>> THIS NEW NORMAL WERE
UNSURE FEELS MORE EXPENSIVE
THAN THE OLD NORMAL,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
CARS. EVERYTHING FROM RENTALS
TO USED CARS TO RIDE SHARES
ALL COST MORE IN THE SUMMER OF
2021 NBC NEWS NOW
CORRESPONDENT ISA GUTIERREZ
SHOWS US HOW SURGE PRICING.
ITS REALLY SURGING
POST-PANDEMIC.
>> FOR MANY PEOPLE GETTING
BACK TO NORMAL LIFE MEANS
TAKING RIDESHARES TO GET TO
PLACES AGAIN 3 DAYS A WEEK IN
THE MORNINGS. THEY TAKE AN
UBER OR TO.
>> BUT THESE LAST COUPLE OF
MONTHS, CUSTOMERS HAVE FOUND
THAT THE COST AND WAIT TIMES
FOR THOSE RIDES ARE NOT WHAT
THEY WERE PRE-PANDEMIC.
>> OTHER MORE EXPENSIVE. NOW.
NOT AS MANY ONLY UNDERSTAFFED
AND THE TO LEAD IVE SEEN IT
FIRSTHAND IN NEW YORK CITY.
YOU $26.24 TO GO ABOUT 5 AND A
HALF BLOCKS RIGHT NOW. MY LIST
ABBOTT IS TELLING ME THAT IT
WOULD COST ME OVER $150 TO GET
A RIDE TO JFK AIRPORT RIGHT
NOW OVER A $150. I HAVE PAID
LESS THAN THAT FOR DOMESTIC
FLIGHTS BEFORE AN ANALYSIS BY
THE RESEARCH FIRM, RAKUTEN
INTELLIGENCE FOUND THAT ACROSS
THE U.S. THE COST OF A RIDE
WAS 40% HIGHER IN APRIL THAT
IT WAS A YEAR AGO IN MAY. UBER
CEO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SURGE
LEVEL PRICES HAVE INCREASED
AND THAT THE SUPPLY OF DRIVERS
WASNT KEEPING UP WITH THE
DEMAND GROWTH IN THE U.S. THAT
SAME MONTH LIFT STARTED TO
OFFER THE WEIGHT AND SAVE
OPTION. I WOULD SAY $30 FAMILY
IN A WAY IT MAKES ME THINK
TWICE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IM
GOING TO TAKE AN UBER OR LYFT
OR.
>> OR THE SUBWAY. I MEAN, ITS
FASTER JUST TO WALK. SOMETIMES
AND SIT IN THE CAR OR, YOU FOR
THEM ANYWAY. SO I DEFINITELY
SEE UNLESS CUSTOMERS ARE GOING
TO HAVE TO PAY UP OR TAKE
ALTERNATIVES. DIANE SWONK IS
THE CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER FOR
AN ACCOUNTING FIRM CALLED
GRANT SHORTEN AND ANALYZES THE
LABOR MARKET.
>> IT IS A BIT CHASING A
MOVING TARGET BECAUSE AT THE
MOMENT, EVEN AS YOURE TRYING
TO BRING MORE WORKERS BACK ON
MY YOURE STILL NOT FULLY INTO
ALL THAT COOKED UP DEMAND THAT
WE HAD FROM BEING SORT OF IN
OUR HOUSES AND NOT ABLE TO
TRAVEL AS MUCH NOT ABLE TO GO
OUT AS MUCH UBER AND LYFT HAVE
SPENT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS ON INCENTIVES FOR
DRIVERS TO GET BACK ON THE
ROAD THIS YEAR.
>> SO WHAT HAS THIS NEW
RIDESHARE REALITY BEEN LIKE
FOR DRIVERS OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF MONTHS.
>> I RECRUITED TO PEOPLE AT
800 LIST HAS BEEN DOING STREAK
HOURS IT WHERE HE JUST 3 RISES
IN THAT HOUR. YOULL EITHER
$18 BONUS FOR $15 SOME TOLD US
THE HIGHER DEMAND FOR RIDES
HAS BEEN GREAT FOR BUSINESS
ARE PEOPLE IN ALL THE TIME AND
BUSINESS COME NOW
>> I THINK TO TRY
>> BUT OTHERS SAY SURGE
PRICING IS NOT AS BENEFICIAL
TO THE DRIVER AS ONE MIGHT
ANNUAL LEVY IS A PART-TIME
UBER AND LYFT DRIVER BASED OUT
OF NEW JERSEY WHEN EVERYONE
STARTED GETTING SICK. I
STOPPED BECAUSE MY WIFE HAS A
COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM. HE
STARTED DRIVING AGAIN AFTER HE
AND HIS WIFE OR FULLY
VACCINATED IN LATE APRIL. ITS
BEEN A TOTALLY.
>> DIFFERENT FIELD SINCE WHEN
I STOPPED, HOWEVER, WITH THE
INCREASED RATES THAT UBER LYFT
DISCHARGING. IM NOT SURE IF
WERE REALLY SEEING THEM AS
DRIVERS IN THE THE PROFILES
FOR LYFT WE THINK, TO 25% OF
THE FAIR AND THEN GAVE
DRIVERS. THE REST. NOW THEYRE
JUST PAYING BASED ON TIME AND
DISTANCE AND KEEPING THE REST
AS SERVICE FEE. WHENEVER THAT
COMES TO AND THOSE LONG PICKUP
TIMES OFTEN CUT INTO DRIVERS
EARNINGS TO ANY NOBODY DID
DROVE THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC
IN CALIFORNIA. HE SAYS HE HAD
TO DOUBLE HIS HOURS AT ONE
POINT IN 2020 TO MAKE HIS
DAILY CASH COOL.
>> OVER THE LAST 2 MONTHS.
HES FINALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET
BACK TO WORKING HIS PRE
PANDEMIC HOURS. I WOULD HAVE
TO DRIVE WHILE.
>> TO 25 MILES TO GO PICK UP
SOMEONE AND WE WENT FROM ONCE.
I GET NOW FIND OUT THAT ITS
ONLY BETWEEN 3 TO $5. IM ONLY
GIVING FOR THE RIDE.
>> IN A STATEMENT, A
SPOKESPERSON FOR LYFT SAID
THAT QUOTE, ADDED THOUSANDS OF
DRIVERS IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS
AND ITS ALREADY LEADING TO A
BETTER WRITER EXPERIENCE WITH
WAIT TIMES DOWN MORE THAN 15%
NATIONWIDE. AND 35% IN SOME
MAJOR MARKETS.
>> UBER DIDNT FOLLOW UP ON
OUR REQUEST FOR A STATEMENT.
THE MONEY THAT UBER AND LYFT
FAZE ME.
>> GOES TOWARDS MAINTAINING
AND REPLACING THE CAR GONE
THROUGH 5 CARS AND 3 YEARS.
AND I WORKED FOR TIPS. ID
LOVE TO SEE BOTH UBER AND LYFT
PUBLISH THE GREAT PARK AREA
PROBABLY SO THAT PASSENGERS
CAN SEE WHAT THE DRIVERS ARE
MAKING.