver, it did a flyover of NYC’s map to look for another rider. When no other passenger was found, Uber defaulted to its regular process of showing my driver and his route to my location.

When my first driver canceled the ride, I was connected to a second driver and the app once again searched for another passenger to join my trip. However, no other rider joined me on my trip at this point.

Once my ride started, I noticed that the Uber app continued to look for another passenger. Additionally, the app showed that I was already saving 10.5% on this ride (however, it did not say whether this discount was solely from taking UberX Share or if it included my Uber One discount) and that I would save more if another rider joined.

Unfortunately, no other rider joined me on my trip and I was stuck with the initial price. I found it surprising that no one else joined me on my trip considering that I was traveling during commuting hours and Uber received a lot of press for this product launch.

What did I think?

Overall, I liked UberX Share. It was nice being able to get a ride with the speed of Uber while also enjoying a lower fare. However, this was also the part of the product that annoyed me the most. Compared to my usual subway commute or a regular UberX ride, I would know how much I would paying upfront. Instead, my trip’s price was based off whether Uber’s algorithm could find another rider for my trip

While the upfront price was cheaper than a UberX ride, I did wish that Uber would show me the percent chance that another rider would join me on my trip. By knowing this information at the start of my ride, I would have a better idea of how much I would actually be paying for my trip.

In the end, I would recommend UberX Share but I would caution that you won’t know your final price until the ride is complete and that you should assume that you will be paying the full price.

As I take more rides with UberX Share in the future, I will let you more about my experiences and whether I would still recommend UberX Share as a way to get around the city.

Kyle’s Tip

Kyle’s Tip: If you are planning to use UberX Share and want your best chance of getting a shared ride discount, I would recommend planning your route around your city’s traffic flow. For example in NYC, your best chance of getting a shared ride in the morning would be to travel during commuting hours downtown. That way, your ride would be following the general traffic flow of people in the city at that time.

However, if you are trying to capitalize on the standard UberX Share discount without traveling with other passengers, I would recommend traveling in the opposite direction of your city’s traffic. By traveling in the opposite direction, you should have the best chance of not having another rider join you on your trip.

Whether you want to share your ride or not, I hope these tips can help you get the most out of your UberX Share ride!

Your thoughts?

Please let us know in the comments section below about your experiences with UberX Share!