Very interesting in that SuperShuttle was sold to a PE firm specializing in distressed assets in September. This bankruptcy was likely already a given at that time.
SuperShuttle is going out of business
21–30 of 135 posts
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#22Very interesting in that SuperShuttle was sold to a PE firm specializing in distressed assets in September. This bankruptcy was likely already a given at that time.
You wonder what analysis went into that deal. Just the month before, Uber had announced a $5.2 billion loss for the quarter, which gives a sense of the competitive landscape SuperShuttle faced.
There are also arguments that PE has been doing a lot of poor deals lately and institutions allocating to them are going to be disappointed:
https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2018/02/private-equity-ov...
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#23When I used to fly between SFO and Boston, I would always use Knights in Boston. They are a shared van service that often has 2-3 well-planned stops per ride. I did Supershuttle once, and the length of time it took for me to get home was absurd. All the other stops just made, what should be a 30 minute ride home, absurdly long. Good riddance. Supershuttle only made sense if you have a large group and can take up most…
A relative of mine used the Shuttle last month.
It managed to arrive 30 minutes early for the pickup, yet about 30 minutes late for one of the passengers in the shuttle, who barely able to make their flight.
I've used them once before and the experience was close to what you describe - absurdly long ride for what should have been a 35-minute breeze.
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#24I use SuperShuttle pretty much all the time. I understand why the service is widely disliked. Most people expect a predictable shared ride with least surprises. The pick up is predictable but not the ride itself. Sometimes it's like 3-4 stops and the whole thing takes a long time.
On the other hand, I have tried uber shared ride from airports and it's way worse (at SFO). The rides keep getting cancelled. Late at night, you have to keep re-booking or do a non-shared ride for a very high price. Atleast with super shuttle, pick up is never an issue.
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#25Ah, SuperShuttle. Great idea, poor execution. Back in 2011, one 10pm ride home (from a very nice trip to Kauai), the driver was apparently dozing off during the ride, and veering into the opposing lane - this happened multiple times and he was resentful to anyone who corrected him.
I bet during that ride lost their business for good for every single passenger on that ride.
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#26this is hardly surprising. a ride to SFO from my home using uber/lift is about $23. $19 using supershuttle. And I don't have to schedule anything or take a long van ride while other passengers are being dropped off. Very unfortunately for the mom & pop supershuttle franchisees, though, with van payments and a dried up source of income.
The one reason I take super shuttle to the airport is because I can schedule it ahead and I can at least be certain they will do whatever they can to honor the reservation. While for now uber/lyft are probably available often enough there is no guarantee that one is going to be available especially if you are flying very early or late.
Then you need to plan your trip ahead of time.
With SuperShuttle, you can't predict who they are going to pick up along the way either.
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#27Another indication of the super-poor state of public transport in the US.
This super-nation is so ridiculously behind in this regard in every aspect of development of public transport that you have to consider if the people in force have all their senses together.
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#28Another indication of the super-poor state of public transport in the US. This super-nation is so ridiculously behind in this regard in every aspect of development of public transport that you have to consider if the people in force have all their senses together.
This is private transportation, addressing needs that public transportation doesn't address anyway (mostly random residential to/from airports).
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#29When I used to fly between SFO and Boston, I would always use Knights in Boston. They are a shared van service that often has 2-3 well-planned stops per ride. I did Supershuttle once, and the length of time it took for me to get home was absurd. All the other stops just made, what should be a 30 minute ride home, absurdly long. Good riddance. Supershuttle only made sense if you have a large group and can take up most…
I distinctly recall texting with a friend in 2013 who was a Stanford grad student who opted for Super shuttle instead of Uber/Lyft back to his campus housing. Took him 2+hours instead of the ~30 minutes.
Re: SuperShuttle is going out of business
#30Oh wow that's sad. I have been taking SuperShuttle for over 15 years and have always had positive experiences. Being able to schedule rides outweighed any uncertainty around how long the trips might be, particularly around busy holidays. I also appreciated how local franchises took pride in building their businesses. A shame to see it run aground on the shoals of VC subsided gig work.